No doubt it is "brilliant" -- that's what happens when you remove metal from the surface and make it smooth, but in the process you are damaging...
Don't even think about it. No type of cleaning is appropriate for coins; not even the sonic cleaners. Yes, they will remove surface dirt, but...
I highly recommend "The Official Guide to Coin Grading and Counterfeit Detection" by PCGS. The majority of the book focuses on grading, but the...
Don't be embarrassed. Many people confuse proof and mint sets, and that's one of the reasons I asked. Keep asking questions, and keep learning....
Fret: That's not a proof. It has a date of 1966, and no proof nickels were struck that year. I belive it may be a "prooflike" coin. The mint...
Proof nickels in the early 1960s are more often found toned than untoned. They tended toward blue, but there are lots of other colors too....
Are you positive you have mint sets, and not proof sets? I suspect this because you said they are Philadelphia only (which the proof set would...
Starting in 2005, mint sets were assembled with special "satin finish" uncirculated coins, instead of normal business strikes. Therefore, if a...
One of your 1909-S cents is the VDB variety. You know that, right?
The 20-cent coin is cleaned, and I wouldn't want it. I've never purchased a raw trade dollar, and I wouldn't do that either, as I am not...
For your purposes, reality trumps the guides. The eBay and Teletrade selling prices reflect reality. As you thoughtfully pointed out, though,...
A huge bargain it is not. But fair? Sure. You're looking at almost $3.00 face in silver, so you paid a little over 13 times face. Given silver's...
I envy you. I went to Denver a few weeks ago on business. I tried to reserve a tour spot several weeks in advance, but they were already booked...
I would probably wait, given the alternatives. Isn't it amazing, though, how many people on eBay get into accidents/become ill/have Grandma...
I think not.
I agree completely. And this results in increased demand for silver, which jacks the price.
The rate of increase/decrease of gold, or any other metal for that matter, is not interdependent on the rate of increase/decrease of any other...
It would be larger than a cent, but smaller than a nickel.
I bought a 1938 proof Jefferson nickel that was in an NGC slab. The slab was damaged in transit. Fortunately, it was insured, so I filed a claim...
Picture would be nice. How do you know it's copper, and not an alloy? My first thought was nickel struck on a cent planchet. This would give...
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