Coin Collecting for Dummies.

Title Page
Copyright Page
Table of Contents
Introduction
	About This Book
	Foolish Assumptions
	Icons Used in This Book
	Beyond the Book
	Where to Go from Here
Part 1 Making Heads and Tails out of Coin Collecting
	Chapter 1 Welcome to the World of Coin Collecting
		On Your Mark, Get Set, Go: Starting Your Coin Collection
		Eeny, Meeny, Miney, Moe: Deciding Which Coins to Collect
		I Pledge Allegiance: Turning Your Attention to U.S. Coins
		I’ll Take That One, and That One, and That One: Buying Coins
		Parting Is Such Sweet Sorrow: Selling Your Coins
	Chapter 2 Understanding Numismatics
		Admitting Your Numismatism
		Discovering How Cool Coin Collecting Can Be
		Collecting versus Accumulating
		Collecting Various Types of Coins
			Gold and silver coins
			Commemorative coins
			BU Rolls
			silver certificates
		Getting Excited about Collecting Today
			50 State Quarters
			Sacagawea dollar
			New commemorative issues
			Error coins
	Chapter 3 Arming Yourself with Knowledge
		Gaining Knowledge Before You Buy
			Understanding the parts and purpose of a coin
			Putting the book before the coin
				Trade papers
				Numismatic books
				Price guides
				Grading guides
			Mix and mingle
		Affecting a Coin’s Value
			Age: Good for wine, good for coins?
			Condition: Pumping them up
			Demand: Demanding high dollar
			Rarity: Hunting for treasures
			Supply: Giving them what they want
		Deciding What to Collect
			Staying focused
			Thinking long-term
	Chapter 4 Storing Your Collection Correctly
		Holdering Them the Right Way
		Keeping Away from the Cleaning Products
			Removing dirt
			Handle with kid gloves
			Wash your hands before touching
			Ask before removing a coin from a holder
			Watch out for the holder
			Handle a coin by the edges
			Keep your mouth shut
			Hold a coin over a soft surface
		Keeping Them High and Dry
			Keepin’ ’em dry
			Using a desiccant
		Securing Your Stash: At Home and on the Road
			Deciding between a home safe and a safe-deposit box
			Carrying coins in your car
			Carrying coins on a plane
			How comforting is your inn?
			Dealing with a robbery
		Insuring Your Investment
Part 2 Ancient to Present Day: Choosing Coins for Your Collection
	Chapter 5 Showing Their True Age: Ancient Coins
		Ancient Coins — of Gods and Men
		Deciding Which Ancient Coins to Collect
			Ancient Greek coins
			Ancient Roman coins
			Biblical coins
			Byzantine coins
		Understanding How Age Affects Value
		It’s All Greek to Me!
		Knowing Where You Can Get ’Em
	Chapter 6 Making a Safe Bet with U.S. Coins
		Discovering a Finely Tuned Market
		Understanding Why U.S. Coins Are So Popular
		Recognizing Desirable Coin Characteristics: Liquidity, Liquidity, Liquidity
	Chapter 7 Globetrotting with World Coins
		A Few Hints for Beginners
			Collecting by country
			Collecting by denomination
			Collecting crowns
			Collecting by date
			Collecting topically
		Recognizing the Hot and Cold Countries
		Understanding That Grading Standards Are Not All the Same
			Obsession with quality is okay — to a point
			Extremely Fine is not Extremely Fine is not Extremely Fine
	Chapter 8 Exploring the Wild Side with Rare, Expensive, and Esoteric Coins
		Looking for the Best of the Best
			Collecting Finest Known coins
			Checking Condition Census
		Recognizing Odd and Curious Money
		Investigating Tokens, Medals, and Miscellaneous Coins
			Hard Times tokens
			Good For tokens
			Civil War tokens
			Washington medals
		Collecting by Die Variety — the Spice of Life
Part 3 Focusing on U.S. Coins
	Chapter 9 Colonial Coins: America’s Ancients
		Recognizing a Colonial Coin
		Locating Foreign Coins Used in the American Colonies
			French coins
			Irish coins
			British coins
			Spanish coins
			London elephant tokens
		Appreciating How Colonies and States Expressed Themselves
			Massachusetts
			New Jersey
			Connecticut
			Vermont
			New York
			Virginia
		Collecting Privately Issued Coins and Tokens
			Mott token
			Brasher doubloon
			Higley coppers
		Distinguishing Quasiofficial Colonial Coins
			Continental dollars
			Fugio cents
			Nova Constellatio coppers
		Washingtoniana: America Goes Ape for Its First President
			Unity States cent
			1791 Washington large eagle cent
			1793 ship halfpenny
			1795 grate halfpenny
			Liberty and Security penny
	Chapter 10 Copper and Nickel Coins: Made for the Masses
		Getting the Hang of Half Cents
			Major types of U.S. half cents
			Collecting U.S. half cents
		Living Large with Large Cents
			Major types of U.S. large cents
			Collecting U.S. large cents
		Seeking Out Small Cents
			Major types of U.S. small cents
			Collecting U.S. small cents
		Taking on Two-Cent Pieces
		Rounding Up the Three-Cent Nickel
		Firing Up for the Five Cents (or Nickels)
			Major types of U.S. five-cent pieces
			Collecting U.S. five-cent pieces
	Chapter 11 Silver Coins: Keeping Commerce Alive
		Thrilling Yourself with Three-Cent Silvers
			Major types of U.S. three-cent silvers
			Collecting U.S. three-cent silvers
		Hunting Down Half Dimes
			Major types of U.S. half dimes
			Collecting U.S. half dimes
		Digging in for Dimes
			Major types of U.S. dimes
			Collecting U.S. dimes
		Touring Around for 20-Cent Pieces
		Calling All Quarter Dollars
			Major types of U.S. quarter dollars
			Collecting U.S. quarter dollars
		Holding On to Half Dollars
			Major types of U.S. half dollars
			Collecting U.S. half dollars
		Digging Around for Dollars
			Major types of U.S. dollars
			Collecting U.S. dollars
	Chapter 12 Gold Coins: Concentrated Wealth
		$1 Gold Pieces
			Liberty-head gold dollar (1849–54)
			Indian-princess gold dollar (1854–89)
		$2.50 Gold Pieces
			Turban Head $2.50 gold piece (1796–1807)
			Capped Bust $2.50 gold piece (1808–34)
			Classic Head $2.50 gold piece (1834–39)
			Liberty-head $2.50 gold piece (1840–1907)
			Indian-head $2.50 gold piece (1908–29)
		$3 Gold Pieces
		$4 Gold Pieces
		$5 Gold Pieces
			Turban Head $5 gold piece (1795–1807)
			Capped Bust $5 gold piece (1807–34)
			Classic Head $5 gold piece (1834–38)
			Liberty-head $5 gold piece (1839–1908)
			Indian-head $5 gold piece (1908–29)
		$10 Gold Pieces
			Turban Head $10 gold piece (1795–1804)
			Liberty-head $10 gold piece (1838–1907)
			Indian-head $10 gold piece (1907–33)
		$20 Gold Pieces
			Liberty-head $20 gold piece (1849–1907)
			Saint-Gaudens $20 gold piece (1907–33)
	Chapter 13 Commemoratives: Raising Money with Money
		Commemorate This!
		The Early Years (1892–1934): Commemoratives Under Control
		The Age of Abuse (1934–54): Commemoratives Out of Control
		Modern Commemoratives (1982–present): Money Coins
		Circulating Commemoratives
			50 State Quarters
		Tips for Collecting Commemoratives
	Chapter 14 Advancing to Oddball Coins
		Understanding Pattern Coins
		Collecting Pioneer or Private Gold
		Finding Confederate Coins
		Appreciating Proof Coins
		Recognizing Hawaiian Coins
		Identifying Error Coins
Part 4 Buying and Selling Coins the Safe Way
	Chapter 15 Wheeling and Dealers
		Finding a Good Coin Dealer
		Localizing Your Efforts
		Going to the Nationals
		Going Global
			Evaluating the global pros
			Weighing the global cons
		Surfing the Net for a Deal
	Chapter 16 Grading and Authenticity, Rarity, and the Establishment of Value
		Factors That Affect Grade
		Eye Appeal
		Circulated vs. Uncirculated Coins
		Precision Grading
		Consistency of Grading
		Proofs, Patterns, and Specimens
		Overgrading and Overpricing
		Grading Guarantees
		Authenticity and Originality
		Rarity and the Establishment of Value
		Market Demand and Survival Rate
	Chapter 17 Foiling the Fakes
		Resisting Temptation
		Becoming Your Own Expert
		Finding Out about Repaired, Restored, and Recolored Coins
			Cleaned coins
			Curated coins
			Dipped coins
			Scrubbed coins
			Erasered coins
			Whizzed coins
			Repaired coins
			Recolored coins
		Getting Duped
			Scams
			Misrepresentation
			Overgrading
			Undergrading
			Cheap offers
		Caveating Your Emptor
		Saving the Day: Return Privileges and Guarantees
			No return privilege
			Return privileges
			Guarantees
		Slamming the Scammers
	Grading with the Pros
		The Grading Process
			Submitting coins to be graded
			Grading
			Encapsulation
			Shipping
		Numismatic Guarantee Company (NGC)
		Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS)
		Certified Acceptance Corporation (CAC)
		The Other Guys
		Restoration and Conservation
			Toning
			Spots
			Metal
			Means to an end
	Chapter 19 Selling Your Coins Yourself
		Knowing What to Expect
		Deciding Whether to Sell Coins Yourself
		Getting Ready to Sell Your Collection
			Knowing what you have
			Understanding that looks are everything
			Getting the grading done beforehand
			Pricing properly
		Knowing Where to Sell Your Coins
			Coin dealers
			Coin shows
			Direct marketing via publications or online services
		Mastering the Art of Selling
			Be assertive
			Talk ’em up
			Appeal to a need
			Convey a sense of urgency
			Stick to your pricing
			Sell from the bottom
			Remain patient
		Keeping Good Records
		Donating the Rest
	Chapter 20 Going Once, Going Twice: Buying at Auction
		Flying Like Bees to Honey
			Seeking a rare flower
			Getting stung
		Preparing to Buy
			Obtaining the catalog
			Reading the terms and conditions of sale
			Registering to bid
			Studying the catalog
			Choosing your battles
			Setting your limits
			Bidding
		Reserving Yourself
		Hauling Yourself to Online Auctions
			Getting Internet versions of auction catalogs
			Using eBay
	Chapter 21 The Coin Auction Arena
		Consignment Journey
			If you are a seller
			If you are a buyer
		Heritage Auctions: “The Titan”
		Top Performing Auction Houses
			GreatCollections Coin Auctions
			Legend Rare Coin Auctions
			Stack’s Bowers Galleries
			Lyn Knight Auctions
			Goldberg Auctions
			Kagin’s
			David Lawrence Auctions
	Chapter 22 Coin Investments, Taxes, and the Law
		Investing in Coins in Theory
		Dealing with Taxes
			Sales taxes
			Income taxes
Part 5 The Part of Tens
	Chapter 23 The Ten Most Valuable U.S. Coins
		1933 Double Eagle ($18,872,250) PCGS MS65
		1794 Flowing Hair Dollar ($10,016,875)
		1787 Brasher Doubloon EB on Wing ($9,360,000)
		1822 $5 ($8,400,000) PCGS AU50
		1804 Bust Dollar ($7,680,000) PCGS PF68
		1787 Brasher Doubloon EB on Breast ($7,395,000)
		1861 $20 Paquet Reverse ($7,200,000)
		1794 $1 (Lord St Oswald) ($6,600,000) PCGS MS66+
		723 AD Umayyad Gold Dinar (£3,720,000-$6,029,400)
		1804 $10 Proof Eagle (5,280,000) PCGS PF65+ DCAM
	Chapter 24 Ten Favorite U.S. Coin Designs
		1792 Silver Center Cent
		1849 Double Eagle
		1907 Ultra-High Relief Double Eagle
		1822 Half Eagle
		1785 Immune Columbia Constelatio in Gold
		1776 Continental Dollar
		1793 Wreath Cent
		1809–36 Capped Bust Half Dollar, Second Style
		1794 Flowing Hair Dollar
		1808 Quarter Eagle
	Ten Ways to Get Your Kids Involved in Coin Collecting
		Show Them Some of Your Favorite Coins
		Show Them a Book That Illustrates the Coins You Own
		Show Them Interesting Coin Websites
		Start Them on Collecting the 50 State Quarters or the Presidential $1 Coins
		Use Coins in a School Project
		Take Them to a Museum
		Take Them to a Coin Dealer
		Take Them to a Coin Show
		Take Them to a Coin Auction
		Take Them to a U.S. Mint
Glossary
Index
EULA