Collector Tips

For generations, most coin collectors in the U.S. focused their energies on American issues. When I started collecting, world coins were a fringe specialty and most of the dealers were retired military many of whom had become interested in world coins while serving overseas. Factors to Consider when Choosing Numismatics ...

In the early days of coin collecting, the grade of a coin was subjective and limited. In today’s coin market, the grade of a coin is as much science as art, and independent third-party grading services guarantee the correct grade for scarce and high-quality coins. By the mid-1800’s, only a few grading terms were use ...

Nearly every day, my company submits rare coins to one of the two major grading companies in the United States, Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC) or the Professional Coin Grading Company (PCGS). Both have been in business for over 20 years and have graded and capsulated billions of dollars-worth of rare coins.  The cre ...

Traditionally, Gold and silver were the primary metals used for the production of coins.  Gold and silver both have intrinsic value as precious metals, so coins struck in these metals were easily accepted in commer ...

What are the Parts of a Coin Called? Many people will say that the only parts of a coin they could identify are Heads and Tails. But as one develops an interest in coins, you soon learn that there are no less than 14 major parts to most any coin! Obverse:  The "Heads" side of ...

One of the most common questions I’m asked by new collectors is, “What should I collect?” People tell me they’ve developed an interest in numismatics, but they’re not sure how to get started.  So Many Options for Collectors Choosing an area of interest can be quite difficult for ...

John Jay Pittman was a man of ordinary means who lived in Rochester, New York, with his wife and three children. He was born in North Carolina in 1913 and moved to Rochester in 1936 to work for the Eastman Kodak Company, a job he held for most of his life. Pittman pursued numismatics with a passion. He was active in local, stat ...

In July of 2011 Congressman Ron Paul asked Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke a simple question: "Do you think gold is money?" His answer: "No."  For a person like me, who has spent their career studying the history of money since the beginning of civilization, his answer struck me like a brick to the head.  ...