The United States Mint website is a one-stop-shop to learn more about United States coins and purchase them. The site is divided into three basic categories: shopping, history/learning, and news. The shopping section covers all of the currently available mint products. Usually, you can only purchase coins and medals presently being produced at the mint. If there are some unsold products from a year or two ago, those still may be available for sale. If you’re looking for older coins, you’ll have to go to your favorite coin shop or find them online. In the history and learning section, you will find information about the very early origins of The United States Mint, how they make coins, and a variety of information regarding the mint and its rich history. Additionally, it also has individual sections dedicated to coin-collecting basics, knowledge, and downloads for teachers as well as a special section for kids. Finally, the news section has an index of the current news releases, including upcoming events, schedules of new product releases, and a link to a library of high-resolution photos of coins from the United States Mint. It also has sections on current legislation that affects the mint, consumer alerts, and unique design competitions for future United States coins. The PCGS CoinFacts website is one of the most comprehensive sites covering virtually every issue of United States coins ever minted. It also has detailed information on colonial issues, private and territorial issues, and pattern coins from the United States Mint. The homepage has links to every type of coin that makes the site easy to navigate. Clicking on one of the type coin titles will bring you to an overview of that coin type. These sections begin with an introduction to the particular series written by some of the most noted authors in numismatics. Additionally, PCGS CoinFacts presents high-quality photos of each type and subtype of the coin. Drilling down through the individual links will lead you to detailed information for that particular coin. You can click on the high-quality images to view the fine details of every coin. Comprehensive specifications such as designer, diameter, weight, and mintage are also presented. Rounding out the information is detailed population reports, price guides, and recent auction results. The Newman Numismatic Portal was founded by a grant from one of numismatics great coin collectors Eric P. Newman. Newman’s interest in coins and insatiable curiosity led him to become one of coin collecting’s most celebrated researchers. Beginning in 2013, Newman began to sell his coin collection. The results of his sale have run into millions of dollars. Part of this money was donated to fund this numismatic research portal that is housed at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. Whether you are new to coin collecting or an advanced numismatist, the Newman Numismatic Portal has something for everyone. Beginning collectors should start at the Encyclopedia section and click on one of the section headings to learn more about a particular series of coins. Additionally, almost 100,000 books and periodicals on coin collecting have been digitized and are fully searchable. If you are looking for more information on a particular person, the People section has a detailed bibliography on almost 3,000 people that have a significant connection to numismatics. Finally, auction records and blogs are provided to help researchers and coin collectors stay up-to-date on current topics and market trends. The CoinNews website is a collection of numismatic articles and coin collecting price tools. This website is one of the top coin-collecting new sites in the industry. The site is updated daily with breaking news and current information for coin collectors. This site covers coin news on the U.S. Mint, world mints, news that affects bullion prices, coin shows, and auctions. In addition to the current news topics, the site also provides coin-collecting tools that any coin collector will find useful. Although not every coin type ever made by the United States Mint is covered, modern coins and more popular series have detailed information that will help you along the way on your coin collecting journey. The world coin section mostly focuses on Canadian and Australian coins. By no means is this an exhaustive resource for world coin collectors. Other tools on the website include current bullion prices, an inflation calculator, and an international currency converter. One of the most authoritative world coin price guides is the NGC World Price Guide. This database of world coin prices is fully searchable and covers world coins from 1600 to date. This complete catalog of world coin values was created through a partnership with NGC and Krause Publications’ NumisMaster. The information is arranged by Krause-Mishler catalog numbers and includes coin values, images, and specifications such as weight, composition, bullion value, artist/engraver, and edge type. The information is free and available to all users. To start your search, you must know the country of origin, region (if any), and denomination. An open-ended search will provide a selection page showing you the overview information and an image of any coins that match your search criteria. If you know the date and/or catalog number, you may go directly to the detailed pricing information contained in the database. The world’s largest numismatic auctioneer is Heritage Auctions based in Dallas, Texas. Heritage additionally has offices across the United States, Europe, and Asia. Established in 1976, Heritage offers a wide range of U.S. and world coins, rare currency, fine and decorative art, sports memorabilia, and a variety of other fine collectibles. Although Heritage is the leading seller of rare and valuable coins and currency, the average collector may also purchase affordable items for their collection. Their searchable database of more than two million coin auction records includes detailed information, catalog descriptions, and prices realized. All of their auctions are fully accessible over the Internet. However, be forewarned that a 20 percent “buyers fee” and shipping charges will be added to your final invoice total. You may also use Heritage to sell your coins. The “seller’s fee” is negotiable but usually averages around a 15 percent commission. If you are considering selling a single coin or your entire collection, it will not be worth your while unless your consignment is expected to achieve an auction value of at least $5,000 to $10,000. GreatCollections was founded in 2010 by Ian Russell as a new coin auction house to serve the rare coin and bullion community. His many years of experience with Tele-Trade coin auctions gave him a unique perspective to create an online coin auction company that serves the beginning coin collector as well as more advanced coin collectors. Professional images of all coins are provided regardless of their value. The buyer’s fee is one of the lowest of all online auctions at only 10 percent with a minimum of $5 per coin. Great Collections does not charge a “seller’s fee.” Its database of auction results is also fully searchable with a variety of options to help you narrow down your search to the particular coin that interests you. If you are interested in mint errors, then Mint Error News is the website for you. Mike Byers (mikebyers.com) is the editor/publisher and president of Mike Byers Inc. He has been a professional numismatist for more than 35 years and is a leading expert in error coins. The highlight of this website is the free and fully downloadable Mint Error News Magazine. Each issue is packed full of full-color pictures, recent discoveries, and detailed educational information for error coin collectors. The website is full of online features that include a glossary of error coin terms, an online museum of coin errors including high-resolution photographs, and a price guide to help you determine the value of your mint error coin. All collectors and dealers are encouraged to submit their articles, discoveries, and scans of their certified major mint errors to Mint Error News for review and publication. The world’s biggest coin club has a newly updated and modern website to help you along your coin collecting journey. The American Numismatic Association (ANA) was founded in 1891 by five men dedicated to the hobby of coin collecting. More than 125 years later the ANA has one of the largest presence on the Internet with information to help coin collectors everywhere. From finding a coin dealer or coin club to attending an educational seminar, the ANA has something for every coin collector. It has special tools and resources, virtual tours of the ANA Money Museum, and special resources for young collectors. If you are a member of the ANA, you can access a digital copy of the organization’s monthly publication, The Numismatist. Many coins are made of precious metals that greatly affect the value of the coin. In volatile market times, the price of precious metals may fluctuate wildly. This may cause a coin to be worth more as bullion then on the open market as a collectible coin. If you are interested in investing in bullion coins, this site will give you current and historical spot prices for gold, silver, platinum, palladium, and rhodium.
