Tips for Purchasing Coins Online

First and foremost, research the reputation of the seller. This should go without saying, but eager buyers continue to be ripped off by a few people who are eager to dump their cleaned and damaged junk onto the unsuspecting, despite having been called on it multiple times by former customers. Most auction sites have the ability to review sellers and to read other buyers’ reviews.

Secondly, read and understand the seller’s return policy. If the coin in hand does not look like the coin in the photographs online, what can be done to rectify it? Will you get a full refund? Who pays shipping costs?

Thirdly, closely examine the photos of the coin. Photos should be straight on, not at an angle. Some sellers hide hairlines (signs of cleaning) and other problems by shooting the photograph at a sharp angle, causing the light to reflect differently and the hairlines not to show. You could request a different photograph from the seller, or you could simply move on to the next coin.

Fourthly, consider that many rare, or “key,” coins are being counterfeited in large numbers, mostly in China. It is a problem as old as money itself, and online auction sites are rife with counterfeits. Inexperienced numismatists can get excited over the cheap 1916-D mercury dime and think they’ve scored an auction win, only to send it off for grading and have it returned as a counterfeit. Therefore, as a rule, when buying key coins, only buy those certified and encapsulated by a reputable third party grader.

Lastly, avoid online coin sellers who claim they do not know anything about the coin, or coins in general, or are merely settling an estate. As a rule of thumb, these people do know, in fact, something about coins and use ignorance to create a layer of plausible deniability for when their problem coins are discovered.

While most people reading this have probably heard these bits of advice before, it never hurts to revisit the basics. Famous football coach Vince Lombardi used to begin each season by introducing himself to that year’s team of professionals by holding up a football and announcing, ”Gentlemen, this is a football.”5 Many were undoubtedly shocked or perhaps insulted that he would assert something so basic to a group of professionals. Lombardi’s position, however, was that each season he began with the most basic elements of the game. Instill excellence In the fundamentals. He believed without mastering those fundamentals, his team could never hope to achieve greatness. In the same way, numismatists should master these fundamentals and periodically review them.

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Mint

 

 

A quick video recap all about the Mint and what it does in terms of coins.

Happy Holidays!

 

Happy Holidays from us at Martinez Coin And Jewelry Exchange to all of you!

Martinez Coin And Jewelry Exchange 

3755 Alhambra Ave Ste 1, Martinez, California

martinezcoin@comcast.net

(925) 335-9500

Do's and Don'ts of Selling Jewelry

Pawning unwanted jewelry is a great way to raise some immediate cash for an emergency or to boost your liquidity and pay for a large expense. But what jewelry should you pawn and what should you not pawn? 

Discover a few do's and don'ts for better success;

Do Pawn Diamonds and Gems

Diamond jewelry is one of the most commonly pawned items and something that you can nearly always sell to your local pawn shop. They also usually fetch the best prices due to the universal popularity and consistent value of diamonds. So if you're deciding among pieces, you're likely to get the biggest value from diamonds.

You can also get good value from most precious stones - including rubies, emeralds, and sapphires. Semiprecious stones aren't always as valuable, but they can serve as a backup or complementary sale.

Don't Pawn Most Fakes

Check to see if your jewelry is real before you head to the pawn shop. Costume jewelry, of course, won't net the price you expect from real jewelry - and you want to find out this at home rather than at the shop counter. Look for metal markings identifying the manufacturer, karats, and weight. Try a magnet test (gold doesn't stick to magnets) or other simple checks to make sure you know what you've got.

Costume jewelry isn't valued by the same standards as real jewelry, but you may still be able to work with it. If a particular style of costume pieces is popular right now, you may have a case for a decent price.

Do Pawn Gold and Silver

Along with diamonds, gold and silver metals are good for pawning. The advantage of gold and silver is that you can sell them as individual wearable jewelry pieces or as scrap metal. Most people have scrap metal in their collection - including broken chains, settings with missing gems, old rings, and outdated pieces. Individually, these may not seem like much, but they do build value together.

Don't Pawn Sentimental Pieces

Whatever emergency you face, reconsider selling jewelry that has strong sentimental value to you or your family. Gaining cash through either a sale or a pawn loan should be a positive experience that makes things easier. But if you put something with personal connections at risk, you could add to your emotional challenges. This should only be done if you have a plan to pay off the pawn loan on time.

Before you sell an heirloom necklace, your grandmother's (or your own) engagement ring, or a watch you wanted to give to your child, look around for other items that you may be able to substitute instead. Jewelry isn't the only type of asset that pawn shops want, so you might sell things like electronics, firearms, mobile devices, real metal flatware, or collectibles - all of which often have less sentiment attached.

Do Pawn Watches

Have you considered the value of your watch? Watches are an underrated but potentially valuable item that pawn shops want. They may be more difficult to pawn for their true value than more common items like gold chains and gemstones, but watches can net thousands of dollars. The trick is to understand the value of your watch in the lucrative watch market, so take some time to familiarize yourself.

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Why The Kings and Queens of England Face Different Directions On Coins

 

 

Today Tom Hockenhull (Keeper of Money and Medals at the British Museum) is going to answer that very question (or both of those questions really) through the cunning use of 500-years of English coinage. You'll find out why the faces of English Kings and Queens alternate, when this started, why this might have started, and why this tradition has been broken in at least 1 instance.

Then & Now: Part III (Die Making)

 

Part 3 of the "Then & Now" video series looks at hub and die making, featuring 1940 documentary footage from the U.S. National Archives

 

History of the Morgan Silver Dollar.

 

 

"In today’s video I provide an overview of the history the Morgan Silver Dollar minted 1878 to 1904 and again in 1921. I discuss the history of the designer, the modifications made to the dies, the different mints that produced the Morgans and more! I also use real life example coins in my discussion and demonstration and show how this coin’s timeless design has influenced many other coins and bullion coins over the years."

This video goes over the history of the Morgan Silver Dollar. The video was created by the owner of Minot Coin & Bullion is a family owned shop in Minot, ND. 

Start a Creative Collection

I have known many numismatists who have gotten bored with their current collections, usually because the remaining pieces needed were too scarce and/or too expensive to obtain. Some of them have gone on to start a new collection just for the fun of the hunt. In the process, some have been quite creative with their themes. 

“Outside the box” collections to consider:

• World coins issued in your birth year
• An example of coins of as many different languages as you can find
• Coins or paper money with all different monetary units (dollar, peso, franc, drachma, dinar, ducat, penny . . .)
• Coins or paper money that feature a word such as “freedom” (one formed around issues with the word ‘liberty” would probably be too easy)
• Coins or paper money depicting religious figures of your faith
• Coins or paper money of as many different monetary units as possible (one obsolete bank in Michigan issued notes in the denomination of $1.25, $1.50, and $1.75)
• One coin of each numeral from one through twelve to use to make a clock, or just a specimen from as many different numerals as possible
• Paper money of extremely high denominations such as the Zimbabwe $100 Trillion note
• Coins and currency depicting monarchs who were declared saints
• While there are a number of collectors who specialize in a specific kind of animal such as dogs, horses, or elephants, how about assembling a collection with one for the first initial of each letter of the alphabet (albatross, bison, cougar, donkey . . . zebra)
• A type set of coins that not only includes a representative piece of each type, but also an example from each mint that struck each type, though this could be expensive
• At least one specimen from each country that existed at one time, but not today
• As many different coins as you can find with the denomination of “2”
• Coins from as many different nations as possible that depict a queen
• Coins and paper money that depicts the same person on both the obverse and reverse like a Lincoln Memorial Cent, Series 1976 and later US $2.00 Federal Reserve Note, or a Roman Emperor Nero Gold Solidus
• Issues of a particular coin or currency designer, or perhaps a designer of medals
• As issue from each geographic area where Roman Emperor Hadrian issued his travel series of the silver denarius
• The final coin or currency issues of a country before it collapsed
• Paper money of one particular ink color
• Topical issues such as ships, palm trees, butterflies, maps, food, space, and so forth
• National bank notes of banks that were robbed by John Dillinger
• A coin from as many different shapes or metal compositions as possible
• Coins of the Great Lakes region or any other regional area
• Instead of a type set or a first year of issue type set, how about a last year of issue type set
• Coins of the “Greats” of history such as Alexander the Great, Darius the Great, Justinian the Great, Catherine the Great, Peter the Great 

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Art History Makes You Better at Coin Collecting

 

 

In this video, Aaron Berk explores how ancient art influences the way we perceive and evaluate coins, revealing insights that can significantly elevate your collecting experience. What connections exist between the artistry of ancient sculptures and the intricacies of coin design? Join us as we delve into techniques that can sharpen your eye for detail and improve your ability to discern quality in numismatics.

The Switch to Steam Power

The 19th century ushered in the use of steam power, and big changes in coin production. In 1816, rollers and cutting presses were the first machines powered by a steam engine. Then in 1833, the Mint hired Franklin Peale to travel to mints in Europe to observe their processes. He brought back many ideas for advancements to the Mint and its equipment.

Two years after Peale returned, the Mint built steam-powered coining presses modeled after those used in Europe. A single person operated a press, dropping blank coins down a tube to feed between the dies. Coin production became a lot less labor-intensive, opening up many jobs to women.

The new presses dramatically increased production numbers, with each press capable of making around 100 coins per minute. That, combined with the opening of other branch Mints, brought coinage to the levels needed for the country’s circulation. In 1857, Congress passed a law to ban all foreign coins from circulation.

When branch Mints opened in Charlotte, Dahlonega, and New Orleans in 1838, there became a need for mint marks to distinguish the coins. All the branch Mints used mint marks, but Philadelphia – as the original Mint – did not. It wasn’t until 1942 that Philadelphia’s “P” mint mark appeared briefly for the first time on the nickel. Since 1980 all of Philadelphia’s coins, except the cent, receive the “P” mint mark. Source