Specialty Coin Books

Some coin books discuss special aspects of coin collecting, such as identifying counterfeit coins, finding key date coins, coin errors, and more.

Key dates, and semi-key dates are those coins that are difficult to find.  Collecting a type of coin can be possible only if you can get these hard to find dates.

Coin errors come in a variety of types, some common and some not.  Coins can be far off center, double die, double date, over-struck dates or mint marks, and many more.  Rarely one might find a penny on a quarter blank, or similar errors.

Counterfeit coins can sometimes be easy to spot, but too often are extremely difficult.  Although technically not counterfeit, altered coins where mint marks are added or removed, or dates changed are also of concern.

So, books devoted to such topics have been written.

Coin Supplies

Check the link above for coin books.


Strike It Rich with Pocket Change: Error Coins Bring Big Money

 

 2013 US Error Coins - Coin Values Based on Realized Auctions (Volume 10)

 

The Official Guide to Coin Grading and Counterfeit Detection, 2nd Edition

 

Detecting Counterfeit and Altered U.S. Coins (ANA correspondence course)

 

Error Coins

Some people specialize in collecting coins with errors.  These often are in limited, but unknown, quantities.  This can be exciting, especially since the chance of getting an error coin in change is real.

Know the error coins that are out there.  Yes, you could be the first to discover a new error, but chances are someone else already found that same error.  Stay current with your reading, since ting, expecially since the chance of getting an error coin in change is real.

Know the error coins that are out there.  Yes, you could be the first to discover a new error, but chances are someone else already found that same error.  Stay current with your reading, since you do need to know where to look. 

If it is a current year coin, think before you act.  Selling may be too soon, since there may be few available and the price might rise, but holding on may see the price plummet due to a large quantity being issued.  And, recalling the upside-down airplane stamp, if the government responded by flooding the market. 

Be certain the error is really an error.  The words on the edge of the Presidential Dollars can be oriented either way.  This is because the dollars are dropped into slots and the words pressed.  There is no attempt to turn a particular side up.  So, that is not an error.

As with all other aspects of coin collecting, knowledge is important.  And to acquire that knowledge, buy one of more books on the topic.

2013 US Error Coins - Coin Values Based on Realized Auctions (Volume 10)


 


 Strike It Rich with Pocket Change: Error Coins Bring Big Money


 

 1929 U.S. Buffalo Nickel Coin - Reverse Lamination Peel Error