Cataloguing Your Coin Collection

Coin collectors are different from accumulators because the former keep a catalogue of their collection.

A written record of your coin collection allows you to monitor what you currently have, track its value and set future goals. A catalogued collection also makes it easier for your heirs to sell if they do not want to keep it. The records must contain the details of each coin, how much you bought them for and their current value. This makes sure that your heirs are paid properly when they decide to liquidate it.

Ways to Catalogue Your Collection

Coin cataloguing is not difficult, but it can be tedious, as you have to be detailed about your recording. There are several ways to catalogue your collection for your reference.

Notebooks

Notebooks are an old-fashioned way to catalogue your coin collection. Using a pen and ruler, start making columns to jot down detailed information about your coins. Here are some of the basics that your catalogue must have if you use a notebook:

1. Country
2. Variety
3. Year
4. Mintmark
5. Grade
6. Purchase date
7. Purchase price
8. Date sold
9. Sale price
10. Quantity

Checklist

A checklist is a simple way to catalogue your coin collection while you plan on which coins to add. Notebooks allow you to get creative, but a checklist is more organized. It has a type, denomination, year and mintmark for United States series coins. You can add more sections to your checklist to make it comprehensive, especially for tax purposes.

Spreadsheets

Simple programs such as Microsoft Excel let you monitor your coin collection and transactions. This program makes it easy for you to delete and add lines to each column and row, sort your coins and lets you calculate their value. It is also easy to add information using Excel.

Cataloguing Software

For enthusiasts, you can get software specifically for cataloguing your coin collection.

Some are free, some are at an affordable $20-$30 and others are pricier with more features. Its ease of use, user-friendly screens and a feature to allow you to organize your collection, pricing information and coin revaluation based on current prices are some of the things you should look for in software you buy.

You get what you pay for when you purchase coin-cataloguing software. Look for a product that has a free trial version or a refund guarantee if you do not like it.

These different coin-cataloguing methods will help you monitor and update your collection. Find out more about coin cataloguing at Colonial Acres Coins.

Wear Your Numismatic Hat and Get Ready for Colonial Acres Auction

Kitchener, ON, October 25, 2015 /ColonialAcres.com/ Are you ready to grow your coin collection? Well, you are in for a treat because we will not only be auctioning coins; we will also be putting great numismatic finds on sale!    

One of Canada’s leading numismatic firms, Colonial Acres, is holding a numismatic live public auction sale on October 25, 2015, 12pm EST.  With more than 750 quality items this auction will give collectors a challenging, but hopefully a pleasurable time in choosing that perfect piece to complete their collection. Collections will include, but not limited to the following:

• Old coin estate collections

• Gold and silver bullions

• Old paper money

• Group lots of tokens

• Overstocked items

• Original rolls

• World paper money

• Jewellery

• Silver year sets

• Royal Canadian Mint

• Franklin Mints and so much more

If you want to see these pieces in person, visit Colonial Acres’ October 25th auction at Colonial Acres Coins, 991 Victoria Street North Kitchener, ON N2B 3C7.

So what are you waiting for? Do not miss this rare opportunity to bid for your piece for as low as $1.00! Get that numismatist hat ready and grow your collection with wonderful finds from Colonial Acres! To get updates for this upcoming auction, visit https://www.colonialacres.com/auctions/.

About Colonial Acres
Colonial Acres has been in the numismatic industry for more than two decades and was founded in 1991 in Waterloo, Ontario. The business expanded with its first flagship store on Victoria Street in Kitchener, which was built in 1996.  Colonial Acres has been buying, selling, appraising Canadian and US coins, paper money and other related numismatic items and has been one of the leading numismatic firms in Canada. More than doing pure business, Colonial Acres prides itself with the helping hand they extend to both amateur and professional coin collectors with the helpful information they post about different numismatic items in their website. To know more about Colonial Acres, visit their website at www.colonialacres.com.

Coin Profiles: Canadian Maritime Coins

Coins are made for different purposes. One of the many reasons why coins are made is to commemorate a certain event in the history of the country or state it represents. Canadian coins, for example, have a reputation for representing the many highlights of Canadian history. One of these commemorative coins is the Canadian Maritime Coins.

Canadian Maritime Bronze Coins were made from 1861 to 1947. This was in celebration of Newfoundland’s union to the Canadian Confederation. Newfoundland was the last of the independent provinces to join the confederation.

This series of coins is composed of 4 coins from different provinces that have joined the confederation. Because all the independent provinces have united into one state, which is now Canada, they produced coins to level their monetary system with that of the United States of America.  In 1860, New Brunswick dollar was made. The coins were struck at the Royal Mint in London and were dated 1861 to 1864. These dollars were made to be of equal value to the gold dollar of the United States of America.

The obverse side of the New Brunswick cent featured Queen Victoria as was designed and engraved by Leonard C. Wyon of the Royal Mint. It was a similar design to the Canadian cent and Great Britain’s halfpenny. The reverse side of the coin was unique, however. A floral wreath surrounding a crown was featured on this side—which was intricately designed. This reverse side design was from C. Hill, and this design was the basis for the Nova Scotia bronze coins also. The production of New Brunswick coins came to a stop as it joined the Dominion of Canada in 1867.

The next coin in the Canadian Maritime series is the Nova Scotia coins. These coins are highly similar to those of New Brunswick. The notable difference is that these coins were valued for five dollars to the British pound sterling. All Nova Scotia coins also ceased in production when it joined the Dominion of Canada in the same year New Brunswick had.

Also a part of the Canadian Maritime Coin series is the Prince Edward Island coins. These bronze cents were produced at a privately owned mint—which is the Heaton Mint in Birmingham, England. The obverse features a portrait of Queen Victoria, which is identical to the Jamaican halfpenny. The reverse design was based on the provincial seal. It features the mighty English oak protecting three saplings, which represent the three counties of the Island. Unlike the New Brunswick and Nova Scotia coins, the Prince Edward Island coins continued in production even after it joined the dominion in 1867.

Now the last, but certainly not the least, are the Newfoundland coins. From 1865 to 1936, bronze cents that were similar to Canadian cents were struck for Newfoundland. These cents were designed like those of the other provinces; featuring a floral wreath surrounding the crown of St. Edward. The obverse also featured the portrait of Queen Victoria. Most of these bronze cents were struck at the Royal Mint, although some that are dated 1872 and 1876 were found to have been minted by Heaton Mint in Birmingham.

After Newfoundland joined the Canadian Confederation in 1949, the move ended a colorful era in Canadian numismatics.

As a coin collector, you make sure you get an honest and stress-free deal—and this is what Colonial Acres will be happy to give you.

Coin Profile: The Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle Gold Coins

Coin collecting isn’t just a great hobby; for some it is a profitable activity and for others, even a profession. Some prominent figures in history have been avid coin collectors themselves. One of the famous people who loved coins is President Theodore Roosevelt.

In fact, there is one special coin that is tagged along his name. The coin is called the Saint-Gaudens double eagle coin. It is a gold coin worth twenty dollars in monetary value, but because of the ornate features, this coin is a gem to coin collectors to date.

When the United States of America became wealthy because of the California Gold Rush, the government decided to put that huge resource to use by minting gold coins in large denominations. This was also because people then didn't trust the paper money yet. Coins were still preferred over bills, because of the value of the metal used for the coins.

The double eagle coins were then minted in 1850, after the Gold Dollar Bill was passed in February 1849. These coins were twenty dollar coins. There were two different designs for the double eagle coins. First is the  Liberty Head design by J. Longacre which were minted from 1850 to 1907, and the next one was the famous Saint-Gaudens design, which was used from 1907 to 1933.

In 1907, Theodore Roosevelt requested sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens to design the double eagle coin because of his fascination over ancient coins. The obverse side featured a Hellenistic Lady Liberty in a flowing gown, holding an olive branch and a torch. The reverse side featured an eagle flying over a sunrise. The Saint-Gaudens coin is known for its ornate value. It was so intricately designed that some numismatists can easily declare it to be the most beautiful American coin to ever be minted.

The following year, 1908, some changes were made to the Saint-Gaudens coin. The "In God We Trust" inscription was added over the rising sun, and the roman numerals representing the year of mintage was changed from roman to arabic. Because of these changes, the original 1907 coins were considered rare and more valuable.

If you have just started with your coin-collecting journey, it is important to know of these different kinds of coins that you may want to include in your collection further along. In the case of some coins, there is more value that what meets the eye so it is important that you do some research. Keen coin collectors are knowledgeable enough to know that they can't successfully complete a collection without the help of other collectors and coin shops.

Colonial Acres Coins is one trusted shop that has rendered service to many coin collectors over the years, both in the business of buying and selling coins, as well as providing resources that could help budding collectors. Colonial Acres Coins have a wide variety of resources and coins to  answer the demands of serious collectors.

Different Strikes of Coins

Coins are made from different strikes. There are two known varieties of coin strikes. First is the business strike, and the second is the proof strike, Now, as a coin collector, it is handy for you to know what these strikes are.

The business strike coins are made for one purpose: for public circulation. Business strike coins are the coins you trade for everyday transactions. These are the coins you get from the bank. These coins are what you use in your daily exchanges at the mall, the market and whatever place that requires your money.

Business strike coins are made from coin blanks that are stamped from long sheets of metal that come in rolls. These coin blanks are annealed so they are easier to stamp. They are then washed and upset. After that, the coin blanks are ready for the coin die. Both sides of the coin are struck by the die. These coins are then inspected and if they pass the standard, they are prepared for release and circulation. The coins are sent to the Federal Reserve Bank, and from there distributed to banks, credit unions, stores and other outlets.

Proof strike coins on the other hand, are uncirculated coins. Proof strike coins are also made differently from business strike coins. Although it is struck at both sides (the obverse and reverse) like the business strike coins, proof strike coins are struck more than once. This results to sharper features, and clearer inscriptions and details on proof strike coins.

Also, the coin die for proof strike coins are specially polished and treated. This is the reason why proof strike coins have a different appearance. The background of the coin is mirror like and polished, while raised parts of the coin give a more frosty look. This kind of profiling is also known as cameo.

Coin shops such as Colonial Acres Coins have a wide variety of both coins for collectors such as business strike, proof strike or other kinds of coins ranging from different eras of human history.  So, if you ever want to start your own collection, or are in search of good coins, Colonial Acres Coins is a shop you should make a stop for.

Famous Collections Around the World

Coin collecting isn’t just a hobby for some people. Serious coin collectors like to think of coin collecting as a profession. This is actually true especially if the collector has gathered rare coins into his collection. Coin values continue to rise the rarer they get, and these values may soar to a  =big sum of money in the future.

There are many coin collectors around the world, but there are some whose collections have become the most famous .  Among these famous coin collections is the National Numismatic Collection at the Smithsonian Institution.  It is located in Washington DC in the Smithsonian Institution's Museum of American History.  It is one of the largest numismatic collections in the world and considered the largest in the whole of North America. It holds 1.6 million objects, and there are about 450,000 coins, medals and decorations.  It holds coins that were known to be found 2,700 years ago. Among its rarest coins are The Brasher half doubloon, the 1849 double eagle which is the first of the $20 gold coins,  and two  1877 fifty dollar patterns.

The Eliasberg Collection is also one of the most famous collections known. It is the first complete collection of circulating United States coins, categorized by date and mint mark. His collection includes an 1804 silver dollar, an 1870-S three dollar gold coin, the unique 1873-CC no-arrows Liberty Seated dime, a 1913 Liberty Head nickel and the very rare 1933 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle gold coin. The only coin missing from his collection was the 1849 Double Eagle, which is considered a pattern coin by numismatists because it was made before the official production of coins. This coin is found in the Smithsonian Museum.

Also among the most famous is The American Numismatic Collection.  The main exhibit is the Harry W. Bass Collection. It is a collection that started after Bass decided to aim for a complete collection of United States-issue gold coins minted from 1795 to 1933. The collection also included the only complete collection of three dollar gold pieces including the 1870-S, and a complete collection of all U.S. Gold coin types from 1834 to 1933.

One of the most famous and timeless collections that have been auctioned for the last century is the King Farouk Coin Collection. This collection is owned by King Farouk I of Egypt who has ruled from 1936 to 1952.  Farouk was known for his insatiable appetite for coins and travelers from all over the world traded rare coins with him; some even traded him precious collections during the Great Depression because of financial instability.  The collection included the only complete set of Saint Gaudens twenty dollar double eagle gold coins. Also, some of the rare coins in this collection was auctioned and made their way to other collections such as the Harry W. Bass Collection, the Norweb Collection and John J. Pittman Collection.

Coin collecting is a good form of investment, aside from the fact that it is also a fun hobby. People will continually seek the rare coins and will pay a lot to get them. Starting your own collection is fairly easy and requires good knowledge. Colonial Acres Coins is open for sharing the knowledge to their young and new collectors-- and also has the vast array of coins that will help you start your own coin collection. Who knows? Maybe someday you will be one of the famous coin collectors the world has ever known.

Colonial Acres Coins is one of the leading numismatic firms in Canada, with more than a decade of helping coin collectors find their rare treasures.

Advanced Coin Collecting Supplies You Need to Know About

Advanced coin collectors need better supplies as they increase their collection. As you move forward in your hobby of collecting coins, you will discover that you have several options. There are also supplies that allow you to inspect and authenticate your coins on your own.

These advanced collecting supplies allow you to achieve your goals as an experienced collector.

Digital Scale
This tool lets you determine the weight of a coin. The weight is one of the factors that determine the authenticity of a coin. A digital scale also helps you identify if a coin you bought or planning to buy is an error coin.

A majority of digital scales lets you choose the unit of measure. It is important that the tool you purchase measures in grams with an accuracy of 0.01.

Digital Caliper
This tool is also known as a sizing gauge and is used to measure the diameter of a coin. To use this tool, place a coin between its jaws and slowly close it until it touches the opposite sides of the coin. A coin that was struck broadly or on an incorrect planchet, will not have the correct diameter. You can easily choose the unit of measure using the digital readout. Get a caliper that has an accuracy of 0.01mm.

Stereo Zoom Microscope
This tool enables you to inspect a coin at a high level of magnification. Choose a microscope that comes with dual eyepieces and optics to get you the most accurate image of a coin’s surface. The unit you purchase must also come with a mounted light on its neck to illuminate the coins you inspect properly.

A magnification range between 10X and 45X provides you with the best view of the coins you inspect. You can also use a stereo zoom microscope to authenticate a coin and identify die varieties.

Coin Cataloging Software
This tool enables you to keep track of the coins you have in your collection. Get software that has the following features:

1. Updated coin values and prices
2. Database of types of coins
3. Coin characteristics

​Natural Daylight Camp

To get the price grade of a coin, it is important to have this tool that provides a broad spectrum of colors and natural white light. A majority of indoor lights make uncirculated copper coins look redder than they actually are. On the other hand, fluorescent lights make silver coins look brighter than they appear to be. This tool enables you to identify if a coin is about uncirculated or uncirculated.

These are some of the advanced coin collecting supplies you must have to help you keep track, authenticate and inspect your collection.