Coin Collecting Information

Muna wa Wanjiru asked:


Gold Coins rock, no doubt about it. Coins have been one of the oldest forms of money ,especially Gold coins Centuries ago Gold coins were used for money transaction, the usage of Gold coins as principal form of money was persistent for a very long time .Somewhere around 1933 most countries stopped using gold coins as their currency for money transaction.

The history of Gold coins goes back to 560BC , the first gold coins were invented by a Lydian king, King Croesus.Today Gold coins may not be a part of our currency, but are a major form of investment.

Gold coins are known to be the safest and most risk free form of investing ones savings.

Value of a the Gold coin depends on numerous factors such as its rarity uniqueness ,its history and its condition ,the amount printed on it also can throw some light on its value.

In 2002 July at Sotheby’s a very unknown antique 20$ Double Eagle Gold coin was sold for a remarkable price of $7,590,020 ,till date this is the most valuable coin ever found.

Gold coins which are used for investments in today’s times ,can be bought fro Banks or Jewelers, the value of these coins depends totally on the market value of metal gold .

With the constant up and down in the economy ,prices of Gold too keep fluctuating. Every country today has its own mark of Gold coins ,these coins are embarked with the countries specification. For example United States is known for its American Eagle Coin ,Canada for its Maple leaf Gold coin, Australia for its Australian Kangaroo Gold coin China for its China Panda Gold coin ,Austria for its Austrian Philharmonic Gold coins South Africa for its Krugerrand Gold coin and Europe for its Euro Gold coin, Switzerland for its Swiss Vreneli Russia for its Russian Chervonets UAE for its Gold Dinar..

The American Gold Eagle is the official gold ingot of United States ,certified by the Gold Bullion Coin Act 1985.This Gold coin was first coined I 1986 by the United states Mint .This coin comes In various denominations and is made in 22 carat fine gold.

Canadian regime in 2007 coined a 100kg gold coin ,pricing it at $1,000,000,though the gold market rate was $2milion at that time .This gold coin was produced to promote a new range of

Canadian Gold Maple Leaf coins.

Gold coins ca be collectors gold coins with high market value for its historical significance or gold bullion coins which are nowadays used as a safe risk free form of investment.

Gold ingots OR Gold coins are made in variations of Kilograms or Ounce ,I Kilograms they can range from 5gms onwards ,I ounce it is half ounce ,quarter and one-tenth ounce.

These gold coins do not have a printed value o them as the value depends on the weight of the coin and the current market rate. Gold under ISO 4217 has an international currency code of XAU.

Most countries have one design printed on their gold coins ,which remains constant every year ,some countries also produce new prints on their Gold coins for showcasing the significance of that particular year ,as every coin in most case has a date printed on it.

Nowadays ,Gold colored coins ,coins not made out of gold have made an appearance in currencies of many countries.

Gold Coins - hold on to ‘em!

Gen Wright asked:


Challenge coin collecting is one of the fastest growing hobbies in the United States. Challenge coins are specially minted coins created for military units, private organizations, clubs, or even the individual. These coins bear the insignia of the organizations and are often given away to members as a token of appreciation.

As challenge coins are mostly custom designed, one can expect to find a wide variety of challenge coins. Obviously, rare challenge coins with popular and unique designs are worth more.

The process of creating a challenge coin works something like this. First, a designer comes up with the artwork for the challenge coin. The artwork is then sent to the coin mint for production. But before that happens, several details have to be ironed out.

You will have to decide on the type of plating to use, the edging, and the type of art.

For plating, you can choose to have your coins produced in brass, antique gold, high polished gold, antique silver, high polished nickel, two-tone and micro sandblasting. Each type of plating will affect the general appearance of your coins. For example, if you have simple artwork, perhaps high polished nickel will look nice. But you may also have to take into consideration whether the plating is vulnerable to scratches.

For edging, you can choose to have no edging at all (a rather common choice), twisted diamond cut, flat diamond cut, rope, scalloped, cross diamond cut and more. Usually, you will be able to find pictures on a coin mint website. Note that edging costs extra. So unless it enhances the overall look of your coins and you have the budget for it, you may wish to produce coins with no edging.

Depending on your art, different molds may be produced. For instance, you can choose to have your coins produced in 2D art, 3D art, or have them in odd shapes. You may have to spend a little time understanding the difference between each type of art for the coins. For example, if you want to paint your coins, you cannot choose 3D art. For 3D art, all the details are already incorporated in the coin.

Of course, the last thing you have to consider is the pricing. Pricing is affected by various factors. Your choice of edging, plating and art has a big part to play. Also, if you are just going to order one coin, it’s going to cost more as well. The more coins you order, the less you will have to pay per coin. But keep in mind that challenge coins can become more valuable over time if they are rare. If too many coins are being circulated, the value of each coin declines.

Also, the majority of coin mints in the United States do not produce coins domestically. This is due to stringent regulations that have greatly increased the cost of coin production. The production process is thus outsourced to other countries like China. As a consumer, this means that you will still be able to order custom challenge coins at affordable prices.