When one is just starting in coin collecting, often the first question is:

 “What is the value of the coin?: and the answer is that the coin will cost

as much as you are willing to pay for it and the amount can vary considerably.

The following are factors that can influence the true value of a coin.   

1.  Grade or condition of the coin.   Your coin will be worth or

valued more when it is in good condition.  When in a perfect

or unblemished mint condition, an “uncirculated” coin will be

worth many times more than a similar coin that has been in circulation.

2.  The rarity of a coin is the principal basis for a coins value.

Generally, the rarer that a coin is found to be, the higher it is priced.

Do keep in mind that rarity has very little influence on the coins age.

Chinese coins are a thousand years old normally sell for about ten dollars

since there are so many of them; while a  “1913 Liberty Head Nickel”

can sell for up to or over a million dollars because only five specimens

are known to be in existence.

3.  Bullion value.   A coin's precious metal content can determine

its value. A platinum, silver or gold coin will not, in general sell

for less than the coins value when melted.

4.  Demand.  There are coins that are greatly in demand;

sought after by many collectors, and if that a particular coin is in

great demand  the price will be even higher.  Even comparatively

plentiful coins can mandate higher value when they are popular with coin collectors.

What are bullion coins? These coins may

have high values because they are not only

limited; but also they may have been found

 in shipwrecks, or they may come from the ancient

times. Bullion coins are the type of collector’s

 items that many people look for.

The silver bullion could be the most well known

type of bullion that is selling very well in the

internet aside from those that are to be considered

to be most expensive and valuable items in the world.

Some high priced coins that are displayed on the

internet include the silver ingot. The silver ingot

 was said to have been found in the Spanish ship

 Atocha that sank in the ocean. This ship was found

 to contain treasures and artifacts including silver

ingots. Others claim that the silver ingots were

recovered from an old Colorado Mining area. Coins

were found everywhere and were said to have been

hidden by the miners.

The silver Maple Leaf Coins, which are officially

sealed, are also popular among collectors. These

coins came from the Royal Canadian Mint and include

the Walking Liberty half-dollars and the dealer

roll first-strike 1994 U.S. Eagles. These items

were a collection of the Franklin Mint which had

more than 100 masterpieces in his memorabilia. 

Most bullion collectors prefer the gold billion.

Some famous bullion gold coins include the gold Krugerrands,

which are from South Africa. The European Gold

Crowns were released from the late 1800s

to the early 1900s. Other items include the Canadian

Maple Leaf Coins and the United States American Eagle Coins.

British Sovereigns are also seen on the internet as

are the Swiss Helveteas and the French Roosters. 

The awesome 10-ounce Swiss gold bar, China gold panda set,

and the American eagle proof set coins can also be found and

are considered to be the most seen coins on the internet.

There are gold bullions found in the American Eagle set,

Mixed Lots, Rounds, Bars, and any other similar

categories that are found on some sites n the internet.

A type of bullion that is not well known is the Platinum bullion.

It is less researched on the internet because the demand for

it is not as great as the silver and gold bullions.

Platinum bullions can be purchased anywhere: some of

them are the French Statue of Liberty coins, Eagle sets,

and the Koala Proofs. The World Trade Center has also

offered some Platinum bullions like the Englehard platinum bar,

crucible dish made of platinum bullion, and the Johnson

Matthew Year of the Dragon coins which were recovered

from the safety vaults of the building when it collapsed. 

These coins can be considered as thoughtful gifts

aside from their being valuable since they can be kept as a s

ouvenir from the person who gave it. A bullion bar

that features a happy birthday greeting can be a thoughtful

gift for a friend’s birthday especially if the bar has the

date of the birthday on it. Some people also use them for

their anniversaries as their gifts to one another - they

search for those bullions that have the date of their

engagement or the wedding year. Some brides also ask

their groom to find her 24-karat gold flakes or silver

flakes as her chosen token for their wedding. 

Coin collecting of this type can be very expensive,

especially when buying bullions, but here are some tips

that can guide a person in his search for affordable bullions.

1.	A person must be sure of the type of bullion

he would like to purchase before ordering or buying.

2.	He must ask himself, or the person  he is

buying the bullion for, what bullion he/she prefers and ask

if they would like to come with him when purchasing the bullion. 

3.	A person must figure the delivery costs and add them to the agreed price. 

4.	A person should be sure that the seller would contact

give him a delivery for the item if they have ordered it on the internet. 

5.	He should never make the payments using instant money transfer firms. 

6.	It is important to know the seller’s background and reputation in the business.

A person can purchase any bullion that he prefers. The idea of

giving bullions to a special loved one or friend can be very

thoughtful and it will serve as memorabilia that will be kept throughout the years.

There are many resources that can help coin collectors,

 old or new, in determining the value and worth of the coins they have.  

There are books out, “The Red Book” (A Guide Book of US Coins),

 “The Blue Book” (A Handbook of US Coins), as well as coin newsletters

 and catalogues available at any public or private library,

coin dealers/shops anywhere in the US. There are also online guides

 for the prices of US coins available on the web, specifically the NumisMedia site.

For a synopsis of the price of each coin, the following are the basic values

of each cent, penny, or dime in the market.

The United States wheat-cent, the circulated ones

The price of these coins made prior to 1958, or those that are dated 1940,

are currently being purchased by coin dealers for two cents each, or less.

Those made before 1940 command a much higher price - from a few more cents to a few dollars.

The silver-dollars

Silver-dollars from the US, especially those made before 1935,

have almost an ounce of silver in them.

These coins are the favorites of coin collectors and could be sold for more than their actual

value in silver if they are undamaged or not worn severely.  

The dollars of Susan B. Anthony

If by luck you happen to get one of these as a change, the value is more than a dollar and proof

Susan B. Anthony dollars command even more. They are not easy to fine as they are not usually being circulated.  

Quarters, dollars and halves – the bicentennial kind

There were billions of these coins made out, and because there are so many of them,

 their worth is usually just face value.  There are coin dealers however who pay

ten percent of the face value as premium for circulated bicentennial coins, and

a few dollars more for those that are uncirculated.  

A freak coin

Believe it or not, there are two-headed coins out there.

Basically, these are coins with two different designs on each face.

These coins were made in error and mistake was not discoverer until the year 2000.

This type of coins is usually called “mules”.  In 1999, it was found that a cent with

Lincoln’s face on one side and Roosevelt’s dime image on the other existed.  

It you find a coin of this it must be taken to a legitimate coin dealer and assessed to determine if is genuine.

If so, this coin could be put up for auction and command a few dollars more.  

It is therefore true that a coin is basically worth more than meets the eye.