Raw Coin Collecting Help

hi metalman my only venue is ebay or an online dealer as I do not have any dealers or shows near me thanks for your answer

When you say you're looking for "common circulated coins", which series are you talking about? If you are talking post-1965, you probably don't have to worry too much plus you won't be paying very much in the first place.

The only ones I would be careful with would be Lincolns. They're just crazy and will be for awhile. I wouldn't trust anyone with Lincolns!

One very safe way to buy these coins would be to buy mint sets or on ebay you see people selling the nickel or dime cut from a certain year mint set that is still sealed in the cellophane.

At my dealer, I pay 2 x face for almost any of the recent coins.

ebay can be tricky, but I've found a great guy who sells me exactly what I need and want...best condition I've seen off the internet...typically you'll learn quick that pics on ebay aren't always what they seem. anywho I've bought several coins from my guy in the last few weeks and he's super..i suggest finding those dealers from the forum page as stated earlier and checkin out their stuff. then when you find the people you like best frequent them as often as you like...i keep an eye on my guy's stuff religiously. welcome to a great place to become more aware and learn from the pros

to avoid fake/altered coins: get to know the design. most scarce coins have diagnostic details to verify genuinity. error coins and rare coins, which were only produced by a few separate dies can be verified by die polishing marks, die rust spots, and minor imperfections in the design. hubs are changed often, especially with older coins. with enough experience, a collector can estimate the date of a coin within a few years without seeing the date. many altered coins can be spotted by looking at hub designs. mint mark, letter, and date styles are good to study. especially in the late 1800s to early 1900s, mint mark styles are essential to know to diagnose a genuine coin. most counterfeit 1914D cents, 1916D dimes, 1932S quarters, 1893S dollars, etc have the wrong style mint mark. altered 1909S VDB cents often have the wrong style B in VDB. altered Peace dollars often have the wrong style numerals in the date. false dies or cast coins are a little different; if a coin has unusual detail or lack of detail, its probably one you want to pass on. false dies may not produce coins of mint quality, either lacking detail or producing bold features where genuine coins are usually weak. cast coins, produced by a geniune coin copy it exactly, including all the nicks and scratches on that coin. weight, specific gravity, and "ring" can diagnose a counterfeit. most fake gold and silver contemporary counterfeit coins will weigh less or be less dense than a genuine coin.

there is a book I recommend you look for. "PCGS guide to coin grading and Counterfeit Detection" it describes things to look for on hundreds of possible counterfeits.

to avoid cleaned coins: the first and most important thing to do first, does it look right? if a coin looks shinier or duller than you would expect, pass on it. 95+% of cleaned coins can be eliminated just by using that method. a more scientific approach to detecting cleaned coins is usually by looking at them through magnification. look for hairlines, tiny parallel lines that go into the coin. look at the toning closely to see if it is 'in' the coin or 'on' the coin. is a moderately worn copper or silver coin free of tarnish? if so, there is probably something wrong. other diagnostics for cleaned or doctored coins are described in the book I recommended. I hope I helped. =]

Scott, I have a good friend that runs a great website and more importantly, has a very liberal return policy. He posts pictures of every coin and is gret with customer service. I will have to check tohe rules on posting his company name and I will get back to you.

Some of my favorite coins have been cleaned.

It's not important to me personally. Selling cleaned coins or buying a cleaned coin for "full" price is a problem, I for coins that I want to keep out to look at, as paper weights or what ever, I'll take a cleaned coin any day, as long as the cleaning didn't alter the appearance too much.

Does this make me a coin apostate?

I too prefer just collecting raw coins. In the past I have purchased a few slabbed coins but always break them out for an album. Myu suggestion is if your not planning on reselling any of your coins, then who cares if cleaned as long as not harshly done. If cleaned enough that an amateur can tell, that is something else. But for just a cleaned coin, if they are yours, then no big thing. I have many cleaned coins. Some purchased due to the cleaning for a great price. If not to noticable, I just put them on a window sill for a few months and they tone down. If I have any fake coins, I don't know it and don't care. So far in well over 60 years of coin collecting I have never sold a coin. Given many away, but never sold a coin so if I have cleaned ones or even fake ones, I'll never know.
Odd thing at a coin show last Sunday I heard a buyer telling a dealer that he is looking for fakes and counterfeits. He collects them he said and has some that are so good they are more valuable than the real thing.