New To Collecting And Overwhelmed

I agree! There is NO such thing as a dumb question! With this forum, the internet, the library and other resources that I'm sure will be recommended to you, there is vast knowledge to be gained in the study and collecting of coins aka: Numismatics

I know that a lot of folks here like coppercoins.com. It's a good place to start with lots of answers. Just "Google" for coins, cents and so forth - you'll find a wealth of information. Try to take it one step at a time and you will not be too overwhelmed.

To the left of this screen is a "Navigation" area. The glossary will be quite helpful to you as well as the other "links".

Welcome to the forum!

Thank you for all of the great replies. I took a picture of the coins. I am going to try to put it in this posting.
Most of the coins say nu-mint.com on them, a couple say NMC and one says PCGS.
In case you cannot read what they say....this is what I have:

-1955-s Lincoln Cent (certified ms68 Red)
-1962 Lincoln Cent(PROOF 70 Cameo) (What does "proof" and "cameo" mean?
-1983-s Lincoln 1c (PR70 DCameo)
-1987-s Lincoln 1c (PR70 DCameo)
-1971-s Lincoln 1c (Proof 66)
-1983 Jefferson 5c (PR70Deep Cameo) (what does deep cameo mean?)
-1943 Mercury dime (Certified Uncirculated)
-2001-s 10c PCGS PR69DCAM 95292.69/09077708 (I have no idea what any of this mean, help?)
-1977-s 10c NMC PR70-DCam 0010375124
-1982s Washington 25c Proof 70 DCameo
-2006-s Nebraska 25c PR70 DeepCameo
-2006-s Nevada 25c PR70 DeepCameo
-1978-s Kennedy 50c PR70 DeepCameo
-1921 Morgan $1 Certified MS66
-1978-s $1 NMC PR70DCam 0010375123
-1979-p SBA $1 Certified MS68
-1989 Half Dollar Proof (in box with Certificate of Authenticity)
-347 AD Constans

Any information you can give me about what any of this means would be wonderful! Thanks.


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thats exactly what I was afraid of when I asked who the coins were certified by in my first post. Many new collectors have fallen for this one man grading stuff and have found out later that their prized MS-70 and MS-69 coin they have is only a MS-61 coin and worth way less than what they thought when they bought it. The best bet is to buy from the Top 3 Grading Companies which are PCGS, NGC, ANACS. You are safe with any of those three companies, the rest are so far below those three there not worth mentioning. The morgan you have, a 1921 in MS-66 by either of the top 3 would be worth about 800 bucks and in a NNC or any other generic slab it is probably worth around 80 bucks. Also who certified (by lack of a better word) all the coins that just has "Certified" beside them was it also NNC or SGS or NTC or any of them other generic companies or was it by one of the top three that I mentioned above?

Welcome to the forum stowell!! This a very knowledgable forum. From beginners to experts, I'm a beginner myself. I've learned a lot here and will continue learning on this forum. Ask away and share your knowledge with us. This is a very friendly community. Enjoy your visits and welcome to this forum!!

I didnt see the picture, I can tell you all of those slabs are generic grading company slabs and the coin in thos slabs that are graded MS-70 or PF-70 may at best be a MS-65 or PF-65 at a REAL Third Party Grading Company. I am so sorry you didnt ask questions on this forum before buying all that generic stuff because we could have saved you some money and heartache

Hi stowell5005

The term proof refers to the process used to make the coin. Specially prepared dies and polished planchets are used. (A planchet is just a term for the metal disc from which the coin is struck. Proof coins are usually struck at higher pressure and slower speed than business strike coins. This results in coins that have a deeper, more defined image than normal.

Cameo refers to the contrast between various parts of the coin. Almost all modern proof coins have a frosted image and lettering and a mirror-like field. The process makes the coin look like a cameo brooch, so they're refered to as "cameo".

"Deep cameo" (DCAM) just means an even stronger contrast.

There's no need to feel dumb, every collector starts at the beginning and works from there. With all the coins available it can be overwhelming though, take your time and enjoy yourself as you learn.

You'll find that most coin collectors enjoy sharing their hobby, so don't be afraid to ask questions. The only "stupid" question is the one that you don't ask. Hope this helps

Welcome!
How much did you pay for the lot of coins? LIke it has been said before, I would only trust the PCGS slab to be real. Can you post pics of the coins so that forum members can give you a better idea of what grade the coins actually are in?