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What Should We Be Looking For On Our Coins? Chime In For A Complete List

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Pete41's Avatar
United States
261 Posts
 Posted 02/23/2016  2:20 pm Show Profile   Bookmark this topic Add Pete41 to your friends list Get a Link to this Message Number of Subscribers
I included the following on another thread but thought this might make a new good one. Reply with changes or additions and let's see if we can get a complete list.

Good Lord there is a lot to look for on coins. Business Strikes, Proofs, Matte Proofs, Doubled Dies( Must be thousands and 9 Doubled Die Classes), Key Dates, Semi-Key Dates, Rare Varieties, Coin Grades, Toning (natural or artificial), Cleaned Coins, Over Date, Re-Punched Mint Marks, Over Mint Marks, Mint Mark Styles and in what years, Mint Mark Location, Broken Mint Mark Punch, Inverted Mint Marks, Small Date, Large Date, Coin Types, Full Bell Lines, Full Bands, Full Torch, Wide AM, Close AM, Designer Initials, Design Anomalies, Dropped Letters, Errors, Trail Dies, BIE's, Die Clashes, Lathe lines, Transitional Varieties (Obverse and Reverse), Cuds, Die Cracks, Shattered Die, Collapsed Die, Die Dents, Floating Roofs, Die Chips, Laminations, Split Plating, Missing Clad Layers, Struck on Wrong Planchet, Misaligned Dies, Off Center, Double Struck, Die Rotation, Machine Doubling, Ejection Doubling, Die Flow, Die Abrasion, Die Deterioration, Gas Bubbles, Woodies, RR Rims, Clipped, Struck Through, Feeder Finger Damage, Zinc Rot, Counterfeits, and probably more I missed and yet to be identified. Makes your head hurt looking for all these and what they mean.
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Pete2226's Avatar
United States
3330 Posts
 Posted 02/23/2016  2:30 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Pete2226 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
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BigSilver's Avatar
United States
2843 Posts
 Posted 02/23/2016  2:55 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add BigSilver to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Well done. PETE41
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Hello There's Avatar
United States
1191 Posts
 Posted 02/23/2016  3:12 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Hello There to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
You forgot the most obvious ones.
Silver, gold, copper, zinc, platinum, fakes
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Pete41's Avatar
United States
261 Posts
 Posted 02/23/2016  3:26 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Pete41 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Right you are Hello There. When Big Silver replied, I realized I had forgotten Coin Composition.
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ace_ftw's Avatar
Canada
1747 Posts
 Posted 02/23/2016  3:46 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add ace_ftw to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Pete, for the beginner, knowing the basics is way more important, things like key dates, MM, composition changes etc. I think your list is accurate, however some are superfluous for some collectors.

I would classify the list hierology, basics, varieties, then errors/toning

The way you lump everything together would have anyone spinning around.
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CoinCents's Avatar
United States
3656 Posts
 Posted 02/23/2016  4:20 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add CoinCents to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Seal had this one for nickels a couple of weeks ago, lots of good stuff here.

https://goccf.com/t/252193
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moxking's Avatar
United States
17900 Posts
 Posted 02/23/2016  4:49 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add moxking to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Toning, artificial toning, bullseye toning, rainbow toning, periphery toning, corrosion, environmental damage, mechanical cleaning, dipping, display options, TPG, PCGS, ANACS, NGC, basement slanders, Numismatist, Exonumismatist, tokens, medals...

Hope I didn't repeat much of your original list.

Importance and category of these categories or definitions are crucial to make any sense of all there is to know.
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coop's Avatar
United States
62064 Posts
 Posted 02/23/2016  4:58 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add coop to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Identifying damage on a coin. Full head on Standing Liberty quarters. Overton numbers on pre 1836 coins. (on the 1793 forward to 1836, the dies were created individually. Different parts of the devices were hubbed in, the dates punched in individually, then punched in by a gang punch. Overdates. (19th century coins) Year varieties.
All the events that can happen during the coin making process. http://www.error-ref.com/
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United States
1915 Posts
 Posted 02/23/2016  5:03 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add seal006 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
I think the most important thing, especially for those starting out, do not overwhelm yourself by tryig to catch every single thing. If you are drawn to varieties, concentrate on them. If errors is what gets you, the hunt for them. I decided a long time ago that I liked die varieties best, especially RPMs. So I concentrated my studying and searching on varieties. I am not saying that I dont come across an error from time to time, but for the most part I just search for the varieties. I also concentrate on ones that are easily seen with a 10X loupe. It is mindblowing seeing all the stuff that you could find, but spreading yourself thin will do no good either.
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