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 Replies: 8 / Views: 1,472 |
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New Member
United States
10 Posts |
I have a bag of world coins I've gathered over my lifetime. Is there a general good book or web reference to start figuring out where the less obvious coins are from? Thanks Edited by Drice
08/08/2018 04:23 am
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Moderator
 United States
14463 Posts |
A good resource is https://en.numista.com/ or you can post images in the Identification section and the CCF members can help. Front and back with perhaps 4 coins per picture with labels to specify individual coins. |
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Pillar of the Community
Australia
9386 Posts |
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
7936 Posts |
If you are the type of researcher who prefers to thumb through a book, you could pick up a used copy of the Standard Catalog of World Coins 1901-2000 online for about $10. Especially if most of the coins you have picked up are modern (for instance if they are mostly after 1900. The two online references mentioned in earlier posts are excellent if you have already have some idea of the country. I still use a book if I am trying to figure out an Asian coin with no western writing on it. I find it easier to move from country to country and quickly look for similar pictures with an actual book. Once you have identified the coin, you can go to the reference mentioned by triggersmob to get an idea of whether your coin is very common, or might be scarce. For the current market value of most common coins, you can do a "sold items" search on ebay. I think you are in for a lot of fun. I just spent some time last weekend with an old friend of my wife's going over a bag of foreign coins like you describe (mostly from the 1930s to 1960s, but there was an old Turkish coin from the 1830s in there. Not at all valuable, but very interesting!). We hope you'll share some of your discoveries with us here! Edited by tdziemia
08/08/2018 08:00 am
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Pillar of the Community
United States
6130 Posts |
 Numista is the largest, easiest to use database of modern coins. A good supplement is https://www.NGCcoin.com/price-guide/world/Which provides values as well. Nearly all world coins made since the 1800s will explicitly state the country, date, and denomination. Just separate out the Latin inscribed from the Arabic, Chinese, Cyrillic etc and go from there. |
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Valued Member
United States
257 Posts |
If you don't understand the text on the coin just Google it. For example, if you see "confoederatio helvetica" a search will tell you it is Switzerland. Numista has search features. Searching for "horse" will show you many coins with horses in the design. Searching for "algeria horse" will show you the coins from Algeria with a horse. The exploration gets harder when you don't know the characters in the language, which means you have a hard time typing the words into searches. Identify language: http://theweek.com/articles/620397/...abets-glanceIdentify country from pictures: http://www.portlandcoins.com/pictureguideThere are other places with similar guides. And come ask us when you get stuck on a coin. |
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Moderator
United States
34397 Posts |
Quote:
Numista is the largest, easiest to use database of modern coins. Numista is thorough and intuitive to use. I'd recommend it for your first pass filter to identify your coins. Of course, if you are truly stumped, we would love to see them posted here on CCF and will try to help you! "If you climb a good tree, you get a push."
-----Ghanaian proverb
"The danger we all now face is distinguishing between what is authentic and what is performed."
-----King Adz
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New Member
 United States
10 Posts |
Wow! Thanks for all the info! This should definitely help. I'll post some pics of anything cool I find.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
732 Posts |
I just went through the same thing. Bought a bag of coins. Sorted them by continent. Then county. It takes some detective woke but it is interesting and you get to know the different countries and their coins.
Good hunting.
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Replies: 8 / Views: 1,472 |
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Posted 08/08/2018 04:51 am
