Authenticating 1909-S V.D.B. Lincoln Cents can be problematic for inexperienced collectors, but learning just a few die diagnostics will give you an upperhand when examing this valuable key date.

First, you need to make sure the S mint mark is the correct shape. It should looked “boxy” and there’s four obverse orientations. View them here.

The V.D.B.  on the reverse should be a little left of center, and finally, there should be what some call a “pimple” inside the top loop of the S mint mark.

If the coin has these three diagnostics then it should be authentic and a safe buy. You just don’t want to go in blindly, taking any seller’s word, when purchasing such a rare and valuable key date raw.

There’s been instances of the S being added to a 1909 V.D.B., as well as the V.D.B. added to a 1909-S, and the coin used in these alterations might be authentic, but they’re obviously not an authentic 1909-S VDB examples, since being altered.

Also, there’s other diagnostics that can be looked for, but can be more difficult to acertain on some examples. The N on the reverse should appear “shallow”.  The second period, after the D in V.D.B. will be centered, some fakes will have a period that’s too far left. The V.D.B. is distinc and never looks “mushy” or fat or have broken edges. Although it can have wear from circulation.

So when in doubt don’t purchase and buy a graded and authenticated by (PCGS, NGC, ANACS, ICG) to learn the ropes of better identification.

If you’re like all other coin collectors and investors then you want to buy silver, and you want to find the best deals. Plus, you want to know how to buy it cheap as possible. Here’s a few silver buying techniques I have learned over the years that I will share with you.

Damaged coins:

Coins with damage are often called culls, or “slicks” and usually have a lot of wear and no date. Culled coins sell for less than their better grade counterparts. The thought is that they have less silver because of the amount of wear, but most only weigh a little less than their mint specification.

As a matter of fact, percentage wise, they sell for less than their lack of silver content actually is. The reason is their poor eye appeal is lacking. In example, if the current melt for a uncirculated, 90% silver dime is $2.36, a cull, 90% silver dime can sell for as low as $1.00 and only weigh a two or three grains less than the unc example.

Now that’s a deal to be had!

Cleaned/Ugly Coins:

The ugliest coins are the least desirable and this includes silver coins. Find the most ugly, marked up and scratched coins on the market for the best deals. When you approach a dealer’s table or shop, pick out their most damaged or cleaned coins and make them an offer lower than their asking price. You might be surprised when they accept it.

The crucial fact of this method is that most of these coins will still have the exact silver weight, as from the mint,  just like the choice grade coins, but for a reduced price.

Common Coin Series/Dates:

The best example of this is comparing the final value, at ebay, of a roll of  BU Franklin Halves to a BU Roll of 1964 Kennedy Halves. Guess which sells for lower? Guess which coin is more common? Yes, it’s the 1964 BU Kennedy Half Dollar roll.

You can find the best deals buying uncirculated rolls of the least common silver coin series, and even common dates. Roosevelt Dimes compared to Mercury Dime values is yet another example.

40% Silver Coins:

Buy 40% silver clad Kennedy Halves and Eisenhower Dollars is another cheaper way to acquire silver. These coins are not as popular as their 90% silver counterparts and can be purchased at more reasonable values. Most collectors over look 40% silver clad coins. In addition, look for circulated examples for even better deals.

World Silver Coins:

World silver coin collecting hasn’t really caught on in the general, since most collectors collect US silver coins, and this is to your advantage. World coins have less demand than US Coins and bargains can be found across the board.

However you should school yourself on what countries minted silver coins, and in what years, plus you want to know the exact silver content of each year and country. It’s not all the same, but a little research can go a long way, and the facts are not difficult to obtain from the Internet.

If the idea is just to amass silver holdings then it shouldn’t matter what condition or how popular a coin is, just buy it, because it’s silver!

Here’s a list, accompanied by images, of coin grading company slabs you should avoid at all costs. If you don’t know much about grading coins (most of us don’t, even if we think we do) or can’t see a clear image, with which to grade the coin, then do yourself a favor and move on to better auctions.

I have read too many regret stories from collectors who didn’t know they were buying an over-graded coin. All of them thought that if it was in a professional looking holder then it must be graded properly. A few thought they were grabbing a bargain.

Note: Some of these holders might appear with a different design or label color, and might be sold by multiple ebay sellers. However, most are sold by a single ebay seller in large quantities.

INB International Numismatic Bureau

NNC National Numismatic Certification

SGS Star Grading Service

ANGS American Numismatic Grading Service

 NAC Numismatic Authentication Company

NCC Numismatic Collectors Company

 NES Numismatic Evaluation Service

NPG Numismatic Professional Grading

CSI Certified Silver Investments

USGS US Coin Grading

No-Name Holders

You should avoid most no-name holders since they’re just coins graded by the person selling the coins, as are most over-grading coin companies and services. If you can’t see a clear and detailed image, without glare or “masking” angles and lighting then don’t bid on the coin, no matter what the holder label claims.

Finding a gift for your favorite coin collector can be a daunting task, if you truly want to give them a gift they don’t have and will actually want in the first place. You certainly don’t want to give a coin collector just any coin gift you think they might want or need.

So, a little help is on the way, and this Top 10 list will help narrow down your options and help you buy a gift that will be cherished for a long time.

Before we start you should learn why your loved one collects coins in the first place. You should listen to them through out the year, when they talk about their coins, and ask your self some important questions.

Do they try to fill coin albums with each date? Do they collect just silver, gold, nickel or copper coins? Have they ever showed you a coin they where proud of owning? Do they collect sets of coins?

Any hint you can get will help for a better gift purchase.

A few examples: If they collect a certain coin then try to find out what coin date and mint mark they don’t have yet. If they like to put away silver or gold then concentrate on finding deals for coins made with these precious metals.

You don’t want to buy a silver dollar collector a copper coin, and you don’t want to buy a copper coin collector silver or gold coins. Most importantly, you don’t want to buy a coin they have no desire to own.

Here’s our Top 10 recommended coin gifts, and remember, this list is also for buying coins for loved ones who don’t collect coins but you want to buy them a unique gift they will cherish or interest a child in saving, collecting or investing.

10. Mint Error Coins

If a unique gift is in order then a mint error coin might be the answer. Most people don’t even know what a mint error is or how to identify one if they saw it, but there are many reputable dealers that sell authentic mint errors. And these dealers would be more than willing to help you buy one as a gift.

Obviously, the most rare and dramatic, errors can break the bank, but there’s a few that are affordable. Look for mint errors like off-center, die clashes, struck thru a foreign object, etc. It’s even better to find an affordable mint error already attributed and encased in a grading holder by PCGS, NGC, ANACS or ICG. 

9. Type Coins

The US Mint has produced many different coin designs other than what you find in pocket change today and some are very interesting and not well known, if at all, by most people.

Look for Seated Liberty, Draped Bust, Capped Bust, Barber Head or Standing Liberty types and give a gift that appears old and valuable for an affordable price.

8. Colonial Coinage

Contrary to popular belief Colonial coins are not always too rare to afford and many are a bargain to be had. All Colonials are dated mid-1600-1700’s and they make for a very interesting collector’s item.

Who wouldn’t want to own a coin dated 1700? People will never believe just how little you paid for it!

7. World Coins If even just to get a child started into coin collecting, teaching them history and learning the different countries of the World, these can be wonderful gift items. World coins have some of the most beautiful and unusual coin designs, covering a wide array of subjects and historical subjects.

Also, World Coin mintages are much lower than most US Coin mintages.

6. Mint/Proof Sets Since the US Mint begin releasing mint and proof sets people have given them away as gifts. It’s no wonder, the US Mint’s proof coins can be some of the most pleasing coins for the eye to behold. Plus, the sets are released every year and you can choose clad or silver sets.

The most modern proof sets, 2007-11, have more coins than ever before with 4 Presidential $1 coins, all 5 State Park Quarters, plus the usual Sacagawea Dollar, half dollar, quarter, dime, nickel and cent. So it’s a single gift, including every coin type issued, for any given year.

I recommend the silver proof set, while silver is still affordable, these will increase in value as silver rises in value.

5. Silver Half Dollars, Quarters, Dimes: All the above can be found in abundance and for reasonable values. All half dollars, quarters and dimes minted, 1964 and before, consist of 90% silver and 10% copper. Most people opt to buy all three: half dollar, quarter and dime of the same year then add the nickel and cent to create year sets.

Note: Of course, year set coins dated after 1964 will not contain silver coins, except the Kennedy Half (1965-1969) that are clad in 40% silver.

It could be a birth year, graduation year or even an anniversary year, but whatever the choice, coin years sets are becoming increasingly popular as gifts.

4. Platinum Coins

With the price of gold currently at all time highs, people have over looked the platinum coin’s value. You can buy a Platinum Eagle for near the same price as a Gold Eagle and I recommend the 1/10th ounce .999 pure $10, minted by the US Mint, for the tightest budgets.

Being able to buy platinum for near the same value as gold was never heard of until recently. So few people own platinum let alone platinum coins. Couple that with the low mintages of the US Platinum Eagle and it’s easy to see how great a gift one would make.

It’s common to encase these coins in a silver or white gold bezel and necklace combination to wear around the neck.

3. American Eagle Gold: What you look for in these gold bullion coins is the 1/10th ounce $5 coin. It’s the least expensive gold coin and is made of the most pure gold. This gift is highly recommended for gold investors and gold coin collectors.

It’s common to encase these coins in a gold bezel and necklace combination to wear around the neck.

2. Silver Dollars: US silver dollars have been a popular gift for years, but you must decide on what silver dollar type your coin collector might desire the most. It’s also a good idea to take a sneak peak at their album so you buy a coin, they need, to fill in their “hole“.

The most obvious choices are Morgan Dollars 1878-1921 and Peace Dollars 1921-1935 and great deals on these silver dollars can be easily found. US silver dollars, minted with these dates, consist of 90% silver and 10% copper.

1. Silver Rounds/Silver Eagles:

Silver rounds have been around as gifts for a long time, and featuring any theme imaginable, to appeal to all collectors or any person with a special interest. You can find them with birth years, holiday themes, organizations, celebrities, sports teams, US Coin designs and everything else.

The best aspect of the silver rounds is that they consist of one Troy ounce of .999 pure silver and silver is not only a great gift but a great investment. You just can’t go wrong giving these as gifts.

Note: Make sure they have .999 Troy oz. struck on them and not plated or clad in .999 silver or anything that has 10 mm of anything. Also, buy from reputable dealers whether online or in a physical shop.

The American Silver Eagle is an alternate option to silver rounds that’s minted by the US Mint and is actually a silver dollar and round combined. It’s made of a pure ounce of silver and is a highly popular collector’s coin. An extremely great gift for any coin collector, but also makes a perfect gift for silver investors as well.

If you’re still a bit confused about some of the terms and coins described in this lists then please visit our website for further information CoinHELP!

Ebay coin auctions is the best place to find deals on coins. You can either shop ebay or sign up to buy by clicking here Ebay Coin Auctions

The 1793 Facing Left, Half Cent is the smallest denomination of any US Coinage series, but that isn’t the only interesting fact about the Half Cent denomination. It’s actually a bit of a mystery and debate, on the actual designer, of the coin itself. In addition, there were many factors that almost derailed the first Half Cent, and it’s a wonder we even have the coin to talk about and collect.

It all started when then President, George Washington and Secretary of State, Thomas Jefferson, diligently sought after talented European engravers. One in particular, Pierre Droz, a Swiss artist. However, they failed in this endeavor.

The matter was finally settled when an artist named Joseph Wright, from New Jersey, became the “unofficial” Mint Engraver in 1792. It was a short-lived post as Wright died of Yellow Fever, less than a year into his new post, in late 1793. The Yellow Fever epidemic struck Philadelphia hard and prompted, all who could, to leave the city and caused a shut-down of mint operations for a time.

During this short tenure, sources give Wright only partial credit, along side Robert Birch, for a single creation, the 1792 Half Disme design (pronounced deem). It’s obvious that the facing left and flowing hair qualities of the 1792 Half Disme are the only similarities between it and the 1793 Flowing Hair Half Cent.

However, he must have worked, at least jointly, on the 1792 Disme during this time frame. Which is near an exact duplicate of the 1793 Half Cent portrait, minus the Pythagorean Cap on a pole. So who came up with the 1793 Liberty Bust, design? Was it the man responsible for the 1792 Disme Pattern?

We can, with certainty, eliminate Robert (Bob) Birch since all of his Proposed Coinages mirrors the same 1792 Half Disme Bust Design more than the 1793 Half Cent Bust. Robert Scot replaced Wright and was the first official Chief Engraver in November 1793, but he is not responsible for the 1793 Half Cent, Facing Left, Flowing Hair Liberty, Cap Pole design either.

Most experts give Henry Voight, the Chief Coiner, the credit for the obverse and reverse designs with no mention of Scot, Wright or Birch. I question the basis for this claim. It’s also known that Adam Eckfeldt, Voight’s assistant Coiner, might have had a hand in the design of the 1793 Half Cent, and some sources even give him credit for the 1792 Disme.

Other sources claim Wright designed the dies for the Half Cent obverse and Voight the reverse. So, it’s obvious that Wright and Voight worked in unison on the Flowing Liberty, Facing Left, Half Cent. However, Voight designed the 1793 Flowing Hair Large Cent and this portrait of Liberty is not as well executed as the Half Cent portrait in question.

Both, Large Cent and Half Cent Flowing Hair coins are similar in design concept but they’re much different renditions of a final product. So I still feel it’s a stretch to give Voight all the credit, and if we do, then it should be listed as a group or tandem creation, and maybe include Eckfeldt, as well? I personally believe it would be an injustice to credit any single person for this design, and I will tell you why. Read the rest