All About Coin Collecting: Grade Coins with Ease!

Coin collection is not just about having as many coins as possible. More important than the number of coins is the quality of those coins. This quality is measured by the coins’ grade and the grade is measured using a scale from zero to seventy (seventy being the highest point grade). Doctor William Shelby introduced this point scale in his work “Penny Whimsy”.

Here are the classifications of coins according to grade.

1. “Mint State” Coins

This is equivalent to a value of 60 to 70 in the Shelby’s grade scale. This means that the coin has no blemishes whatsoever. Most of the coins in this category are uncirculated, shiny, new coins, with absolutely no signs of wear.

2. “Almost Uncirculated” Coins

The “Almost Uncirculated” coins have a point grade of 50, 55, or 58.

It is very important to note that in these coins, coin collectors must know the locations of the high points in a particular coin. By checking the difference of the light reflected in the high points to the other parts of the coin, an “Almost Uncirculated” coin is separated from the Mint State coins.

3. “Fine Coins”

These can further be classified as” Extremely Fine” (40, 45), “Very Fine” (20, 25, 30, and 35) or “Fine” (12) depending on the sharpness of the remaining details on the coins. The coins are observed to have wear but the designs are still intact.

For “Extremely Fine” coins, the mint luster is still present.

“Very Fine” coins can be compared to coins which have been used for 1-3 years. Minor features of the coins are already gone.

4. “Good Coins”

These coins can be specifically defined as “Very Good” (12), “Good” and “Almost Good” coins.

The coins in this category are worn out. Only weak designs can be observed since the details of the coins in the high points are nearly smooth.

Full rims must be observed for the “Very Good” coins category.

In the case of “Good” coins, the mint mark and the date must be visible.

On the other hand, “Almost Good” coins are the most worn of coins in this category.

5. “Fair Coins”

The coins are “worn out”, but can still be distinguished as belonging to one of the types of coins - as long as one can identify a coin, it is a “Fair C”.

6. “Basal Coin”

These metals that can be determined to be coins - but the kind of coin are undeterminable.

With the classifications described, it will be very easy to grade coins. Just remember that knowledge of the coins’ grades gives coin collectors advantages!

Tips for kids to start coin collection

The best time to mould a child (kid) is when he/she is still young. By getting the curious minds involved in something educational, there is a very good chance that they will become responsible adults.

Some parents can start by teaching how to cook or baking at a young age. If the child enjoys and does well with it, then perhaps in the future, this person could become a chef. Giving a child a hobby can also teach that child how to stay focused or to pay particular attention to a certain subject. A good example of this is starting a coin collection.

For most adults coins are just petty cash. They are used to buy a newspaper or used to pay for a ride on the subway etc. For children, coins are more than that. Some children save the coins placed in their piggy bank to make a special purchase or save them to use for their college tuition.

To start a coin collection the parent and child can start by opening the piggy bank and examining the coins together. Coins were manufactured during different years and each has its own history. By explaining the significance of each, the child’s interest will grow and this in turn will encourage growth of the coin collection.

Both the parent and child could get lucky if they should find that a coin has missing letters or numbers or a misprint is seen on the coin. Since such things don’t happen often, the value of the coin is much higher than the original face value.

Coins can that are to be part of a collection should be kept inside a small box separated from the coins used for savings. When this collection has grown larger, then it is time to buy a plastic folder in which to store the coins. There are two kinds or folders currently on the market: the first can hold the coins individually and the other is a sheet which can hold a number of coins per page.

 By using folders the child and take the collection to school for “show and tell” and would improve the child’s self-confidence in achieving something on his own - without the help of the parents.

Coins can teach the child about saving for a special purchase or project and encourage the child to work hard to achieve that goal without always asking for money from mom or dad.

Coin collecting started in the early years will pay off later in life by teaching responsibility.

Starting a Coin Collection

It is never too early or too late to have a hobby. Some people are hobbyists for fun while others see a bigger picture; and that is to make money. Some objects that may seem inexpensive now may become valuable or priceless later.

A few good examples are baseball cards, toys and stamps. Many people have made a fortune by collecting and selling on auction sites like EBay. Another collection that can become profitable is coin collecting.

Getting started is as easy as deciding what kind of collection you want. Coins are made every year and some are introduced years later so focusing on a particular time period and location is important.

Conducting research using reference books or the web can aid in coin collecting. You can learn almost anything about the coins to be collected and will help the collector discover those who want to sell coins.

Another good source of information is subscribing to a coin publication such as Coin World or Coinage Magazine. The local coin shop can also expand the search for those antique coins outside the collector’s city or state.  

Being a member of a coin club can build the collector’s network. Some members may want to part with a particular coin in exchange for another, etc.

Coins that are no longer used generally have more value than those that are still active, because coins in the past were made of 100% silver or gold. Since the demand for silver coins increased and they were difficult to produce they are now made of 40% and 60% copper.

After completing the collection, the coins should be stored in a nice folder or album. This will keep them clean and easy for the individual to carry around and display.

Coins can be cleaned by soaking them in any of the following liquids: vinegar, rubbing alcohol, lemon juice or ammonia which will remove any dirt or encrustation that’s on the coin when it was acquired. Afterwards, they should be air-dried or patted dry with a soft cloth. Rubbing or polishing the coins is not advisable since it scratches and will decrease the market value of the coin.

Coin collecting can be a lot of fun. By deciding on a specific period to begin with then searching for it, the collector will have something valuable as an investment.

Children's Clothing

It is lovely to see well dressed children particularly small children who can look cute and fashionable at the same time. Babies have no say in what we dress them up in so we can be as flamboyant or simplistic as we like!

Specialist shops are in abundance nowadays with prices ranging from sensible to the ridiculous. A small child has no concept of wearing designer clothes only the parent. Whether the clothes be cheap and cheerful or expensive and chic, babies and toddlers will still make a mess while eating, crawling and generally doing things small children do!

No matter how much or how little you spend, clothes still need to be practical. For anyone who has had the pleasure of dressing a wriggling baby or toddler, the buttons and zips definitely need to be in the right places. Time is limited when dressing or undressing your child so fiddly buttons and badly positioned zips and ties are a definite no no! Easy access via poppers especially in baby’s trousers is an excellent invention. Just think how much time it takes to put kicking legs into a pair of trousers!

Babies grow at an incredible rate so one doesn’t have to worry much about clothes being worn out, they tend to be outgrown and still in beautiful condition. This is great if you are possibly going to have more children or have someone with a smaller baby to pass clothes on to. Definitely a money saver if you are on the receiving end of another parents generosity.

Toddlers are wonderful little people who you can still dress to look cute – until they suddenly start to become independent and pick their own clothes. When they are at this stage you can forget looking stylish and fashionable, toddlers tend not to have any colour co-ordination or dress sense – be warned!

Early school years can be really simple, as most of the time the child will spend wearing a school uniform. Clothing your child is easier though it can be expensive depending on where you buy the uniform. Most of us buy at least a size bigger blazer or trousers so that the child ‘can grow into them’, this can cause embarrassment to our children. Be diplomatic and not too enthusiastic about your child’s growing abilities.

The wonderful teenage years! – A clothing nightmare. Just when you thought that purchasing a school uniform was simple you find out to the contrary. Your teenager suddenly must have designer named shoes, trainers, trousers – whatever they wear has to have the latest logo emblazoned on the front or back. Buying labels and sewing them on won’t work, teenagers may be difficult but they are not easily fooled.

At the end of the day, buy what you can afford, make sure the clothes are reasonable hard wearing and put together properly.

Dressing smaller children should be practical, it seems silly putting a pretty dress on a crawling baby as they will probably come to a stand still if they keep putting their knees onto the dress! As to dressing teenagers, well that is another matter, birthdays and Christmas come in handy for purchasing expensive clothes or trainers as presents, this can often be a good compromise.

Trends chop and change like the wind for teenagers so while your child is small enjoy dressing them up in colourful tasteful clothes that you have chosen, they at least won’t worry about losing their street cred!

Clothing Tips for Men

Do you have knowledge of the right dressing sense? Most of us like to wear fashionable clothes. We least bother whether it goes on with our body type or not. All of us need to have some knowledge as far as dressing is concerned.

Here are some clothing tips for men that can help them to decide a perfect wear for their different body type.

Short Waist Men

Short waist men should avoid wearing jeans and pants as much as they can. Avoid wearing short lengthy tank tops as they tend to highlight your short waist. A combination of pink shirt and black trouser will not go with your body type as it would interfere with the vertical flow. It would always be advisable to keep an inch higher on waist while stitching your pants.

Long Waist Men

Long Waits men need to do things the other way round when compared to short waist men. You should wear jeans as much as you can. You can wear contrasting color T-shirts and a double breast jacket to prevent people’s eyes from falling on your legs. You could also opt for belts with a high buckle.

Men with flat butts

Are you worried about your flat butts? You need to take special attention about your pants. Wear pants that give you proper fitting. Straight long pants will go with your body type.

Fashion tips that can help
• Bigger and bolder patterns make you look bigger than what you actually are.
• Horizontal pattern clothe help you look wider
• Vertical pattern clothes help you look taller and thinner.

Men dressing tips for an interview

• Avoid wearing any western men formal wear
• Pick up right color clothes and make a good combination of your business suit and tie.
• Avoid wearing double breast jacket for the interview
• Long sleeved T-shirt would be the most idle choice
• Silk Tie can do wonders to your clothing style