Saturday, 2 August 2014

How Collectors Rate The Most Valuable Coins

By Jessica Drury


Since the beginning of time people have enjoyed hoarding things. Many people develop a passion for collecting specific objects and they will go to great lengths to enlarge their collections. There is no limit to the types of objects people like to collect. In fact, some collections are rather bizarre. Collecting minted tender is a particularly popular and potentially even profitable hobby. Some of the most valuable coins fetch extremely high prices.

There are different reasons why people like to collect minted tender. Some collectors have inherited collections and they simply continue to build the collection. They could almost be called accidental collectors. Others do it to make a profit. There can be no doubt that there are numerous coins worth money. Yet others simply collect them for aesthetic reasons. Many hobbyists spend large amounts on their collections.

Most collectors concentrate upon a specific theme. Some only collect tender originating from a specific period, country or even a very specific mint. Others want only tender that originate from a very specific period. Then there are those purists that will only purchase tender that are made from a certain type of metal. There are also collectors that specialize in tender that feature a certain theme, such as plants, animals or heads of state.

Determining the value of coins is a subjective affair. In most cases the condition of the piece in question will play a large role in determining its value. The American Numismatic Association, for example, grades the condition of samples on a scale from 1 to 70 with the Latter being a specimen in mint condition. The rarity of the piece also plays a very important role.

The most expensive coin on the planet today is the Flowing Hair Dollar, a copy of which sold in 2013 for more than ten million US dollars. This was the first minted tender issued by the US Federal government. It was minted in 1794 and 1795 after the first federal mint was established in 1792. By 1795 the Flowing Hair design was replaced by the Draped Bust version, also very sought after to this day.

In 1933 the US minted half a million specimens of the Double Eagle. This tender was never distributed and all but two of them were melted again. This makes it the rarest tender in the world. One specimen is part of the US National Numismatic collection and the other belongs to a private collector who paid more than seven and a half million US dollars for it on open auction.

This hobby can become very expensive. It is vital to belong to a club where experienced members can impart valuable advice. There are also numerous sites on the internet that is certainly worth perusing. Before making any purchases, it is deemed wise to first settle upon a theme. Purchases should only be made from respected experts in the field of numismatics. Valuable collections should be insured and kept in a safe place.

Building collections has always been a popular hobby and millions of people enjoy looking after their collections, finding new additions and learning more about the objects that they collect. Some collections of minted tender are extremely valuable but many other collectors simply enjoy the act of collecting.




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