ANA Coin Press Blog

There are a lot of fascinating things in numismatics. There are coins from ancient empires, and coins from every corner of the modern world. Coins have survived shipwrecks, or centuries buried underground. There are coins made of precious gold and silver, and from enough other metals to cover a big chunk of the periodic table. And there are coins that.

Building a type set is a terrific way to explore numismatics. A type set includes single representative examples of many different coin designs, organized around a unifying theme. Comprehensive in scope but compact in size, type sets allow you to cover a lot of numismatic ground with an economy of effort. To illustrate this method of collecting and to.

Collecting U.S. coins is a popular numismatic pursuit, but deciding exactly how to collect them is not necessarily an easy task. Our nation's rich history and the eclectic artistry of its coinage have inspired many different approaches to collecting, with each option having a distinctive appeal.

Dates on coinage are not always a reliable indication of age. Sometimes historical, political or religious context is needed.

The American monetary system has been evolving for more than two centuries, with some interesting twists and turns along the way. Did you know that in addition to the familiar cent and nickel, at one time or another five additional coins circulated with a value of five cents or less? Or that for a short time in the 19th century, Americans had the.

Coins are mass-produced, everyday objects, and they wouldn’t exist without their economic function. But coins are also miniature works of art. And, like all works of art, they arise from the vision of their creators and are implemented by the technology of their times.

Whether your concern is safety, appearance or expense, there are storage options for every numismatist.

Though not as pretty as their unblemished counterparts, circulated coins connect us through their everyday use.

In numismatics, as in life, it’s wise to follow the Fugio Cent’s advice —“mind your business” because “time flies.”

In the modern era, Americans have become accustomed to a monetary system with only four circulating coins. But the familiar penny, nickel, dime, and quarter actually represent a historic low in denominational diversity.