Index
Coin collecting guides
Grading, mint marks, key dates, care and storage, buying and selling. Written from primary sources, with no prices and nothing for sale.
15 guides · Reviewed July 2026
Grading
Grading
No. 01 Grading
The Coin Grading Scale Explained
One to seventy, from Poor to Perfect. Where the scale came from and what each rung means.
Mint Marks
Mint Marks
No. 01 Mint Marks
Mint Marks on Coins
P, D, S, W, and the historic letters. What they mean and where to look.
No. 02 Mint Marks
Coins With No Mint Mark
Usually Philadelphia. Sometimes a law. Almost never a fortune.
Coin Care
Coin Care
No. 01 Coin Care
How to Clean Coins
Cleaning destroys value, and graders can always tell. The honest answer is: do not.
Value
Value
No. 01 Value
What Makes a Coin Valuable
Mintage, survival, grade, demand, metal. Age is not on the list.
No. 02 Value
How Much Is a Wheat Penny Worth?
Most are worth a few cents. Here is how to tell whether yours is an exception.
No. 03 Value
Key Date Coins
The scarcest date in a series, and why low mintage is only half the story.
Buying
Buying
No. 01 Buying
Spotting Counterfeit Coins
Added mint marks, altered dates, whizzed surfaces, and how to avoid all three.
No. 02 Buying
How to Buy Coins
Buy the coin, not the story. What to check before money changes hands.
Selling
Selling
Cents
Cents
No. 01 Cents
The Wheat Penny
Struck 1909 to 1958. Two wheat stalks, one designer, and a wartime metal swap.
Nickels
Nickels
No. 01 Nickels
The Buffalo Nickel
1913 to 1938. A composite portrait, a Bronx Zoo bison, and dates that wore away.
Silver Dollars
Silver Dollars
No. 01 Silver Dollars
The Morgan Silver Dollar
26.73 grams, 90 percent silver, five mints, and 270 million melted.