If you have not yet read my Coin Update post, “Buying Double Mint Sets,” you might do so before reading this one, because unethical sellers often take out the toned coins and replace them with lesser examples with the same date, hoping beginning hobbyists will still pay premiums. It’s one of the biggest ripoffs in […]

Following the PCGS announcement late last year that CoinFacts would be available to hobbyists for free, competitor NGC has launched a nifty, enhanced price guide that contains many of the same features as CoinFacts, with graphics, census data, and auction prices. In a news release earlier this month, NGC claimed that its U.S. Coin Price Guide […]

With the price of gold at less than $1100 per ounce, many hobbyists are buying old coins rather than bullion, taking advantage of price and adding raw coins to their collections. However, unlike other numismatic items, raw gold comes with more potential problems because of the soft metal, history of counterfeits, improper care and, lest […]

Several Coin Update viewers have messaged me to do another crossover column, which typically ranks among the most popular because we all are tempted to do it, risking big losses or making awesome gains. In the past few months I have experienced both. (Note: Crossover columns feature PCGS because NGC no longer considers them except […]