Interesting Info -> Coins & Money

Coin Collecting, Numismatics & Money Resource Guide

Coin Guides, Investment Info, Credit, Links, Books and More

Intro: Numismatics is the fancy word for the study or collection of currency, such as coins, bullion and paper money.

Jump to Section: Coin Collecting Articles | Books and Links | Fun Coin & Money Facts

Years ago, I wrote a feature for this site called "5 Rare and Valuable Coins" -- and it was an instant success.

So, I followed it up with a few other coin collecting articles and published them here Blifaloo..

On this page you will find all of our coin collecting and other money-related (Numismatic) articles, features, cartoons, and trivia along with plenty of links and resources from around the web.

I've also included links to online price guides plus forums where you can discuss coin collecting.

Don't forget to bookmark this page as we add new features, links and other resources on a regular basis.

(Last update: March 21st, 2012)

Coin Collecting / Money-Related Articles & Features on Blifaloo

Next time you roll your change, be sure to have these handy guides available. Could you be sitting on a valuable coin collection and not even know it?

Valuable US Coins to Look for <- New-ish!
Illustrated guide to some coins that are rare, but not too scarce. Know which coins to look for in your pocket change or piggy bank.

5 Rare and Valuable Coins
That you might find in your pocket or change jar. One of our most popular features here on Blifaloo of all time. Also see: Rare and Valuable Books

Valuable Wheat Pennies
Everyone has a few of these old pennies. Which coins are worth money? Check out our history & price guide to the most valuable US wheat cents.

How to Value & Sell Coins <- How much are your coins worth?
Our guide to help you figure out how much your coins are worth, including common price guides, selling tips and online resources.

How Much is Your Coin Worth? Please see the How to Value & Sell Coins guide I put together. There are also resources to expert resources, websites, books and more there. Please do not email asking about your coin or coin collection. I cannot give individual coin valuations -- like I said, I am not an expert.

Financial & Investment Related Features

This section will probably be fleshed out into its own section as it expands. Check back soon, or contact me with suggestions for finance and investment related topics you would like to see covered on Blifaloo.com

Gold Investing - Bullion Coins and other options
Besides info about gold investments, this article also has a section about determining the value of bullion coins.

Iraqi Dinar - Smart Investment or Scam?
Learn fact from fiction about the Iraqi Dinar as an investment and how to avoid getting scammed.

Also see:

Need Money? List of ways to get money fast, plus info on common get rich quick scams.

How to Get a Free Credit Report - really free, from the US government.

Intro to Stock Market Investing - Before you invest your money, please read these tips first.

Coin & Money Interesting Facts and Trivia

Common Questions and Answers:

Q. Why do quarters & dimes have ridges?

A. These "ridges" are left-over security features for when (pre-1965) these coins contained large amounts of silver. The ridges (aka "reeding") prevented folks from shaving the coin's edges down to collect the silver for profit.

Q. What is a US dollar bill made of?

A. US Paper money is not made from wood pulp but from cotton.
Specifically: Currency paper is made of 25% linen and 75% cotton.

More interesting coin & currency facts:

A US dime has 118 ridges around the edge, and a quarter has 119.

The face of a penny can hold about 30-40 drops of water. Check out this fun related experiment for kids.

It costs about 3 cents to produce a $1 bill in the United States.

Traces of cocaine were found on 99% of UK bank notes, in a 2000 survey. More about cocaine on bills from the BBC News article.

The life span of an US dollar bill is about 18 months.

In 1861, North Carolina issued a 5-cent bill. (image on right). More info on wikipedia.

Pocahontas appeared on the back of the $20 bill in 1875.

One of the first American coins were half dimes ("dismes"), which were struck in 1792. (see image below)

Links to Numismatic Articles on other websites

The following links are resources outside of this site, and will open in a new window/tab.

The Invention of Money (Podcast) - Highly recommended! Podcast from NPR's This American Life. Five reporters stumbled on what seems like a basic question: What is money? The unsettling answer they found: Money is fiction.

General Coin Collecting / Numismatic Links:

Coin collecting articles and other numismatic website links I have stumble upon in my research. New links added to the top of the list.

Numismatics and Coin Collection on Wikipedia - Good intros for beginners.

US Money & Coin Facts - If you liked the coin trivia section above, you'll dig the trivia bits and coin history at the US Mint (for kids) website.

Tips for buying coins via eBay - "The truth is there are still bargains to be had on ebay as well as nice coins to be purchased however there are also over graded coins and counterfeit coins being offered for sale." Good read if you are considering purchasing coins from ebay or other online auction websites.

Coin Collecting Forums & Message Board

Coin Talk - Long-running, popular forum to discuss coin collecting.

MyCoinCollecting Forum - Another great site for asking questions or discussing numismatics. Also, plenty of articles and resources for coin collectors on their main site.

Recommended Numismatic Books

Books on coin collecting, price guides and other numismatic reading materials:

Learn more: Interesting Info & Ideas | How-To Guides

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