Coin catalog
Encyclopedia
A coin catalog is a listing of coin
types. Information may include pictures of the obverse and reverse (front and back), date and place of minting, translation of inscriptions, description of images, and prices for various grades. Defects may be described.
The quality, detail and completeness of the information available about a particular coin varies according to popularity, commonality, and available scholarly research.
Because of the huge number of coins in world history, there are no comprehensive catalogs. Professional collectors typically keep many books for identification and assessment.
Most commonly, coin catalogs come in one of two forms. Reference works such as A Guide Book of United States Coins
, published by Whitman Publishing and more popularly known as the "Red Book", and the Standard Catalog of World Coins
, published by Krause Publications
, give descriptions and approximate prices of coins at many different levels of preservation, or grades. The other form is the auction catalog, where only those specific coins available in the auction are described, with photo plates available for some of the more prominent coins.
Coin catalogs are essential when dealing with ancient or foreign coins, where the inscriptions may be obscure and unrecognizably stylized, even for a native speaker.
Coin catalogs today are supplemented by Internet sites, some of which have the advantage of being attached to user forums, so that issues such as counterfeiting may be discussed. With the rise of online auctions, it is now possible for collectors to research their coins at commercial sites such as EBay
, Heritage Auctions
, or Teletrade, as well as myriad collector-created sites containing research into diverse collecting specialties.
Coin
A coin is a piece of hard material that is standardized in weight, is produced in large quantities in order to facilitate trade, and primarily can be used as a legal tender token for commerce in the designated country, region, or territory....
types. Information may include pictures of the obverse and reverse (front and back), date and place of minting, translation of inscriptions, description of images, and prices for various grades. Defects may be described.
The quality, detail and completeness of the information available about a particular coin varies according to popularity, commonality, and available scholarly research.
Because of the huge number of coins in world history, there are no comprehensive catalogs. Professional collectors typically keep many books for identification and assessment.
Most commonly, coin catalogs come in one of two forms. Reference works such as A Guide Book of United States Coins
A Guide Book of United States Coins
A Guide Book of United States Coins , by Richard Yeoman, ISBN 0-7948-2039-5, is a pricing guide for United States coin collectors, and is considered one of the most authoritative coin price sources. The book is the longest running coin price guide; the first edition, dated 1947, went on sale...
, published by Whitman Publishing and more popularly known as the "Red Book", and the Standard Catalog of World Coins
Standard Catalog of World Coins
The Standard Catalog of World Coins is a series of numismatic catalogs commonly known as the Krause catalogs in the numismatic hobby. They are published by Krause Publications, a division of F+W Publications.-Overview:...
, published by Krause Publications
Krause Publications
Krause Publications is a publisher of leisure-time & enthusiast magazines and books. Best known for its Standard Catalog of World Coins, a series of numismatic catalogs commonly referred to as Krause-Mishler catalogues or simply Krause catalogues. They provide information, pricing, and...
, give descriptions and approximate prices of coins at many different levels of preservation, or grades. The other form is the auction catalog, where only those specific coins available in the auction are described, with photo plates available for some of the more prominent coins.
Coin catalogs are essential when dealing with ancient or foreign coins, where the inscriptions may be obscure and unrecognizably stylized, even for a native speaker.
Coin catalogs today are supplemented by Internet sites, some of which have the advantage of being attached to user forums, so that issues such as counterfeiting may be discussed. With the rise of online auctions, it is now possible for collectors to research their coins at commercial sites such as EBay
EBay
eBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
, Heritage Auctions
Heritage Auctions
Heritage Auction Galleries is the world's largest collectibles auctioneer and the third largest auction house, with over $700 million in annual sales and 600,000 online bidder-members...
, or Teletrade, as well as myriad collector-created sites containing research into diverse collecting specialties.
See also
- Coin collectingCoin collectingCoin collecting is the collecting or trading of coins or other forms of minted legal tender.Coins of interest to collectors often include those that circulated for only a brief time, coins with mint errors and especially beautiful or historically significant pieces. Coin collecting can be...
- Coin gradingCoin gradingIn coin collecting coin grading is the process of determining the grade or condition of a coin, one of the key factors in determining its value as a collector's item....
- Standard Catalog of World CoinsStandard Catalog of World CoinsThe Standard Catalog of World Coins is a series of numismatic catalogs commonly known as the Krause catalogs in the numismatic hobby. They are published by Krause Publications, a division of F+W Publications.-Overview:...
- ColnectColnectColnect Collectors Club Community, is a website containing wiki-like collectables catalogs. It allows collectors to manage their personal collection using these catalogs and automatically match their swap/wish-lists with those of other collectors....