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The Joys Of Being A Penny Collector

August 5, 2026May 13, 2013 by Joshua McMorrow-Hernandez

Why am I a penny collector? After more than 20 years collecting coins, I still love the penny because it’s a readily available denomination with many key and semi-key dates, varieties, and errors. It’s a challenge to complete a set of pennies, even for seasoned veterans. Here’s how I got my start collecting pennies.

Historical Values Of Rare Morgan Silver Dollars: See How Rare Morgan Dollar Values Have Changed Over The Years

July 29, 2026September 6, 2012 by Joshua McMorrow-Hernandez

There is probably no more popular a coin series than the Morgan dollar.

United States Morgan silver dollars were first minted in 1878 and remained a regular entry in United States coinage circulation until the last of these giant silver coins was produced in 1921.

Designed by George T. Morgan, this famous dollar coin features a large bust of a woman representing Miss Liberty. The design itself being modeled after Anna Willess Williams, who sat for Morgan and whose face has been immortalized on this silver dollar coin.

The allure of the Morgan dollar lies mainly in that the coin represents the United States during a romantic period in its history. It was a time when the country was expanding westward, and the hopes and dreams of the people often lay mainly just behind the horizon upon which the sun sets. With wagon trains pulling heading west and lives being rooted in the hills of the Rockies and the deserts of the Southwest, the Morgan dollar became a staple currency of the frontier.

Historical Values Of Walking Liberty Half Dollars: See How The Walking Liberty Half Dollar Value Has Changed Over The Years

August 4, 2026August 18, 2012 by Joshua McMorrow-Hernandez

Considered one of the most beautiful coins of all time, the Walking Liberty half dollar was designed Adolph A. Weinman in 1916.

The Walking Liberty half dollar features an obverse image of Miss Liberty with her right arm outstretched in peace as she strides toward the rising sun; the reverse design depicts an American bald eagle perched upon a large olive branch.

Walking Liberty half dollars are popularly collected both as a complete set of coins and as a type coin, and are desired by both coin collectors and coin investors for their silver content and value potential, especially in the upper grades. Mint State examples are particularly sought-after and are commonly found in high-end coin collections and investment portfolios.

No matter the grade of your Walking Liberty half dollar, examples in any condition are quite popular. Like any coin series, there are several dates of Walking Liberty half dollars that are considered highly scarce and valuable.

Historical Values Of Standing Liberty Quarters: See How The Standing Liberty Quarter Value Has Changed Over The Years

September 15, 2026May 29, 2012 by Joshua McMorrow-Hernandez

standing liberty quarter historic values

Hermon A. MacNeil’s Standing Liberty design graced United States quarter dollar coins from 1916 to 1930.

Replacing the Barber quarter and preceding the famous Washington quarter that would being production in 1932, Standing Liberty quarter production spanned from World I until the Great Depression.

MUST READ: How The Great Depression Affected U.S. Coins

Tens of millions of Standing Liberty quarters were made, but for various reasons, it seems few non-coin collectors know much about this beautiful coin series.

Part of that may be due to the relatively short 14-year timeframe that the coin saw production. Another reason may be that the Washington Quarter’s now 80-year reign as king of the 2-bit design has overshadowed the Standing Liberty series.

At any rate, there are legions of coin collectors who fancy the Standing Liberty quarter design and for good reason; it’s a beautiful installment among the revival of U.S. coin designs during the early 1900s that also saw the debut of the Buffalo nickel, Mercury dime, Walking Liberty half dollar and Peace dollar.

Historical Values Of Barber Dimes: See How The Barber Dime Value Has Changed Over The Years

August 4, 2026May 27, 2012 by Joshua McMorrow-Hernandez

The Liberty Head dime (more commonly referred to as the Barber dime) was one of several designs created by Charles E. Barber for circulating U.S. coinage during the turn of the 20^th century.

Today, Barber dimes and other Barber coinage are highly popular in many coin collecting circles and collected both as a type coin and a date-and-mintmark series coin.

In general, Barber dimes are highly common as tens of millions were made during their 1892 to 1916 run, with a large number of these still in existence today. However, it may surprise some coin collectors — especially those not yet wholly familiar with the hobby — to know that the high mintage numbers of some of Barber dime dates don’t necessarily translate to the number existing today.

Millions of Barber dimes, especially those from the higher-production years, were melted down, and many others have been lost, damaged, or hidden away in the years since the last Barber dime was struck nearly a century ago. Thankfully, it is still easy to find nice examples of Barber dimes on eBay and at coin dealers’ shops around the country.

Historical Values Of Jefferson Nickels: See How The Jefferson Nickel Value Has Changed Over The Years

August 5, 2026May 18, 2012 by Joshua McMorrow-Hernandez

First struck in 1938, the Jefferson nickel continues to endure after more than 70 years in circulation.

Replacing the Buffalo nickel which ceased production that same year, the Jefferson nickel was proposed by the United States Mint, which held a contest to find a suitable design.

Felix Schlag submitted the winning design, which we see on our 5-cent coin to this day.

Historical Values Of Buffalo Nickels: See How The Buffalo Nickel Value Has Changed Over The Years

September 15, 2026May 16, 2012 by Joshua McMorrow-Hernandez

Chances are, you’ve seen a Buffalo nickel in your life, even if not in person.

From magazine advertisements to old-time movies, and even in some sayings, like “he holds a nickel so tight, the Indian rides the buffalo,” the Buffalo nickel has gained and maintained fame in a multitude of ways.

The Buffalo nickel, designed by James Earle Fraser, was minted during 1913 and 1938 and due to its span of when it was minted is highly synonymous with World War I, the Roaring ‘20s, and the Great Depression.

Interestingly, the animal on the reverse of the coin isn’t a buffalo but, in fact, an American bison named Black Diamond, who was a resident at the Bronx Zoo.

Also, the Native American depicted on the obverse isn’t a single person but a compilation of features from several, including Iron Tail (a Sioux Indian), Two Moons (a Cheyenne), and Big Tree (a Kiowa).

Historical Values of Lincoln Cents: See How The Lincoln Penny Value Has Changed Over The Years

August 1, 2026April 25, 2012 by Joshua McMorrow-Hernandez

Lincoln cents, which have been in minted since 1909, are not only the United States’ longest-running coin series, but they are also one of the world’s most popular coins to collect.

Millions of coin collectors clamor to assemble complete date-and-mintmark sets of Lincoln cents, and many will pay thousands of dollars just to own an entire run of this beloved one cent series.

Lincoln pennies have been popular as collector coins since the 1930s, when the first coin boards, coin albums, and coin folders were published to display Lincoln cent collectors.

Because this coin is so widely collected, it goes without saying that demand for the scarcer dates is extremely high. This also translates to high values for many of the rare and semi-key Lincoln cents.

3 Tips For Starting A Budget Coin Collection For Under $20

August 6, 2026November 30, 2011 by Joshua McMorrow-Hernandez

We’re all minding our budgets more closely these days, but we still need to have fun, too.

However, if you think coin collecting is a luxurious hobby that you need oodles of money to take part in, then you must not be aware of the many budget-friendly options available for collecting coins on the cheap.

In fact, it’s entirely possible to begin a decent U.S. coin collection for less than $20. How, you ask?

If you’re interested in starting a basic coin collection of Lincoln cents, Jefferson nickels, Roosevelt dimes, or Washington quarters, here are some ideas that can help you take your coin collecting goals to flight…

#1 – Buy a coin folder.

For less than $5, you can buy a coin folder at your local bookstore, coin dealer, or on Amazon. Coin folders are perfectly fine for keeping common, worn coins organized and displayed. And they’re much safer than simply storing your coins in a cigar box, glass jar, or other random container.

Old Lincoln Cents You Can Still Find In Pocket Change

July 29, 2026March 9, 2011 by Joshua McMorrow-Hernandez

First struck in 1909, tens of billions of Lincoln pennies have made their way to pockets, purses, and piggy banks all across the land.

Because Lincoln cents are so numerous and also very inexpensive (after all, their face value is only one cent!), they have become one of the most widely collected United States coins ever made.

In fact, it’s perfectly safe to say that Lincoln cents are the most popular collectible coin.

Some of the allure of collecting Lincoln pennies is searching through loose pocket change for them.

Believe it or not, finding old Lincoln cents in circulation is still possible. It just takes a little searching.

Let’s look at some of the old Lincoln pennies just waiting to be found in your spare change.

Old-School Wheat Cent Collecting: Using A Penny Board

August 3, 2026February 19, 2011 by Joshua McMorrow-Hernandez

The advent of the penny board in the 1930s spurred the date-and-mintmark coin collecting craze of today.

Time For A New Hobby? A Comparison Of Coin Collecting With 5 Other Popular Hobbies

August 5, 2026January 14, 2011 by Joshua McMorrow-Hernandez

Searching for a new hobby and not sure which one to take up?

Try coin collecting!

There are many hobbies that — like coin collecting — involve collecting, antiques, and art.

Let’s take a look at how coin collecting compares to other hobbies.

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Rare U.S. Coins

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Myths & History

#1 – Buy a coin folder.