Tom Luxsox Coins

American Sacagawea

What Coins Should I Collect?

What Coins Should I Collect?

By Robert L Taylor, JD

You should collect what you like and enjoy. This is Your Dream. Design it any way you want.
Never-the-less, . . . decide on Foreign coins or US Coins; and Proof or Mint State. If US, then decide upon a Denomination: penny, nickel, dime, quarter, half dollar, dollar or other.

Or, decide upon a particular Period in History, e.g.: Morgan Dollars (Lady Liberty, Following Civil War), Peace Dollars (Following WWI), War Time Cents (Steel and Shell Casing - WWII), War Time Nickels (Silver - WWII), Silver quarters and dimes pre 1965; Statehood Quarters; 20th Century; 19th Century.

Or decide upon an Historical Figure; Kennedy Half Dollars (Following his death), Lincoln Cents; Washington Quarters; Franklin Half Dollars; Eisenhower Dollars, Susan B Anthony Dollars, Roosevelt Dimes; Sacagawea Dollars. You can also choose Type Sets, Year Sets, Mint Sets, Proof Sets and Decades.

The Next Step is to decide upon the Quality of coin you want to collect. Your choices are: a) pocket change; b) bank rolls; c) US mint and proof rolls and sets (new and used); d) Buy from Coin Shows and Clubs; e) Buy on the Internet; f) Buy from coin dealer; g) Buy from coin magazine or ad. Each has their benefits and advantages. Pocket Change and Bank Rolls provide Circulated coins. The US Mint provides Uncirculated "Mint State" and "Proof" coins.
The Internet provides the Greatest Selection from private Web Sites, e.g.: www.ThePerfect-Coin.Com to the big Auctions like eBay, Yahoo, Heritage and TeleTrade. And With the advent of PayPal.com (free) it becomes very quick and easy to pay for purchases over the Internet and by Phone.

The one thing that is important in all of the above choices is the Grade of the Coin, which is closely related to Value (a topic for another article). But which leads to the next choice: Buy Slabbed or Raw? Raw coins are what you find in pocket change. Slabbed coins are those that are Professionally Certified and Graded by an Independent Third Party. The coin is then placed in a "slab", made of plastic, identified, labeled and sealed. It actually takes 3 Professionals to decide upon the Grade of a Coin. If Buying Raw Coins, You need to Know How to Grade a Coin. Even then, there will be Disputes about the Grade. When Buying a Slabbed coin, You Know the Grade. The Grade Becomes Virtually Undisputable! All references to Price in any resource are Based on Grading, which follows the Guidelines set by the ANA American Numismatic Association. Currently, there are only Four Companies that are Recognized for Strictly following these Guidelines: PCGS, NGC, ICG and ANACS. It is from these Professionals that one should buy slabbed coins. Buying Slabbed Coins is the First Rule of Serious Coin Collecting.

Obviously, one will be very limited in the years, mints, and varieties available from pocket change and bank rolls - both being local in nature. Even if starting with these means of collecting, always keep an open mind about other resources. So, a little future insight helps to decide that better resources will yield better coin collections. Most collections will span a greater range of years, than either pocket change or bank rolls can possibly produce. It is therefore imperative to investigate other resources.

Your Budget will usually determine the Grade of coin that you can afford to collect. MS63-MS65 is an Ideal range for collecting, not only because of the excellent condition and detail of the coins, greater availability, lower costs, and because coins in this range tend to Appreciate faster than other Grades. There item is very simple, and it has to do with the quality of the coin or how much you want to Spend per Coin - for an average coin, for an exceptional coin, or a perfect coin. Your budget will usually determine this factor, or, how much per month you can spend (per month?) for your new Investment. Never doubt that Coin Collecting is an Investment. Although it is easy to overlook the amount of time spent on this Endeavor because two of the main ingredients are Pleasure and Enjoyment. Confucius Say:

"If you enjoy what you are doing, you will never work another day in your life."

Think of it as a Fund. You are trading Money for . . . Money that Grows and Gives Pleasure! Properly attended, this Fund can quite possibly put someone through college.

Lastly, decide whether to collect all of the coins in your Group including varieties and errors or just the Regular Issue Coins. Errors and Varieties can become extremely expensive and difficult to find. Most people will avoid them.

This Concept of "Trading Money for Money" is critically important because most people shy away from spending a little more, just to get the best. And I am talking about the best in quality of coin, no matter what the Grade or Price. In other words, get a Coin with the Grade it is Supposed to Have. This is the Only way to be sure of the Value of the Coin. Spend your Money Wisely. Get what you pay for. Until you become a Professional at Grading, rely on the Professional Graders. Whether you choose to collect Kennedy Proof Half Dollars, or Jefferson Nickels from pocket change, thanks to the Internet, you will find a huge selection available, on many different web sites, to give your Coin Collecting efforts a boost. Internet Web Sites will Forever Change Coin Collecting! Why? Because Top Quality Coins can be easily Bought and Sold by any body - since they are Slabbed!

Always Know Your Grade!

Robert L Taylor, JD
Copyright 2006, Robert L Taylor, JD

About the Author

Robert Taylor is a 59 year old retired Lawyer, from Denver, CO, who spent most of his career representing people who could not afford an attorney, and who has had a passion for collecting US coins. Wanting to share his Passion, he created http://www.ThePerfect-Coin.Com which features US Rare and Modern Dollars (from 1878) and Coins (from 1960), all Certified and Graded by NGC or PCGS.
For Beginning Coin Collectors, he then created http://www.Beginning-Coin-Collecting.Com

Sacagawea, American Pathfinder $10.39 Describes how Sacagawea found adventure guiding Lewis and Clark to the Oregon coast.

Sacagawea (Hardcover) $45.01 "Discusses the life of Sacagawea, including her Shoshone childhood, her kidnapping by the Hidatsa, her journey with the Lewis and Clark expedition, and her legacy in American history"--Provided by publisher.

Sacagawea's Strength $3.95 Which way should they turn? Abigail and her friends are in the middle of a Monday afternoon group project when Mr. C tells them it's time to jump back to the past. They're super-excited, even though this time things are more complicated than ever The kids have to convince Sacagawea not to give up on her dream. But they don't know what Sacagawea's dream is Sure, they know that explorers Lewis and Clark mapped a route leading out West...but what does that have to do with the teenage Native American? Can Abigail and her group find Sacagawea, figure out what her dream is, "and" convince her to stick with it -- all in just two hours?

Who Was Sacagawea? $3.95 Sacagawea was only sixteen when she made one of the most remarkable journeys in American history, traveling 4500 miles by foot, canoe, and horse-all while carrying a baby on her back Without her, the Lewis and Clark expedition might have failed. Through this engaging book, kids will understand the reasons that today, 200 years later, she is still remembered and immortalized on a new golden dollar coin.

Sacagawea: A Biography $24.78 Sacagawea, kidnapped as an adolescent and sold as a slave to a French-Canadian fur trader, is best known for her role as interpreter and symbol of goodwill for Lewis and Clark on their journey west. Despite her pivotal role in this era of Manifest Destiny and blending cultures, much of her ensuing life story remains uncertain, thanks to a larger focus on Lewis and Clark themselves, as well as the perpetuation of legend over fact in several 20th century movies and publications. This concise and readable biography offers an objective treatment of Sacagawea's childhood, her journey with Lewis and Clark, her later life, her explorer son, and the mythology surrounding her death and legacy. As the Lewis and Clark expedition is heavily represented in the U.S. history curriculum, this much-needed volume fills a gap on the reference shelves and supplements American history and Native American studies curricula. Lively narrative chapters are supplemented with a timeline, photos, print and nonprint bibliography, and an index. As the Lewis and Clark expedition is heavily represented in the U.S. history curriculum, this much-needed volume fills a gap on the reference shelves and supplements Native American studies curricula. The subject matter directly supports the National Standards for U.S. history Era 4: Expansion and Reform (1801-1861). Lively narrative chapters are supplemented with a timeline, photos, print and nonprint bibliography, and an index.

Sacagawea $15.25 Sacagawea is a biography of this historical figure.

Who Was Sacagawea? (Unabridged) $1.09 Sacagawea was only 16 when she made one of the most remarkable journeys in American history, traveling 4500 miles by foot, canoe, and horse-all while carrying a baby....

The Journey of Sacagawea (DVD) $47.73 Though Sacagawea remains one of the most memorable figures in American history, little is known about the life of the Native American woman who guided Lewis and Clark through their Pacific Northwest expeditions. This sensitive documentary examines the truths behind the legend through historical journals and the oral histories of the Shoshoni, Hidatsa, and Nez Perce tribes.

Sacagawea and the Lewis and Clark Expedition $15.68 It's the late 1700's, and a beautiful baby girl is born to a Shoshone Tribal Chief and his wife. The mother names the child Huichu, the Shoshone word for "Little Bird." Join Huichu, later called Sacagawea (Bird Woman), as she endures the hardships of slavery and abuse, only to discover true self worth as a member of a member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition into the western territory. Native American language, legend and customs are woven into this meticulously researched tale of a brave, young Native American girl who was so instrumental in paving the way for the white man's movement west. The events are real, the Native American legends have been passed down through the generations and the Shoshone language is authentic. It is my sincere desire that by learning something about Sacagawea's life, the reader will gain an appreciation of the hardships endured and the accomplishments made by women in the early years of our great nation, the United States of America.

Explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark with their Native American Guide Sacagawea $24.99 Explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark with their Native American Guide Sacagawea - Photographic Print

Sacagawea: Native American Interpreter $6.94 "This concise biography of Eriksson and history of Viking exploration and discovery presents the most popular current version of events. This new book will be heavily used by report writers and enjoyed by nonfiction readers." School Library Journal, December 2002 review of Leif Eriksson

Sacagawea : Meet an American Legend $22.04 No Synopsis Available

Sacagawea: Heroine of the Lewis and Clark Journey (DVD) $35.28 The story of one of America's most legendary figures, SACAGAWEA uses dramatic reenactments to depict the tumultuous life of the brave and daring heroine. From her early days being raised as a captive to her eventual journey with Lewis and Clark, it becomes strikingly clear just how vital a role Sacagawea played in that historic expedition. Featuring lush cinematography, SACAGAWEA is a powerful tribute to a true American hero.DVD Features:Region [unknown]Keep Case

American Coin Treasures Sacagawea Brass and Turquoise Necklace $61.72 This pendant displays the Sacagawea golden dollar that's surrounded in a brass bezel. This piece is accented with a turquoise bead and brass feathers and measures 24 inches long. Sacagawea golden dollar Brass bezel Accented with a turquoise bead and brass feathers Dimensions: 24 inches longAll weights and measurements are approximate and may vary slightly from the listed information.

American Coin Treasures Sacagawea Dollar Silvertone Necklace $56.09 An authentic Sacagawea dollar coin is set in a silvertone floral motif border on this unique necklace. A 24-inch silvertone chain secures this necklace with a coin that was minted between 2000 and 2009.Elegant pendant features a genuine Sacagawea 'golden' dollar coinCollectible coin was minted from 2000 to 2009Necklace features a 24-inch silvertone chainExemplifies the spirit of liberty, peace and freedom shown by Sacajawea in her work as an interpreter and guide to acclaimed explorers Lewis and ClarkCoin is encircled with a silvertone floral motif border

Sacagawea's Nickname: Essays on the American West $15.05 New in paperback What was achieved and destroyed, what was made up and forgotten in the American West as the continent was mapped, the natives were displaced, and exploits were transformed into legends? In this acclaimed collection, Larry McMurtry profiles explorers and martyrs, hucksters and scholars--figures in the West's enduring yet ever-shifting mixture of myth and reality. In these twelve pieces, McMurtry explores John Wesley Powell's journey on the Colorado, the dispossession of the Five Civilized Tribes, the fascination the Zuni held over a parade of unscrupulous anthropologists, and--in the bicentennial of their journey--the journals of Lewis and Clark, "our only really American epic."

Sacagawea (Exp-New) $3.95 -- Biographies of some of the most important explorers the world has known -- Ideal for research or class use -- Written in accessible, easily understood language -- Complements school curriculum The most famous guide of the team that explored the American northwest in the early 19th century.

The Making of Sacagawea: A Euro-American Legend $24.38 No Synopsis Available

Sacagawea By Berne, Emma Carlson $17.73 A biographical series that introduces children to Native American legendsbeautifully designed with archival photos and illustrations, timelines, original maps, source notes and glossary definitions to enhance understanding. Simultaneous. Author: Berne, Emma Carlson Series Title: Sterling Biographies Subtitle: Crossing the Continent With Lewis Clark Publication Date: 2010/10/05 Number of Pages: 124 Binding Type: Hardcover Grade Level: 46 Language: English Depth: 0.50 Width: 5.75 Height: 7.75

Path to the Pacific: The Story of Sacagawea $5.45 Seldom given the credit she deserves, Sacajawea is one of America's true heroines. Without her help, the Lewis and Clark Expedition would never have crossed the Rockies and reached the Pacific Northwest--and the course of U.S. history would have been changed forever. Master Western storyteller Neta Frazier, author of "The Stout-Hearted Seven: Orphaned on the Oregon Trail," tells the story of this courageous Native American, from when she was kidnapped as a young girl from her Shoshone tribal home, through her amazing journey with Lewis and Clark, and finally to the mystery surrounding her final years and death.

Sacagawea By Seymour, Flora Warren/ Doremus, Robert (ILT) $11.09 Describes how Sacagawea found adventure guiding Lewis and Clark to the Oregon coast Author: Seymour, Flora Warren/ Doremus, Robert (ILT) Series Title: Childhood of Famous Americans Subtitle: American Pathfinder Publication Date: 1991/04/30 Number of Pages: 192 Binding Type: Paperback Grade Level: 46 Language: English Depth: 0.50 Width: 5.50 Height: 7.50