Understanding coin and bullion pricing at a shop
Spot, premium, melt, numismatic value, wholesale vs retail — plain English for people who want to know why the number…
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The public coin and money library, plus dealer guides — what people bring to a shop, how money works, and how shops run.
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The Red Book is not a dealer buy-price guide
Why A Guide Book of United States Coins feels authoritative, what it is actually for, and why raw ungraded coins…
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How to read coin shop reviews (and spot the uneducated ones)
Why one-star reviews often mean “my YouTube price was wrong,” how to tell a real customer complaint from an engagement-bait…
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Visiting a coin shop for the first time: what to expect
A plain-English walkthrough of walking into a real coin and bullion shop — layout, counter etiquette, and how the buy/sell…
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How to sell online
Updated August 2026. How to sell online is where dealers usually discover that generic carts fight coin inventory. ExtraCoins (included…
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1996 Silver Eagle: the key date that is still an ounce
The 1996 American Silver Eagle is the key business-strike date (about 3.6 million). It is still one ounce of .999…
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Shield nickels: the first five-cent nickel, 1866–1883
Shield nickels (1866–1883) are copper-nickel, not silver. 1866–early 1867 have rays around the 5; later ones do not. 1877 and…
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Half dimes: tiny silver, not nickels
US half dimes (1794–1873) are small silver five-cent coins. They are not Shield nickels and not V nickels. Later Seated…
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Seated Liberty coins: the silver that came before Barber
Seated Liberty is the silver family from the late 1830s into 1891: half dime, dime, quarter, half, and dollar (plus…
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1916 Standing Liberty quarter: the first-year key (and the fake 6)
The 1916 Standing Liberty quarter is the key: about 52,000, Philadelphia only, Type 1. The date sits high and wears…
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Kennedy half cheat sheet: sort by metal, not by the face
Kennedy halves are three stacks: 1964 is 90% silver, 1965–1970 is 40%, 1971-on circulation is clad. 1970-D 40% came only…
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Indian Head cent key dates cheat sheet (no prices)
Most late Indian Head cents are common. Pull 1877, 1908-S, 1909-S, plus better early copper-nickel dates. 1909-S VDB is a…
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Walking Liberty key dates cheat sheet (no prices)
Most Walking Liberty halves are 90% junk. Pull 1921, 1921-D, 1921-S, plus early low-mintage dates. Watch where the mint mark…
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Mercury dime key dates cheat sheet (no prices)
Sort a pile of Mercury dimes by date and mint, not by age. 1916-D is the key. 1921 and 1921-D,…
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