| Silver Coins - A Insight At The Coins In The Present And Past |
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| Written by Eric McMillan |
| Saturday, 02 October 2010 16:29 |
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Silver coins of a rich history and has been valued over the centuries for more than their obvious worth in terms of precious metal. Silver and Gold have long been valued as rare and beautiful metals. Many times coins of silver were designed not only for barter, but to be aesthetically pleasing.
Silver coins of a rich history and has been valued over the centuries for more than their obvious worth in terms of precious metal. Silver and Gold have long been valued as rare and beautiful metals. Many times coins of silver were designed not only for barter, but to be aesthetically pleasing. Some of the very earliest recorded coins were from around 650 BC. The silver gold coin was a beautiful pale yellow coin made from Electrum. Electrum is composed of a naturally occurring mixture of silver and gold. The gold Dinar and the silver Dirham are the first recorded instances of pure silver and gold coins. In the United States silver coin as a metal was valued because it was so rare. Consequently it was natural to mint coins from silver. The production of these coins had to stop from 1806 to 1836 due to the scarcity of silver. Once silver was discovered in Nevada, the production of these coins began again. Coin designs change with the times and denominations change as well. Coin designers leave their mark on history on the back or face of coins that will be used and traded or collected for many years to come. Some artists and coin designers may have only a single but remarkable claim to fame, that being their concept of the face of Lady Liberty, or their depiction of a screaming eagle. A silver coin type worthy of mention are silver eagle coins. These coins have been in production since 1986 and contain 1 ounce of pure silver. The face value on these coins is one dollar USD but they are valued by collectors for more then the obvious face value. Few collections are considered complete by the owners without the inclusion of these Eagle Coins and their unique designs. Sometimes the search for older pure silver coinage of a particular mint mark and year may be difficult. Flea markets, coin collectors, auction houses and even friends and family may be sources for that final coin to complete the collection. While there is no restriction on what a coin collector might choose to collect, silver is very popular. Collectors may sometimes choose to focus upon proof edition silver dollars. Proof coins are special coins and may also be uncirculated or even burnished or bullion. Some of these may have a mint mark while others carry no mark. A silver bullion coin might be purchased only through bullion dealers or the mint. Collectible proof coins might be initially be available only through the mint or a dealer. A particular series of coins with a specific mint mark may be the focus of a collector. Some collectors can easily find most coins needed to consider their collection full. Other collectors may have missing coins which take years to find, and sometimes the lure to the collector may well be in the thrill of the hunt. DISCLAIMER: This article is provided as information only and is not to be taken as financial advice. Eric McMillan is an ex real estate guy, who markets online and is a coin collecting enthusiast. Visit his website for more information on the history and value of silver coins. While you're there, grab your complimentary copy of his Guide to Gold and Silver Coins. |