Coin collecting
A coin folder for one series, a magnifier and the coins already in your pocket. The first weeks are about reading dates and mint marks, filling holes and handling coins by the edges.
What it is like
Coin collecting can start with what is already in your pocket. Pick one coin you see often, buy a folder with a hole for every date and mint mark, and begin sorting your change; each filled hole is a small win and each empty one a reason to look again.
A magnifier turns coins into documents. The date says when a coin was struck, the tiny mint mark says where, and the wear on the highest points of the design says how much it has been used, which is the main thing that decides what a coin is worth to collectors.
The rules of care are few and strict. Pick coins up by the edges over a soft towel, do not talk over them, store them in PVC-free holders and never clean them, because polishing can substantially lower a coin’s value.
From there collectors go in many directions: world coins, one example of every design, error coins, or a few coins authenticated and sealed by a grading service. Clubs and coin shows are good places to find the hard dates and advice.
- A session
- Half an hour with a pile of change and a magnifier.
- A week
- Whenever change comes your way, plus the odd club meeting.
- Season
- All year.
Indoors · Solo, With kids, A club
Kinds and styles
One coin of each date and mint mark from circulation, in a folder.
One example of each design of a denomination.
Coins from one country, a region or a theme.
Coins struck with mistakes, a specialty of their own.
Coins authenticated and sealed by a grading service, mostly for valuable pieces.
Is it for you?
You will probably love it if
- You like hunting for the one missing piece of a set
- History and design on small objects interest you
- You want a quiet hobby you can start with what is in your pocket
Maybe not, if
- You are looking for an investment; this page is about collecting, not returns
- Close work with a magnifier is hard on your eyes
- You would be tempted to polish coins to make them shine; it lowers their value
What to buy first
- 01A coin folder for one seriesA hole for every date and mint mark, so you can see what is missingFind it on Amazon$7
- 02A 10x magnifier or loupeTo read small mint marks and see wearFind it on Amazon$16
- Everything you need to beginAbout $10 a month after that$23
Typical US prices for entry-level gear, rounded. Last checked October 2026. How we get the numbers
The Amazon links open a search for that type of item, not a product chosen for us, and the prices in the list are our typical figures, or the listing of the shop a line names, not Amazon's price for any listing. If you buy through one we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you; as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
What to buy next
- 01Cotton glovesSkin oils damage a coin's finish (Royal Canadian Mint)Find it on Amazon Before handling better coins
- 02PVC-free 2x2 flipsSafe storage for single coinsFind it on Amazon For coins outside a folder
- 03A guide book for your seriesDates, mintages and grades in one placeFind it on Amazon First months
- 04Another folderThe next seriesFind it on Amazon When the first one fills
No prices here on purpose: these are later buys, and what to spend depends on how far the hobby has taken you. The Amazon links work like the ones above: a search for the type of item, and a possible commission for us at no extra cost to you.
Coin collecting supplies compared
Six starter supplies, from a folder for pocket change to capsules for better coins, with what each holds by the shop's own description.
| Model | Type | Specs | Who it suits | Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whitman Folder: Lincoln Memorial Cents #1, 1959-1998 | Coin folder | A hole for each date and mint mark of 1959-1998 cents; opens flat for viewing and closes to the size of a book, with information about the coins inside | A first set from pocket change | Find it on AmazonMaker's page |
| Dansco Album #8104, Lincoln Shield Cents 2010 to date | Coin album | Removable hinged pages in a leatherette cover; each coin sits in its own window behind clear acetate slides, so both sides show; dated 2010-2021, with a blank page of 36 openings for later years | Seeing both sides of every coin | Find it on AmazonMaker's page |
| Cardboard 2x2 holders with stapler (Bundle C) | Single-coin holders | 25 each in seven sizes from cent to silver dollar, archival-safe and PVC-free, with a flat-clinch stapler and 1,000 mini staples; the cent window is 19 mm (0.75 in) | Single coins of any size | Find it on AmazonMaker's page |
| Lighthouse Coin Capsule Grande Album with Air-Tite starter set | Capsules and album | A 3-ring leatherette binder with slipcase and 6 PVC-free pages; the Model A version comes with 50 Direct Fit Air-Tite capsules in five sizes and holds 288 capsules | Better coins, each in a capsule | Find it on AmazonMaker's page |
| Magni-Pak Double Folding Pocket Magnifier | Magnifier | Twin lenses from 4x to 9x, used singly or together; the swing-away case doubles as a handle; made in the USA | Reading dates and mint marks on the go | Find it on AmazonMaker's page |
| White cotton gloves | Handling | Lightweight, 100% cotton; the Royal Canadian Mint advises cotton gloves, not latex or plastic, for better coins | Handling better coins | Find it on AmazonMaker's page |
How we put this together. Details come from the product pages of The Coin Supply Store, a US coin supply shop already cited on this page, read on 26 October 2026; no prices, because they change. We have not tested these side by side. The glove advice is the Royal Canadian Mint's. Checked on 26 October 2026. There are no prices in this table: the Amazon link searches for the exact model, and we may earn a commission if you buy through it.
From pocket change to a filled folder page, step by step
Augustus gave old and exotic coins to friends at festivals (Wikipedia), and collectors have been sorting coins ever since. This guide goes from choosing a series and a folder through reading dates and mint marks, handling and storing coins safely and judging condition to clubs and shows, with the coin-care advice of the Royal Canadian Mint.
Warning: Before you start This is a collecting hobby, and we do not give investment or financial advice. Handle coins as little as possible: the Royal Canadian Mint advises picking them up by the edges between thumb and forefinger, over a thick soft towel in case one drops, wearing cotton gloves rather than latex or plastic ones, whose powder or lubricants can damage coins, and not talking over a coin, since tiny drops of saliva can leave spots. Unless you are an experienced specialist, do not clean coins. Store them in PVC-free holders. Buy from established dealers, and remember that grading services exist partly because counterfeits and over-graded coins are a real problem.
NGC suggests a classic start: trying to complete a set of one coin from circulation, with one coin of each date and mint mark.
A Whitman folder for Lincoln Memorial cents of 1959 to 1998 costs $7.35 at Coin Supply Store.
Read the date and look for the small mint mark letter with a magnifier.
Between thumb and forefinger, over a thick soft towel (Royal Canadian Mint).
Put the best example of each date and mint mark in its place, and note what is still missing.
Reading a coin
A coin seen face-on with a generic portrait on the obverse, the date near the rim, a small mint mark letter beside it and the raised rim around the edge, and next to it the same coin seen from the side showing the edge; a magnifier hovers over the mint mark.
- A Obverse The front Often a portrait. Step 4 →
- B Rim Raised border Hold by the edge. Step 3 →
- C Mint mark A small letter Use the magnifier. Step 4 →
- D Date Year of striking One hole per date. Step 4 →
- E Edge Between the faces Hold coins here. Step 3 →
Steps 1-3Getting started
- Step 1 of 7 · Getting started
Choose a series
NGC describes the classic start as completing a set from circulation, one coin of each date and mint mark; choose a coin you see often.
Most people: a series from circulation (first collection).
Start here A series from circulationBest forFirst collection
Free to start, and every handful of change is a search.
World coinsBest forTravellers
Coins from trips or one country.
Expensive graded coinsBest forNot for now
Learn condition and prices first.
Not for a first try - Step 2 of 7 · Getting started
Folder and magnifier
A Whitman folder costs $7.35 at Coin Supply Store, and a 10x jeweler's loupe $16.95; the folder shows every date and mint mark you need.
- Step 3 of 7 · Getting started
Set up to handle coins
Warning: NOTICE Do not talk over an exposed coin: tiny drops of saliva can leave spots that will not come off.
Work over a thick, soft towel and pick coins up by the edges between thumb and forefinger; for better coins wear cotton gloves, not latex or plastic (Royal Canadian Mint).
Steps 4-6Building the set
- Step 4 of 7 · Building the set
Sort and fill
Read the date, find the mint mark with the magnifier and put the best example of each into its hole; keep a list of missing dates.
- Step 5 of 7 · Building the set
Judge condition
Compare wear on the high points; condition is the main driver of value, from Poor and Good up to Uncirculated, and on the 1-70 scale from 1 to 70.
Goes wrong: Shiny, scrubbed-looking coins. Cleaning substantially lowers value.
- Step 6 of 7 · Building the set
Store safely
Keep coins in their folder or in PVC-free holders, and never clean them.
Step 7Going further
- Step 7 of 7 · Going further
Clubs, shows and specialties
Swap duplicates at a local club, look for the hard dates at a coin show, and pick a specialty when one draws you.
Most people: a local club (learning and swapping).
Start here A local clubBest forLearning and swapping
The ANA lists member clubs.
Grading servicesBest forValuable coins
Authentication and a sealed holder, for a fee.
In shortIf it goes wrong
- Shiny, scrubbed-looking coins.
- Step 5 · Judge condition
How you get better
- First weekOne folder
Pocket change sorted into a single series.
- First monthsReading condition
Comparing worn and uncirculated examples, learning the grades.
- First yearA club and a show
Swapping duplicates and filling the hard dates.
- After thatYour own specialty
A type set, a country, errors or a few graded coins.
- Reading dates and mint marks
- Handling coins by the edges
- Judging wear
- Using the 1-70 grading scale
- Spotting cleaned coins
- Storing coins safely
- Researching a series
Small things that help
- Hold coins by the edges, over a soft towel.
- Never clean or polish a coin you want to keep.
- Keep duplicates to swap with other collectors.
- Look for the mint mark with a magnifier; it is small.
- Do not talk or breathe right over an exposed coin.
- Join a local club; the ANA keeps a directory of member clubs.
Beginner mistakes
- 01Cleaning coinsCleaning can substantially decrease a coin's value (Wikipedia; Royal Canadian Mint).
- 02Touching the facesSkin oils damage the finish; hold the edges.
- 03Latex glovesTheir powder or lubricants can harm coins; use cotton (Royal Canadian Mint).
- 04Buying before learningCondition decides value; learn the grades first.
- 05Storing coins in soft PVCUse PVC-free holders (Royal Canadian Mint).
Words on a coin and its condition
Terms from Wikipedia and NGC; grades from the 1-70 scale NGC and other grading services use.
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| Obverse | The front, often called heads |
| Reverse | The back, often called tails |
| Edge | The surface between the two faces |
| Mint mark | A letter or symbol showing which mint struck the coin |
| Circulated | Worn from use; graded from Poor and Good up to About Uncirculated |
| Uncirculated | No trace of wear; usually worth more than a worn example of the same coin |
| 1-70 scale | William Sheldon's numeric scale, from 1 (poor) to 70; proof coins graded separately |
| Proof | A specially struck coin for collectors, graded in its own category |
Why people quit
- 01The folder fills up slowlyThat is the point of a set. Swap with friends, visit a coin club or a coin show for the missing dates.
- 02Prices are confusingCondition drives value, and grading is partly subjective. Learn the grades from books before buying anything expensive.
- 03Coins look dullLeave them that way: cleaning or polishing can substantially decrease a coin's value.
Words you will meet
- Obverse
- The front of a coin, often called heads.
- Reverse
- The back of a coin, often called tails.
- Mint mark
- A letter or symbol showing where the coin was struck.
- Grade
- A coin's condition, on a word or 1-70 scale.
- Uncirculated
- Without wear from use.
- Proof
- A specially made collector's coin, graded separately.
- Slab
- A sealed hard plastic case from a grading service.
Questions people ask
How do I start?
Save coins from circulation and try to complete one series by date and mint mark, as NGC suggests; a folder for it costs about $7.
Should I clean old coins?
No. Cleaning can substantially decrease a coin's value, and the Royal Canadian Mint advises against it unless you are an experienced specialist.
What does a grade like 65 mean?
It is a point on the 1-70 scale developed by William Sheldon, where higher numbers mean less wear; NGC adopted the scale in 1987.
Do I need gloves?
For better coins, yes: cotton gloves, not latex or plastic, and always hold coins by the edges (Royal Canadian Mint).
Where can I meet other collectors?
At local coin clubs and coin shows; the American Numismatic Association, founded in 1891, lists member clubs.
Where to go next
- 01Rock collectingAnother collection to sort, identify and label. $83 to start
- 02Collecting vintage tackleCollecting old objects with dates, makers and condition grades. $83 to start
How it compares
| Coin collecting | Rock collecting | Collecting vintage tackle | Fountain pens | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start cost | $23 | $83 | $83 | $58 |
| Each month | $10 | Free | $20 | $3 |
| Space | A desk and a soft towel | A shelf with labels | A shelf | A pocket |
| Noise | Quiet | Quiet | Quiet | Quiet |
| First result | First holes filled from your change | The first find | Your first find | The first page |
| Mess | Nothing to clean, and coins should not be cleaned | Dust and mud | A little oil | Inky fingers, sometimes |
Where to learn more
- 01Royal Canadian Mint: Coin careGloves, handling, cleaning and storage.
- 02NGC: Intro to coin collectingWays to collect, grades and the community.
- 03Wikipedia: Coin collectingHistory, collecting themes, grade and value.
Sources: Royal Canadian Mint: Coin care · NGC: Intro to coin collecting · Coin Supply Store: Whitman folders, magnifiers and holders · Wikipedia, Coin collecting; Mint mark; Obverse and reverse
Researched and written by the Fjords Team.