Home >> Collecting >> Coin Collecting

How to Identify Valuable Coins & Currency

Old and special coins and currency can be worth significantly more than their face value. In order to become a serious collector --- or simply to get full value when selling a valuable coin or piece of currency --- you have to be able to accurately identify the coins and paper currency that you have. In most cases it is possible to determine the type of coin or paper money by carefully inspecting the writing on the currency.

Things You'll Need

Currency price guide

Instructions

- 1
  Search the coin or currency for a marking denoting the piece's country of origin. Most types of money have this information on one of the faces.
- 2
  Determine the face value of the currency. Like the country of origin, the denomination is generally clearly on one of the faces of the currency.
- 3
  Locate the year on the piece of currency. This, along with the overall condition of the piece, is often the most important factor in determining the worth of a piece of currency.
- 4
  Purchase the proper type of currency price guide for the pieces that you have. Price guides are generally specialized according to country of origin and type of currency (coin or paper money). Good price guides have pictures of the currency that can help you further identify the currency.
- 5
  Look up the types of currency that you have in the guide. This will reinforce the fact that you have properly identified the currency as well as tell you what it is worth.

Coin Collecting