Hobbies And Interests
Wheat Pennies
Minted from 1909 to 1958, wheat pennies are the easiest collectible coin to find in American circulation. The obverse of the wheat penny is the same as any other Lincoln penny, but a picture of two stalks of wheat adorn the reverse of this coin. Although wheat pennies tend to be worth only a couple of cents apiece, they are relatively easy to find, and large collections of wheat pennies can be worth quite a bit of money. As with any coin, the older the date on the coin, the more it's generally worth.
Silver Coins
Any American dime, quarter or half-dollar minted in 1964 or before are 90-percent silver. After 1964, the silver content of dimes and quarters was completely removed, while the silver content of half-dollars was drastically cut. Half-dollars contained 21 percent silver until 1971. Because of the value of silver, these coins tend to be worth significantly more than their face value. Silver coinage is not as common as wheat pennies, but it if you make sure to check the date of every piece of coinage you come across, you will find a few of these precious coins. The better the condition of these coins, the more they will be worth.
Foreign Coins
Every now and then you will come across a piece of foreign coinage. Although these coins are generally not worth an awful lot, they are very interesting collector's pieces. Canadian coins are the easiest to come across in America, but it is not uncommon to find more exotic coins. If you find that you enjoy collecting foreign coins, you can purchase a foreign-coin price guide that will give you information about your collection.