One of the first ever types of currency, would probably be the silver coin. Produced by the ancient Greeks and Persians, they were in use as long ago as 600 BC. The silver gold coin was also around at this time, but was just a crude mixture of the two.

Because silver could be melted down, and had a relatively high value to weight ratio, it was ideal for coinage. It was also extremely tough and long lasting, and only really fell out of favor when paper money became standardized and easier to make. With the price of gold being so high these days, many people are choosing to collect or invest in silver coins instead, and they’re back in favor.

The value of a silver coins is dependant on many factors. These include the age and rarity, the percentage of silver, and the general quality. As a commodity, the coins are also affected by the price of silver itself, which tends to affect the prices of the cheaper ones much more than the expensive ones.

Oddly enough, when the manufacture of coin silver dollars started in 1794, they didn’t always contain silver. Any coin worth a dollar, and made from white metal, earned the name. Not surprisingly, idealists prefer them to contain some actual silver!

An assortment of commemorative coins are minted by the US. These can only be bought privately by collectors. Named ’rounds’, instead of coins, they are a standard weight and size, and aren’t made to be used as actual currency.

Depending on whether you simply want the coins for their general value, or if you actually want to start and maintain a collection, investment can be done in two different ways. Silver ’rounds’ are one way of investing in silver. All the coins are the same weight, and same purity level. Value depends mainly on what the stock markets are doing, but they’ll all be worth the same

Secondly, you can build up your own unique collection, by choosing a favorite country or era. Enjoy finding out about each coin, their individual prices, and worth, and try to collect sets, which can obviously demand a much higher price. As with antiques, certain trends will affect the value of a collection. Their country of origin, and the quality of raw ingredients will obviously have an effect, and you could soon be totally absorbed in your new hobby.

Unfortunately, there are counterfeit versions of both available. At least the bullion ’rounds’ only have a certain value though. A collectible silver coin can be worth an awful lot more.

Eric McMillan is an ex real estate guy, who markets online and is a coin collecting fanatic. Visit his site for more information on the history and value of silver coin. While you’re there, grab your complimentary copy of his Guide to Gold and Silver Coins.

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In popular literature, we are led to believe that trading in gold and silver only happen when these metals are shaped into bars and ingots, but we forget about gold and silver eagle coins. While it is true that majority the world’s gold and silver are traded as bars, trade in investment of precious metals using a smaller form factor called bullion coins are gaining popularity. In the United States, silver eagle coins are the most common form of coinage for this commodity.

A silver eagle coin only comes in one size and that is the size that contains at least one troy ounce of silver. With up to 99.9 percent of silver in its content as guaranteed by the United States Mint, the value of one of these coins is only a US dollar. It was in November of 1986 that this particular coin was released to the public weighing roughly 31 grams, and with dimensions of almost 3 millimeters in thickness and 40.6 millimeters in diameter.

The silver eagle coins have two faces which are referred to as the revers and the obverse sides, or as we commonly know as, the tail and the head. Of the mints in the US, only three actually create the American silver eagle coin, namely, the mints in San Francisco, Philadelphia, and West Point.

The obverse face of the silver coins has the well known ‘Walking Liberty’ icon that was designed by Adolph Weinman in 1916. Even with the phasing out of the silver coin, the design was so popular that the US Mint continued to print the design on today’s silver coins. The reverse face of the coin is 13 stars with the heraldic eagle which was designed in 1986 by John Mercanti. Today, the reverse face shows the seal of the US in a different variation.

Then Secretary of the Treasury James Baker was present in the San Francisco Mint when the first silver American eagle coin was struck in 1986. While the silver eagle coin is legal tender, the West Point mint manufactures bullion silver coins and is distinguishable by the absence of mint marks.

One way to distinguish where silver coins were made is to look for a letter printed on the coin to indicate where they were manufactured. The marks “S”, “P”, and “W” will show the serious coin collector that the coins were made in either San Francisco, Philadelphia, or West Point Mint, respectively.

Today, silver coins are in such high demand that the government has had to make a distribution program to control its allocation within the US. Rationing has been done weekly in terms of the distribution of silver eagle coins as a means to counter inflation due to the the downturn that the economy is taking.

Eric McMillan is an ex real estate guy, who markets online and is a coin collecting fanatic. Visit his site for more information on the history and value of silver eagle coins. While you’re there, grab your free copy of his Guide to Gold and Silver Coins.

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Beginning a silver coin collection is a great hobby that you’ll quickly find yourself addicted to. There are several different coins which can be collected so it is a good idea to select something like silver coins to focus on when you’re just getting started. This will avoid you from getting overwhelmed.

When individuals consider silver coins it is simple to assume that this includes all nickels, dimes, quarters, half dollars, and dollars. They are all silver in appearance therefore it is not difficult to imagine why persons would consider them in that way. In fact, several coins are not really silver at all. In reality, most of the coins that are made nowadays do not even contain any silver as it costs too much money to produce each coin.

In order to determine the kinds of silver coins for your collection which are available you will need to do some research first. Spend some time to know the several types of coins that are out there and learn the details connected with each one. Realize the levels of grading that are associated with each coin to assist you have a better knowledge of the overall value that each coin has.

Various Kinds of Silver Coins You Can Collect

Half dollars are good silver coins to collect. The United States Mint began creating this coin way back in 1794 which were then called the Flowing Hair Half Dollars. Several different varieties of the half dollar were minted between 1794 and 1964. During this time period, these coins were made from 90 per cent silver.

Many people will find that collecting the earliest half dollars will not be a simple job. Coins from the 1700s and 1800s could be pretty worn out which decreases their value. Another popular silver coin to collect is dollar. Just like the half dollar, production of the silver dollar started in 1794. You can find a variety of various versions of the dollar and up until 1971 they were made with a large amount of silver in them.

When the United States Mint began making the Eisenhower Dollar in 1971, they stopped using silver as its key ingredient. There were a couple of years where the mint made special versions of this dollar but they were limited in release and aimed particularly towards silver coin collectors.

When it comes to coin collecting, it is a good idea to get helpful tool such as coin counter machine to keep track of your coins. You can also find preformed coin wrappers that you can use to wrap your coins.

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