One of the best ways to get involved with coin collecting is to start with one dollar coins. They are generally easy to start collecting, and generally have a good value. But the question is where to start. There are several varieties of the one dollar coin to choose from. Let’s look at a few of the more common coins, which are great coins to begin with.
As of now, the U.S. is minting the Sacagawea Dollar coin, which is being used in circulation. While the dollar coin isn’t a very popular coin for normal every day use, this is a fine coin for collecting. They were first minted in 2000 and there are four variations of the coin, each with the same face, but with different reverse side art. Many collectors collect these coins for the shear joy of collecting them. They are beautiful gold colored coins, but contain no actual gold.
The next popular coin to collect is one that hasn’t been minted since 1999, the Susan B. Anthony. These coins were actually a large failure with the general populace. They were put into circulation, but most people ignored them. Collectors clamored for them though, and many collectors have a full series of them. The coin was actually round, but the way it was designed, it has the appearence of having 12 sides. The Susan B. Anthony is a fine coin to collect and the coins are readily available at specialty coin shops. Maybe you even have some friends that have a few that you could buy off of them.
Perhaps the best coin to start with is the silver eagle dollar coin. It has several variations, both in circulated and uncirculated mintings. The circulated coins are legal tender, but rarely ever see the inside of a cash register. The uncirculated proof mintings were designed for collectors only, and have a beautiful mirror polished finish. All variations contain one troy ounce of silver, which makes them very popular not only with coin collectors, but with investors of precious metals as well. They are found at coin dealers who are authorized to sell them to the public.
There are other, harder to find dollars, but the three above is a great place to start. No matter which dollar coin you start collecting, most collectors will tell you to pick one series, and try to get one coin from each year. Once you have accomplished that, you can begin to find the harder coins in your series. Say you pick the Silver Eagle, simply choose the circulated version of the coin to start with, and collect one coin from each year. Once you have that, you can begine to search for the uncirculated versions.
Once you have your collection started, you will want to pick up some coin collecting supplies to keep your collection in the best shape possible. Just find a coin dealer and pick up some coin protectors and a magnifying glass. A good coin shop can help you decide on what you need.