Frequently Asked Questions

Welcome to the FAQ page. One of the main goals of the Central Florida Coin Club is to promote the hobby of numismatics to a wider audience. We therefore have set up an FAQ to help answer the public's questions quicker than via email. If your question is still not addressed, please feel free to email us.

• Will you buy/sell/trade coins?
  No. Sorry. As an organization, the CFCC does not buy, sell, or trade coins with anyone. If you wish to buy or sell coins, please visit a local dealer, coin show, or attend a coin club meeting where members will most likely want to buy or sell too.



• Can you identify my coin for me?
  Again, we are sorry to say that because of high security risks of opening attached pictures and inadequate descriptions of coins from most of the inquiries at this website, we generally cannot help you. Because of this, we have constructed a "Coin Glossary" of most American coins (Official Issues), which can be accessed here.



• Can you appraise my collection?
  To appraise a collection, a numismatist must see the coins in person to judge grade (condition of preservation) and value of each specimen.



• Can you recommend an honest coin dealer to me?
  We would like to, but we must be neutral. As a general rule, if the dealer is highly involved in local, regional, and national coin clubs they are as honest as a coin dealer gets. We have not encountered many horrible crooks in the hobby, but one must understand that a dealer must offer a price on a coin that allows them to sell "at market" or lower for a profit. This means that you should not be offended if a dealer offers you $125-$135 for a $140-$150 coin. Remember two things when selling to a dealer: 1) The seller has the power to refuse and shop around. 2) Knowledge is the deciding factor between a fair deal and getting ripped off (research your coins a little).



• What do you recommend someone uses to research the value of their collection?
  "The Red Book," a nickname for "A Guide Book of United States Coins" by R.S. Yeoman is a very good source of information for the investor, collector, or the person who just inheirited a coin collection from someone. It contains general attribution and grading standards to help everyone put a price on their coins.



• How do I ensure that a coin is genuine, accurately graded, or both?
  If you are getting a little more serious about collecting or investing in coins, an assurance that the coins are real and accurately graded is very important to avoid being the victim of fraud. To ensure this does not happen, it is recommended that you educate yourself and/or buy encapsulated ("slabbed") coins or submit your coin to a service that will encapsulate your "raw" coins. The most reputatable Grading and Authentication services are (in alpha-order): ANACS, Numismatic Guaranty Corp. (NGC), and Professional Coin Grading Services (PCGS). ANACS will accept direct submissions from all collectors, whereas NGC and PCGS only accept coins from associate members and authorized dealers. Links to all three companies are listed on the Links page.



• How do I improve my Numismatic Education?
  Simply put, involvement is the best way to learn more. You can attend local and regional coin club meetings, where there will generally be several educational forums throughout the year. To gain quite possibly the best education in the hobby, consider joining the American Numismatic Association and attending their "Summer Seminars," which are held in Colorado Springs and draw together the greatest minds of the hobby. More information is available at the link above.