It Makes Good Cents to subscribe to Coins Magazine

Coins Magazine

If you are interested in numismatics (coin collecting) you have probably heard of Coins magazine, a long standing publication in the field.

A Krause publication, Coins has a solid reputation for good information regarding collectible US coins - how to identify, grade, preserve, display, and perhaps most importantly what are the current prices.

Each month the magazine has its standard departments - regularly appearing columns by staff members that frame the issue including - Basics and Beyond, Budget Buyer, Coin Clinic, Coin Finds, Coin Tales, Editor's Letter, Market Watch, Numismatic Mysteries, Paper Profiles, Pics and Stats, and Tip Tray. These departments are educational and inform both the beginner and expert in the arcana associated with coin collecting.

In addition to the usual departments, Coins features many articles on specific coin subjects each monthly issue. A recent issue contained articles like the following:

o Seated Half Dime Deals
o Southern Gold
o Collecting Shield Nickels
o The Nation's First Five-Cent Piece
o Branch Mint Happenings
o The Indian Head Cent
o Schlag Reveals His Nickel
o Collecting Halves by Type

and more -

Each of the articles is well researched and written and leads the numismatist into better understanding of the various areas of coin collecting. Each type of coin has its unique distribution and as you learn about it you will learn why some coin designs were long-lived while others disappeared quite quickly. Each coin series also has a few key dates that have exceptional value above its kin, and you will be able to learn and keep abreast of these differences, too.

If you are not too familiar with US coinage, you will marvel at the variety of coins the US has minted since it began operations in the late 1700s. Although many coins are quite plain in design, a few have been bona fide works of art.

Particularly beautiful in my view are the 20th Century Walking Liberty Half Dollar; the Standing Liberty Quarter Dollar; the Winged Headed Liberty Dime; and the Buffalo Nickel. Most of these coins wore very badly due to the high relief of the images they were stamped with. Then the silver coins disappeared from circulation when the 1965 silver coins were made of clad copper.

Coins Magazine is copiously illustrated with clear black and white photos that point out the features that the articles emphasize making the reader more knowledgeable than he could be by years of poring over old coin manuals.

Like all Krause publications, Coins is kept fully up to date and also is available in an online edition to keep the sometimes volatile coin prices up to the minute.

The cover price is $4.00 ($48.00 per year) or you can subscribe for around $25.00, saving about 41% over the newstand price.