1 Million Pennies Project: Key Information Websites

I encounter people everyday who are new to coin roll hunting, searching for errors, and identifying die varieties. I see photos of an unmistakably damaged coin owned by someone unable to judge if it is an error or if it spent 8 hours rolling around inside an unattended garbage disposal. Either they are not trying to do their homework or they don't know where to look to learn. It's time to change that.

The way the internet is used is changing. It used to be computers, now it's 2/3 cellphones. The way we store links is also changing to go along with the new technology. Rather than have to dig through a long list of bookmarks, just bookmark this article. I'll do my best to keep it updated. In the meantime, the most important sites will be listed here, ready when you need them.

Grading

PCGS Photograde

For US coins the process of determining the grade of your coins is as easy comparing what you have to the photos of they type of coin. If your coin is as well detailed as one grade shown but not as well detailed as the next better, your coin falls into the lower grade. This does not account for scratches, dings, excessive contact marks, damage, holes, or alterations which will dramatically affect value.

Value

What's it worth? To estimate value, you'll first need to estimate the grade.

Numismedia

I've found this site to be a fairly accurate representation of market values for US coins.

Die Varieties

Useful and abundant information on die varieties. Each offers advantages over the other. If you have a coin you suspect is a doubled die or has repunched mintmark you can compare your coin with known varieties.

Doubled Die .com

John Wexler has forgotten more about die varieties than I will ever learn. His site expands well past Lincoln Cents and offers a library of articles explaining in detail various aspect of the coins he has studied and that you are looking for. Offers attribution service.

Variety Vista

Variety Vista is the name of the website. It's common to refer to it as CONECA. Dr James Wiles operates the site as the home of the CONECA Master Listing of Die Varieties. Offers attribution service.

SAN Database

Using the Standard Attribution Nomenclature developed on this blog, this is an ongoing project to document all die varieties for all US coins with photos, notes, linked cross references.
*The next iteration of the database will become operational within a few weeks.

General Information

Error-Ref

Senior Editor: Mike Diamond.
If there is a starting point, start here. Learn what sorts of errors are out there and how they happen. This site is akin to drinking water from a firehose. The sheer volume of information at your fingertips is astounding. Site has an effective and easy to use search feature. Take the time to read the whole site. Its long, kinda dry, but theres much to learn. You'll be able to tell the difference between a mint error and post mint damage at a glance.

Numista

Numista is a participative catalog of world coins, kinda like a wiki for world coins. There's a lot of information already in place to help you identify your coin, with more information added by users all the time.

CONECA Online

The home page for CONECA. CONECA is an acronym for Combined Organizations of Numismatic Error Collectors of America. I'm a member. You can be too.

Cuds on Coins

Specializing on die chips, die breaks, and die cracks this site is continually developing. Updates are frequent. Readers are encouraged to submit their finds for attribution and gives the discoverer credit. This lets you make a direct contribution to the hobby. I've got a dime listed on the site.

Trail Dies

Site dedicated to a particular style of anomaly.

Maddieclashes.com

All things Die Clash.

1 Million Pennies Project

A developing site exploring the entrepreneurial side of coin collecting, die varieties, and gets into the How-To of identifying errors and varieties. Specializes in Lincoln Cents with a developing Lincoln Cent Die Variety Cheat Sheet. Offers an Inspection Service and preparing to establish an attribution service for errors and die varieties.

USACoinBook

Lots of information available for weights, measures, designer, mintage, some variety identification and a value guide (that needs to be taken with a grain of salt).