Neil S. Berman is an expert numismatist and professional rare coin dealer with over 50 years' experience. He's been published in Barron's, Trust and Estates, National Law Journal, The Financial Planner, Pension World, and Executive Jeweler. He has appraised coins for the United States Postal Service, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Introduction 1

Part 1: Making Heads and Tails out of Coin Collecting 5

Chapter 1: Welcome to the World of Coin Collecting 7

Chapter 2: Understanding Numismatics 15

Chapter 3: Arming Yourself with Knowledge 27

Chapter 4: Storing Your Collection Correctly 41

Part 2: Ancient to Present Day: Choosing Coins for Your Collection 59

Chapter 5: Showing Their True Age: Ancient Coins 61

Chapter 6: Making a Safe Bet with U.S. Coins 67

Chapter 7: Globetrotting with World Coins 71

Chapter 8: Exploring the Wild Side with Rare, Expensive, and Esoteric Coins 77

Part 3: Focusing on U.S. Coins 87

Chapter 9: Colonial Coins: America's Ancients 89

Chapter 10: Copper and Nickel Coins: Made for the Masses 105

Chapter 11: Silver Coins: Keeping Commerce Alive 127

Chapter 12: Gold Coins: Concentrated Wealth 159

Chapter 13: Commemoratives: Raising Money with Money 179

Chapter 14: Advancing to Oddball Coins 191

Part 4: Buying and Selling Coins the Safe Way 201

Chapter 15: Wheeling and Dealers 203

Chapter 16: Grading and Authenticity, Rarity, and the Establishment of Value 213

Chapter 17: Foiling the Fakes 229

Chapter 18: Grading with the Pros 247

Chapter 19: Selling Your Coins Yourself 257

Chapter 20: Going Once, Going Twice: Buying at Auction 271

Chapter 21: The Coin Auction Arena 283

Chapter 22: Coin Investments, Taxes, and the Law 293

Part 5: The Part of Tens 299

Chapter 23: The Ten Most Valuable U.S. Coins 301

Chapter 24: Ten Favorite U.S. Coin Designs 311

Chapter 25: Ten Ways to Get Your Kids Involved in Coin Collecting 317

Glossary 323

Index 331