• Decide on Popular Types of United States Coins

• Understand US Coin Terms

• Evaluate Mintmarks on US Coins

• Find US Coins on eBay

• Buy US Coins With Confidence

Decide on Popular Types of United States Coins

Decide on Popular Types of United States Coins

US coins attract buyers who want to invest for the future and learn about the past. You may find US coins valuable enough to require Brinks delivery or common enough to send through the mail.

• US dollars: US dollars, the most popular type of US coin to collect, make up some of the world’s most valuable coins. Consider adding a rare Morgan dollar, 1802 wide date Draped Bust dollar, 1795 Flowing Hair silver dollar, or an estate collection of Peace dollars to your coin collection. You'll find US dollars in the following categories on eBay: Early Dollars (1794-1804), Seated Liberty (1840-73), Trade Dollars (1873-85), Morgan (1878-1921), Peace (1921-35), Eisenhower (1971-78), Susan B Anthony (1979-81,99), Sacagawea (2000-Now), and Other.

• US quarters: When collecting US quarters, young collectors often begin with 50 state quarters before moving on to other popular 25-cent pieces. Consider 50 state quarter proof sets or a 1932 silver Washington head quarter. You could also find a 1916 Standing Liberty or fine 1854 Seated Liberty. You'll find US quarters in the following categories on eBay: Bust (1796-1838), Seated Liberty (1838-91), Barber (1892-1916), Standing Liberty (1916-30), Washington (1932-98), State Quarters (1999-Now), and Other.

• Halves: Liberty Walking halves make up the largest selection of half dollars on eBay, followed closely by Kennedy halves and then Franklin halves. You may want to consider adding a beautiful 1916 Liberty Walking half, bag of 1964 Kennedy halves, 1957 Wayte Raymond rainbow Franklin, or 1903 Barber half to your US coin collection. You'll find US halves in the following categories on eBay: Early Halves (1794-1839), Seated Liberty (1839-91), Barber (1892-1915), Liberty Walking (1916-47), Franklin (1948-63), Kennedy (1964-Now), and Other.

• Small cents: In small cents, the Lincoln wheat penny dominates, followed by Indian Head pennies. When searching, you may even locate a rare red 1880 Indian Head cent, key date 1955 double die Lincoln penny, 1856 Flying Eagle cent, or 1837 Feuchtwanger cent. You'll find US small cents in the following categories on eBay: Flying Eagle (1856-58), Indian Head (1859-1909), Lincoln Wheat (1909-1958), Lincoln Memorial (1959-Now), and Other.

• US nickels: When looking at listings for US nickels, you’ll find the widest selection of Jefferson nickels, with buffalo nickels next in popularity. Look for a valuable complete collection of Jefferson nickels, a 1954 Full Steps Jefferson, or work by buffalo nickel sculptor James Earle Fraser. You might even locate a 1918-S buffalo nickel, a rare error, three-legged 1937 buffalo nickel, or an 1869 Pattern nickel proof. You'll find US nickels in the following categories on eBay: Shield (1866-83), Liberty (1883-1913), Buffalo (1913-38), Jefferson (1938-Now), and Other.

Pick out US coins for special occasions

US coins can make a thoughtful gift to mark special occasions such as births, weddings, anniversaries, graduations, and birthdays.

• US coin birthday gift ideas: Find US coins issued in a collector's birth year.

• US coin anniversary gift ideas: Look for a variety of US coins from the couple’s wedding year.

• Start someone's US coin collection: To introduce someone to the “hobby of kings,” select a US coin that matches their interests. For example, choose coins that depict presidents or other political figures, birds, animals, or the Olympics. Start a collection for a child with a batch of state quarters and a coin album.

To determine how much you should pay for US coins, search Completed Listings to find out what similar items sold for on eBay in the past 14 days.

Understand US Coin Terms

Understand US Coin Terms

Sellers use a variety of terms to describe coins and other numismatic items on eBay. Common descriptions in the Coins category include:

• Brilliant coins: Brilliant US coins have no tarnish or oxidization.

• BU rolls: BU rolls are wrapped coins, usually enclosed in paper.

• Double Eagle coins: Double Eagle coins are US gold coins with a $20 face value, issued between 1850 and 1932.

• Eagle coins: Eagle coins are coins with a face value of $10.

• Error: Error coins unintentionally vary from the norm.

• Flowing Hair: Flowing Hair coins feature mint engraver Robert Scot’s Miss Liberty design with long, flowing hair.

• Full strike: Full-strike US coins have full detail created by metal flowing into all areas of a die.

• Large date or large letters: Sellers may describe the size of letters or numbers on a coin. Large date coins or large letter coins have larger dates or lettering and the terms imply that medium or small numbers/letters exist for the coin or series.

• Proofs: Proofs are brilliant coins with a mirror-like surface.

• Slabbed coins: Slabbed coins have been encapsulated in a sonically sealed plastic holder by a grading service.

• Uncirculated: Uncirculated US coins were never circulated as currency. Also refers to a coin without wear.

• Walker: A Walking Liberty half-dollar.

• Wear: Erosion of metal, normally from the highest points of a scene.

Common abbreviations in the Coins category include:

• AG: About Good

• AU: About Uncirculated or Almost Uncirculated

• BU: Brilliant Uncirculated

• CAM: Cameo

• CCE: Certified Coin Exchange

• COA: Certificate of Authenticity

• DCAM: Deep Cameo

• DMPL: Deep Mirror Proof-like

• EF: Extremely Fine or Extra Fine

• FR: Fair

• FS: Full Steps (describes Jefferson nickel with 5 1/2 or 6 steps of Monticello)

• LD: Large Date

• LL: Large Letters

• LOA: Letter of Authenticity

• NGC: Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (a leading grading service)

• NNC: National Numismatic Certification

• NR: No Reserve (seller has not set a minimum price for sale)

• PCGS: Professional Coin Grading Service (a leading grading service)

• PR: Proof

• UNC: Uncirculated

• SD: Small Date

• SL: Small Letters

• WD: Wide Date

• XF: Extra Fine

For a list of other popular coin terms, visit the Coins Buying Guide and eBay's Popular Items - Coins page.

Evaluate Mintmarks on US Coins

Evaluate Mintmarks on US Coins

Each US mint uses a particular letter or mark, called a mintmark, to indicate that it manufactured a coin. The presence or absence of a mintmark can greatly affect the value of a US coin. Look for the following mintmarks on US coins:

* Although the Philadelphia mint has been operating continuously since 1793, most Philadelphia coins do not have a mintmark.

Find US Coins on eBay

Find US Coins on eBay

Once you know what type of US coins you want to collect, go to the Coins category portal, click US Coins, and start searching for items on eBay.

• Categories: The Categories list on the left side of each page will help you narrow listings by item type. Initially you'll find links for Half Cents, Small Cents, Large Cents, 2, 3 & 20 Cents, Nickels, Half Dimes, Dimes, Quarters, Halves, Dollars, Collections, Lots, Colonial, Commemorative, Errors, Gold, Mint Sets, Proof Sets, Rolls, and Other US Coins. Subsequent Categories lists allow you to narrow listings further by subcategory.

• Keyword search: Search eBay listing titles for specific words. For example, if you want to find a 1905 gold $5 Liberty Head Half Eagle coin, type "1905 $5 Liberty" (without quotation marks) into the Search box. Click "Search title and description" to expand your results. Remember to use a "+" between consecutive words in a keyword phrase. After conducting your initial search, try misspelling the name of the item you desire and use several variations. You'll likely come across additional listings. Visit eBay's Search Commands page for more tips on searching with keywords.

• Advanced search: eBay's Advanced Search feature allows you to conduct a more precise search and gives you the option to search by seller, buyer, or store. You can also narrow results to "All of these words," "Any of these words," or "Exact phrase." Search All Categories to find specific US coin listings in multiple categories on eBay, including Coins, Collectibles, Jewelry & Watches, and Books.

If you can't find exactly what you want, try shopping eBay Stores, tell the eBay Community what you want by creating a post on Want It Now, or save a search on My eBay and eBay will email you when a match becomes available.

Buy US Coins With Confidence

Buy US Coins With Confidence

Before making your purchase, make sure you know exactly what you're buying, research your seller, and understand how eBay and PayPal protect you.

Know your purchase

Carefully read the details in item listings.

• Figure delivery costs into your final price. If you spend a lot of money, make sure the seller will insure the item when it ships.

• If you want more information, ask by clicking the "Ask seller a question" link under the seller's profile.

• Always make sure to complete your transaction on eBay (with a bid, Buy It Now, or Best Offer). Transactions conducted outside of eBay are not covered by eBay protection programs.

• Never pay for your eBay item using instant cash wire transfer services through Western Union or MoneyGram. These payment methods are unsafe when paying someone you do not know.

Know your seller

Research your seller so you feel positive and secure about every transaction.

• What is the seller's Feedback rating? How many transactions have they completed? What percentage of positive responses do they have?

• What do buyers say in their Feedback? Did the seller receive praise?

• Most top eBay sellers operate like retail stores and have return policies. Do they offer a money-back guarantee? What are the terms and conditions?

Buyer protection

In the unlikely event that a problem arises during your transaction, eBay and PayPal are there for you.

• Pay safely with PayPal: PayPal enables you to pay without the seller ever seeing your bank account or credit card numbers. In fact, PayPal protects buyers 100% against unauthorized payments from their accounts. Plus, with PayPal Buyer Protection, your purchase can be covered up to $1,000.

• eBay Security & Resolution Center: Visit the Security & Resolution Center to learn how to protect your account and use eBay's quick and efficient resolution tools.