Foreign Coin Identification and Values

Identifying foreign and old coins is a difficult job and it requires us to check the coins based on various parameters such as language, metals, date, color, etc. Determining the value of old coins is even more difficult. For those who are interested in collecting coins, the knowledge of coin identification should prove to be of great help. Different parameters used for coin identification are discussed in this article.

Foreign Coin Identification
The foreign coins can be identified by examining the following characteristics. Various catalogs and conversion tables help us carry out the identification of coins. Identifying the country in which the given coin was made, is the first step before we get into further details.

Language
Most of the countries use their native language for inscribing on the coins. However, popular languages such as English are used by many countries for inscribing on their coins. Canadian, Australian, American, Indian and coins from New Zealand are inscribed with letters from English language. Interestingly, most of the British or English coins are inscribed in Latin. European countries such as Germany, France, Austria, Hungary, Netherlands, Italy and South American countries like Mexico and Peru also make use of Latin. Coins from Belgium and Canada use the French language, while Portuguese inscriptions are found on coins from Brazil.

Date
It always proves to be useful to identify the numerals used in dates of foreign coins manually; however, if it is not possible, conversion charts can be used for the same. The 'Krause catalogs' are known for providing accurate information about numerals from eastern languages and their conversion into western systems.

Color and Metals
It is easy to identify coins made from gold, copper or silver. Gold and silver coins possess golden and silver colors respectively, while the copper coins have a reddish tone. However, problems arise when one has to identify coins made of brass. The brass coins don't have a hue that is as rich and warm as gold coins. This requires experience for distinguishing the coins correctly. Most of today's yellow coins are made from the nickel-brass combination; the silvery-looking coins use the cupro-nickel combination.

Lettering and Alphabets
The alphabet and lettering of western style are easy to understand and one can easily identify foreign coins like the ancient Greek and Chinese. However, to identify coins with various other scripts, catalogs like the 'Krause' can be used. One can find lettering from Cyrillic, Hebrew, Greek, Chinese and many Indian languages in this catalog.

Foreign Coin Values
Coin values are influenced by many factors including their rarity, grade and demand. Let us understand how these factors affect or influence the value of coins.

Grade
The most important parameter used in determining the grade of a coin is the condition in which it is maintained. There are many differing opinions about how to determine the grade of a coin. However, parameters such as types, origin, date and denomination can successfully be applied in this task. Grading is primarily carried out by checking whether the coin is used (circulated) or is still in mint state. Used coins are marked with scratches that result from handling. Fullness of strike and the quality of luster also are taken into account for grading the coins.

Rarity
The rarity of a coin doesn't necessarily translate into how valuable it is. In fact, many old coins found in China are not considered valuable due to the large number in which they are produced. Coins of olden times with very few specimens left today can fetch a greater price.

Demand
The 'demand' factor is considered to have more significance over rarity and grade. This is because some coins are in demand even if they are found in greater numbers; rare coins are also in demand because of the interest shown by collectors. The 1916-D coins are considered more valuable than 1798-D coins because the former are in great demand.

The above mentioned information helps in coin identification and also in determining their value. The coins that are in a good condition and rare enough, would always fetch good returns. Foreign coin identification is an interesting as well as a challenging activity, which helps determine their right value.