Topic tag
Authentication
18 guides tagged Authentication. Click any to read the full guide, or jump to a related tag below.
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Value Guides1909-S VDB Lincoln Cent: Value, History, and How to Spot a Real One
Only 484,000 1909-S VDB Lincoln Cents were ever struck. Here is the full grade-by-grade value chart, the history behind the controversial designer initials, and the four checks that separate a real one from a counterfeit.
7 min read- Errors & Varieties
1955 Doubled Die Penny: Value, How to Spot It, and What It's Worth Today
The 1955 Doubled Die Obverse Lincoln Cent is the most famous doubled die in US numismatics. Catalog values, authentication checklist, and how it differs from machine doubling.
7 min read 
Beginner GuidesHow to Grade a Coin Without Sending It In: The Sheldon Scale Explained
Catalog values and authentication details — how to grade coins.
9 min read
IdentificationHow to Read Mint Marks on US Coins
Where to find the mint mark on every US denomination, what each letter means, and why a one-letter difference can multiply a coin's value tenfold.
6 min read- Errors & Varieties
1943 Bronze Penny: How to Tell a Real One from the 99% That Are Fake
The 1943 bronze cent is one of the most valuable US error coins ever struck — and one of the most counterfeited. The 5-second magnet test, the weight check, and what to actually do if you have a candidate.
8 min read - Identification
Toning vs Cleaning Damage on Silver Coins: How to Tell Them Apart
Catalog values, history, and authentication — coin toning.
7 min read - Identification
Coins Found Metal Detecting: How to Identify, Clean, and Value What You Dig Up
Detectorists pull more vintage US coins out of the ground every year than estate sales surface combined. Identification, conservation rules, and what dug coins are actually worth — written for collectors and detectorists alike.
9 min read 
Value Guides1916-D Mercury Dime: Value, History, and How to Spot a Real One
Only 264,000 1916-D Mercury Dimes were ever struck, making it the lowest-mintage Mercury and the key date of the entire series. Full grade-by-grade catalog values, history, and authentication tips.
7 min read- Identification
How to Spot a Counterfeit Coin: A Beginner's Authentication Guide
Catalog values and authentication details — fake coin detection.
8 min read - Beginner Guides
Why You Should Never Clean a Coin (and What to Do Instead)
Catalog values and authentication details — should i clean my coins.
6 min read - Identification
How to Use a Coin Loupe: 5x, 10x, and 16x Magnification Explained
Catalog values, history, and authentication — coin loupe.
6 min read - Errors & Varieties
Off-Center Strike Errors: How They Happen and What They're Worth
Catalog values, history, and authentication — off center coin error.
7 min read 
IdentificationPre-1965 Silver Coins: How to Tell What You Have and What It's Worth
Catalog values and authentication details — pre 1965 silver coins.
7 min read- Identification
Coin Variety Identification: RPMs, OMMs, Doubled Dies, and Overdates
Catalog values, history, and authentication — coin variety identification.
8 min read - Errors & Varieties
Repunched Mintmarks (RPM): The Hidden Variety on Common Coins
Catalog values, history, and authentication — repunched mintmark.
7 min read 
Errors & VarietiesClipped Planchet Errors: What They Are and What They're Worth
Catalog values, history, and authentication — clipped planchet error.
6 min read
Value Guides1916 Standing Liberty Quarter: Value, History, and Authentication
Catalog values, history, and authentication — 1916 standing liberty quarter value.
7 min read
Value GuidesSaint-Gaudens $20 Double Eagle: Value Guide and the 1933 Story
Catalog values, history, and authentication — saint gaudens double eagle.
9 min read