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Currency
American Numismatic Association - The American Numismatic Association -- a nonprofit, educational organization chartered by Congress -- is dedicated to the collection and study of coins, paper money, tokens and medals, and was created for the benefit of its members and the numismatic community.
Bank Note Reporter by Krause Publications - Recognized as the finest publication for paper money collectors. Contains news on market trends and historical features on paper money worldwide, with an emphasis on U.S. issues.
Bullion Coin Collectors Site - This site is designed for the few people out there that collect bullion coins, rather than invest in them. These beautiful coins (most made of gold or platinum) are collected for their beauty, scarcity, and value.
Bureau of Engraving and Printing - Click directly into the Kid's Area to find out how the U.S. government prints its currency. The resources are divided into two sections: ages 5 to 8 or 9 to 13. In the section for younger kids, a friendly clown named Bucky escorts you around the carnival fair (click on the tent). Learn about various new security features on bills of different denominations. Try to memorize whose portrait is on which bill, and then move into the arcade (click on Play Games). I think these games are too difficult for young kids to play alone; even adults will have a hard time if they didn't pay attention back in the tutorial section. While everyone knows that a National Football League dollar is bogus, not everyone is aware that the new $5 bill is the only one without color-shifting ink. A slightly easier game in this section is a puzzle called Build a Buck. Can you put everything back together? I tried the section aimed at 9-13 as well. It's based on a space station metaphor. The games are similar but I liked the presentation better. Once you've mastered the challenges, go back to the "little kids arcade" and try the Funny Money game. Just throw a fruit every time a counterfeit bill goes by. You'll have to be quick to shine black light on the bill (see the security strip) and white light (to see the watermark).
Coin Collecting FAQ Part 1 - Have you already put together a nice collection of coins, or did you just stumble onto a few old ones in your change? Not really sure what to do with them? Roll on over to this page and get some of the more basic coin collecting questions answered. "How can I determine what a coin is really worth?" and "How can I sell my coins?" are two questions that are answered here, clearly and with logic and detail.
Coin World Online - Information Vault - Whether you're a beginner or a pro at collecting coins, Coin World will have something of interest. There is a history of the U.S. Mint, including information on coin goofs and mint errors. Sometimes coins are struck in the wrong metal, and other times they are struck twice ( double die ) with the second strike slightly offset. These rarities can be worth a lot of money! Check this site to find out what to look for; then ask Mom if you can look through her pocket change. This site also offers some coin-related trivia games and crossword puzzles. New this year is a section called State Quarters. If you're the first to find a new one, you can get your name listed at this site.
CollectPaperMoney.com - Most people like money. Most people like to spend money. Some people also like to collect it. At this site you can learn a lot about paper currency and what to look for when you begin a collection. Large denomination (that means how much the bill is worth) bills often have a watermark. That's a mysterious little pattern or portrait seen only when the currency is held up to the light. Lots of bills have a picture of someone famous on them, as well as a long serial number for identification. But in various countries there may be many other interesting components in a bill--bar codes, the name of the printer, or colorful threads. Stop here and learn it all.
National Numismatic Collection of the Smithsonian Institution - One of the largest numismatic collections in the world. Located in the National Museum of American History, the NNC includes approximately one million objects--more than 400,000 coins and some 550,000 pieces of paper money.
One-Minute Coin Expert - Scott Travers has excerpted one entire chapter from his popular book, One Minute Coin Expert , on this site. He answers many frequently asked questions from both beginner and experienced coin collectors. Most of these questions are based on ones he has often been asked on radio and television programs. The information posted here is solid and useful, and of course it is designed to entice you to buy the book and get the rest of what you need to become a "one-minute coin expert" yourself. One of the tips he recommends for kids is that they join the Young Numismatist coin collecting club (it's free). Send a postcard with your name, address, age, and telephone number to Lawrence J. Gentile, Sr., 542 Webster Avenue, New Rochelle, NY 10805. His program for kids includes "free seminars, free coins, free books, and a wealth of information that youngsters find helpful."
Ron Wise's World Paper Money Homepage - Enjoy over 4,000 scans of paper currency from all over the world. Just click on the area you want to see, and then choose the country you want from there. There's a list of various denominations you can select. Do look into the souvenir "Antarctican dollars."
Stein Rorvik's ancient coin page - Collectors site dedicated to ancient coins with some coins for sale and lots of resource information.
United States Mint H.I.P. Pocket Change Web Site - Meanwhile, who is minding the U.S. Mint? You'll see it's in good hands as you explore this site. Learn how coins are made and then check out the new "golden" dollar coin and the 50 state quarters. If you click into the Kids' area, called H.I.P Pocket Change, you can color the state quarters and play other coin-related games.
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