How To Invest In Silver With Six Easy Steps

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Silvers seems to always come in second to gold when considering precious metals. However, silver can be a quality option for individuals who are looking to invest in precious metals and want an option that will provide permanence and stability. There are several ways to invest in silver, with each option offering a level of risk and reward. Follow the six steps below to begin your investment and hopefully see a solid return on your silver purchases.

 
Make the Decision to Invest
To begin, you have to make the decision to invest. Learn as much as you can about silver. Silver has a value based on troy ounce which has ranged in inflation adjusted price from $4 to $106. This means and investment can pay off handsomely or you could lose money depending on when you sell, like all investments. The perspective of risk, silver is a good investment. Silver has practical uses as well as has a value that can increase, as the metal remains in demand.

 
Diversify Your Investment
Whenever you ask an investor for advice, they will say that it is wise to diversify your portfolio. The same is true for silver investing. Spread your money in different areas of silver to have the potential to see a larger gain. This could mean investing in junk silver, silver bullion, silver coins, etc.

 
Consider the Purchase Type
Once you are ready to purchase, you will want to decide on the type of silver purchase you will make. Will you invest in stock of silver or purchase the actual item? Will you keep silver bullion on hands, be it silver coins or bars, to place in a safe deposit box for safe keeping? Many individuals like to have the actual item on hand to be able to feel secure about the investment. The only downside is you will have to have space for the silver and provide protection.

 
Silver Bars

One option for purchase is silver bars. A silver bar will be 99.9% pure silver and be a cost effective way to invest in the precious metal. The bars come in varying weights and shapes. You may find bars hard to come by. In most cases, a bullion dealer or bank will have the option to purchase. Be sure to work with reputable individuals only for a quality investment.

 

Silver Coins

As far as options go, silver coins provide more variety than bars. Coins are easily transported and are a convenient way to begin a silver investment. However, coins can have a higher markup price which means you may pay more to get started. You also have the option of collecting silver collectible coins which can provide you with more value. In the instance of coins, it is best to decide if you want to invest in the silver aspect or a mix of silver with collectible features to add more value.

 
Choosing When to Sell

Part of investing is selling. When you have a silver collection, be it collectible coins or silver based, it is important to know when to sell. You want to get the most money for your items and a coin company can help you do this. Work with Colonial Acres Coins to be able to get the most money for your silver, including coin values, the price of silver, etc. Colonial Acres has the know-how to get you on the right track for investing as well as starting a silver coin collection.

Coins That Feature Popular Monarchs

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Coins have long been a popular form of currency. Around the world, there are coins that have been minted based on different aspects from landscape, animals, people and more. Coins in Canada include the likeness or the effigy of the reigning monarch since the coins were first produced by the Royal Canadian Mint. Through the years, monarchs have been featured as they have reigned in the country. Below are the examples of coins created based on reigning monarchs of Canada.

1902-1910
From the years 1902 to 1910, Edward VII was the reigning leader, the great grandfather of Queen Elizabeth II. This coin showed the profile of Edward VII with an inscription in Latin which reads Edward VII, by the grace of God, the King and Emperor when read in English.

1911 to 1936
The monarch featured from this time frame is George V who is the grandfather of Queen Elizabeth II. This coin features a profile facing left of George V with a Latin inscription which reads similarly to the coin before with the wording George V, by the grace of God, the King and Emperor of India. This coin is consider ‘Godless’ with the exclusion of DEI GRA in the Latin inscription.

1937 to 1952
For a longer time frame, the George VI coin is a representation of Queen Elizabeth II’s father. This silver coins creation was a simple representation of George VI with a left profile.

1953 to 1964
Starting in 1953, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II first appeared on the Canadian currency. She was only 27 years old at the time. The effigy used in this coin was kept in place until 1964. The Latin inscription on this coin reads Elizabeth II, by the grace of God, the Queen.

1965 to 1989
The first time the effigy of the Queen Elizabeth coin was to change was in 1965. This coin has a different image of the queen used with a shortened form of the Latin description found in the previous coin.

1990 to 2002
By 1990, the coin depicting Queen Elizabeth II was revamped with a new image, showing her at 64 years of age. Designed by Dora de Pedery-Hunt, the coin maintained the same inscription from the previous coin.

2003 to Present Day
The current coin that uses Queen Elizabeth II image was first created in 2003. The coin was designed by Susanna Blunt and was designed based on the George VI effigy which did not include a crown.

These coins are nice additions to have in any coin collection. Whether you choose to collect coins from Canada or enjoy having royal coins in your collection, any of these coins will add value to your collection. Coin values vary based on which coins you own, the condition of the coin, rating and more factors.

Inexperienced coin collectors will find information on monarch coins as well as other categories via Colonial Acres Coins. The Colonial Acres site is a good resource for finding information on particular coins as well as learning how to begin a coin collection. Visit the Colonial Acres website today to learn about coin collecting.

Ten Interesting Things You Need To Know About Coins From Other Parts Of The World

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For hundreds, if not thousands of years, coins have been used as a common form of currency. Coins were considered to be an easy way to be able to purchase goods in a community, as the small coins were easy to carry. Most every country has some form of coins that are used still today in regards to currency. Coin collectors like to add unique coins from varying countries to have an interesting and hopefully valuable collection. The history of coins is quite colorful and there are many interesting facts available when it comes to coins across the globe. Read on to see the many differences between coin values and other characteristics when considering coins from across the globe.

1. The first coins were minted, which means made, around 2,500 years ago. Coins have long been used around the world as a way to pay for items needed such as food and shelter.

2. A British pound was originally created based on the actual weight of the coin. A British pound was equal to a pound of silver in weight. This made the coin quite heavy in the very beginning for individuals to use a currency.

3. Australian currency used to be one and two cent coins. Such coins were removed from circulation back in 1992 and were actually melted down to create the medals for bronze during the Sydney Olympics of 2000.

4. The 50-yen Japanese coin has a unique round hole at the center. This hole was created to save on the cost of materials and makes the coin very difficult to counterfeit. The hole also makes the coin stand out when compared to the similarly styled 100-yen coin.

5. The Euro is a term for European currency and is used in several countries including Spain, Greece, Italy and France. The euro was actually a form of electronic currency until 2002 when the coins and colorful paper notes were minted.

6. Coin values range in price based on a number of factors. The condition of the coin, the rarity, and metal along with other attributes will determine the real value. Silver coins, gold coins and a number of other types are collected due to such attributes.

7. Often times the most collectible coins are those that have errors or imperfections. Many coin collectors try to find coins that have misprints in the text, picture deformities or other characteristics that are not supposed to exist but do due to misprinting.

8. The most expensive coin ever to be sold at auction was the Flowing Hair dollar which was minted in the United States in the years 1794 and 1795. The coin sold for over $10 million in January of 2013.

9. Pennies created in 1933 by The Royal Mint are considered to be especially rare as there are believed to be no more than six or seven of these coins in existence.

10. Coin values will go up and down based on a number of factors.

Overall, coin collecting can be fun and interesting. Work with Colonial Acres Coins to add to your collection or to learn more about the coin collecting world.

Popular Canadian Coins of the 80’s

canadian coins 80'sHave you started a coin collection featuring coins from Canada but are unsure as to which coins are actually worth collecting? There are many coins from varying decades in the history of Canada that are interesting and unique, perfect for the new collector. Once you know the best coins in circulation as well as those that may not be in circulation any more, you can begin to add value to your collection. From the penny to the Canadian 50 cent coin, you will find several options from the 80’s to have a solid coin collection.

1 Cent 1983

In the year 1983 a 1 cent coin was created that features Queen Elizabeth II on the front and the maple leaf on the back. Similar to other penny coins, this particular coin can have an error that makes it collectible. On both sides of the coin there are small beads that outline the outer edge. The variations of this penny include near beads and far beads, meaning how close the beading is to the outer edge.

5 Cents 1980

The printing of the 5 cent coin in Canada in the year 1980 has an error that makes this coin collectible. The coin features a beaver on the back in the water, which has the date listed below. The collectible version of this coin has the date printed twice. This coin can be worth a great deal depending on the grading.

10 Cents 1980

This 10 cent coin was created in 1980 printings to include a sailboat on the back. There are two types of this coin, one with a wide 0 for the 10 cents section and one with a narrow 0 for the 10 cents portion. The value of this coin depends on the type of 0 on the coin as well as shape and grading.

25 cents 1980

This 25 cent coin was created in 1980 with two distinct categories, one with near beading and one with far beading. The coin features beading near the outer edge on both sides. The value of this coin from 1980 will be dependent on if the beading is near the edge or farther away.

50 Cent 1982

A coin with high value is the 50 cent piece from 1982. This coin can be worth as much as $350 with the right grading and the presence of small beads. Beading is located on the outer edge of this coin and when you have the smaller beads on your coin, you may have an item that is worth a great deal. Canadian 50 cent coin value can vary based on several factors including the condition of the coin, the presence of the beading size plus the grading factor. To learn the true value, you would need to have the coin appraised by an expert.
To learn more about Canadian coins from the 80’s, contact Colonial Acres Coins. The appraisal and auction company can assist you with finding coins from the 80s as well as helping you to appraise or build your collection. Contact Colonial today to learn just what services they can provide for you.

Popular Canadian Coins of the 70’s

canadian coins 70'sCanadian paper money and coins are often collected, with individuals amassing a wonderful array of specialized items to share with friends and family. Paper money and coins are often worth more when errors occur during the issuing process. In the 1970s, there are several coins that you can look for to be able to find quality collector pieces. Check out a few of these examples below.

1 Cent 1976

The first coin is the penny from 1976. This coin features the traditional maple leaf on the back with the term 1 Cent and Canada with the date, 1976. The front of the coin depicts an image of Queen Elizabeth II. This penny will have a varying value based on the error as well as the condition plus supply and demand.

Common errors include a Double 6 on the back side as well as rotated dies. There are other areas to look out for including filling, die clash and deteriorated die. The more rare the error, the more value the coin will have.

5 Cents 1977

Another collectible coin with errors is the 5 Cents piece from 1977. The minting of this coin included the image of Elizabeth II on the front with a beaver in water featured on the back. Circulated and uncirculated coins can be found that have a high 7, low 7 or a double 7 on the date portion of the coin.

25 Cents 1973

This coin was created in honor of the 100th anniversary of the North-West Mounted Police, who would later on become known as the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The coin was created in both 1972 and 1973 which lead to two types, one with a large bust and one with a smaller bust. The front side features the image of Queen Elizabeth II while the second side shows a mounted officer.

The small bust and large bust refers to the image of Queen Elizabeth II with the larger bust showing less detail. The images are so closely similar that only the trained eye may be able to determine the differences and value.

50 Cents 1974

A highly valuable coin that must be found for any Canadian coin collection is the 50 Cent piece of 1974. This piece has an error that makes it highly valuable, as much as $10 at times.

The image on this coin depicts the Canadian Coat of Arms. This image honors the four founding nations of Canada; England, Scotland, Ireland and France. The inscription under the coat of arms says A Mari usque ad Mare which means from sea to sea. The S is sometimes missing on this coin, which makes it very rare. The value soars to an amazing $10 when you find the S to be missing. If you happen to have this coin, you have a nice one indeed!

Canadian Paper Money

Besides coins, canadian paper money is also collectible. Old bank notes are highly collectible. One option to consider adding to your collection is Dominion of Canada banknotes. This paper money was printed from 1870 until 1925 with 39 different types issued. Condition and rarity are factors that make this type of paper money collectible.


If you are looking to start a coin collection or would like to learn more about Canadian coins, contact Colonial Acres Coins. Colonial Acres can assist you with finding rare coins to add to your collection or providing you with an appraisal of current items you have.

Recycle Your Old Jewellery

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Many women have an expansive jewellery collection. Earrings, bracelets, a necklace or even a brooch can help style any outfit, making one feel glamorous and complete. When not wearing jewellery, a woman can feel incomplete. So it is no surprise that many women have an expansive jewellery collection. When a collection becomes too big, something must be done so even more jewellery can be purchased! One option is to recycle your jewellery. There are several ways to do this from giving gifts to selling your more collectible pieces. Read on to see just what you can do with old jewellery pieces.

Selling your Most Valuable Pieces

When a piece of jewellery has become something that you are no longer wearing, you can consider selling the old piece. A real piece of jewellery, made of gold or silver, with gemstones can fetch quite a price, especially if the piece is an antique. Any pieces that you feel may have value or you are unsure as to how much value, have the item appraised. An expert jewellery appraiser will be able to determine the value of old coin jewellery or other pieces to help you get top dollar. Sell used jewellery at a premium so you can have extra cash for vacation, a rainy day or to buy new pieces.

Make sure you work with a qualified appraiser to ensure the value of your piece is authentic. An appraiser with a top rating in the jewellery industry as well as one with experience can be trusted to give you the best value for your items. During the appraisal process, the appraiser will need to evaluate your pieces. Each item will be reviewed for gemstone cut and clarity, metal type, condition, etc. Once this information is obtained, the appraiser will be able to give you a clear value to the piece. You can then choose to sell your jewellery pieces or hold on to them a little longer.

Trade with Friends

Another option for recycling your old jewellery is to trade with friends. Set a date and invite friends over to have a jewellery trading party. Everyone can bring a certain amount of jewellery to the party and games can be played to see who ends up with what piece. This can be a fun night with friends as well as give you the opportunity to get rid of old items while gaining something new.

Give as Gifts

Whether you have expensive pieces of jewellery you are no longer using or costume jewellery, you may have family or friends you wish to give the pieces to as gifts. Graduation, birthdays or just because, you can give you coveted pieces to the ones you love. Loved ones will cherish the piece as it has sentimental value as well as possible currency value depending on the metal and gemstone of the piece.
To learn the value of your jewellery and see if recycling your jewellery is right for you, contact Colonial Acres Coins. They can evaluate your jewellery pieces and let you know what would be the best route to go. Their experience and knowledge in this industry is vast and they can help you get the best value for your jewellery and your money.

What is Coin Recycling?

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Coins are a common form of currency across the globe. Coins have been produced for decades and used as a form of payment based the current economy. Because coin production has changed over the years, coins have become somewhat of a collector’s item. Coin values can be quite high and lead to an impressive coin collection when an individual is able to gain access to unique pieces. Coins also have the option of being recycled to help avoid the need for production. Learn more about coin recycling below.

What is the purpose of Coin Recycling?

The purpose of coin recycling is to help lower the need for coin production. The Royal Canadian Mint has a quality recycling coin program, allowing individuals to turn in coins and receive cash back. The coins turned in are then put back into circulation. This means the coins are used again and the Royal Canadian Mint does not have to create more to be circulated into the economy. Recycling coins is an efficient way to provide coins for individuals to use as well as a cost-effective and environmentally friendly manner in which change is provided for the marketplace.

Turn Small Change into Money

With the Royal Canadian Mint, coin collections can be turned in for cash. Of course, your high coin values should be kept in your collection but turn in any large collections of pennies, dimes, nickels or quarters to be able to paid quick cash. Even loonies and toonies can be recycled. The coins will add up fast and you will have cash that can be used for a rainy day, a vacation trip, or added to a savings account.

Start Collecting

It is easy to start a coin collection that can be recycled. Take a large jar and begin to place your loose change inside. Set a goal to fill the jar and once filled, you will be able to turn your change in for cash, maybe even earning hundreds of dollars in the process. With every coin you recycle, you will be able to preserve the environment as this is one less coin that has to be produced.

Make Collecting Fun

You can get the entire family involved in coin collecting for recycling, making the process fun. Take several jars and create one for pennies, one for nickels and so on. Be sure to keep the jars separate and see just how quickly each jar fills up. Does the quarter jar fill up quicker than the penny jar? Make the process fun and educational so that your kiddos will be excited to recycle coins as well. A pickle jar makes the perfect container for change and can hold quite a bit! Over 8,000 dimes can fit inside a four liter pickle jar which means around $840 for you!

Coin Counting Machine

To make counting your coins for recycling easy, you can use a coin counting machine. Machines are located everywhere, especially in Canada, to make it easy for you to turn in your cash. Look for these machines when you are ready to cash in!
When you need assistance with your coin collection or to learn more about coin recycling, contact Colonial Acres Coins. The company can easily assist you with information on coin collection, coin values and more.

Gold or Silver: Which Coins Would You Collect

Many people invest in precious metals and collect gold or silver coins with the hopes that they can grow these investments and later on, secure their finances. If you are interested in collecting gold or silver, there are many things to consider before choosing.

What are the reasons people invest and collect gold and silver?

People invest in precious metals because of the value that they bring to the table. Federal bills and regular circulation coin values could deteriorate every time a country experiences economic crisis. Commodities like gold and silver are likely to have some sort of stable value range since they are influenced by how troy ounces are worth. In the present trend, gold and silver coin worth have risen and have proven to still have increasing coin values.

However, as a coin collector, there are two main drivers why collector invest in gold and silver:  the coin’s bullion value or collector’s value.

Bullion value is the value of the coin based on its metal component. If you are more inclined in getting your money’s worth because of its bullion value, choose gold.  Since gold has the bigger bullion value, it would be wiser to buy gold than to buy silver, since silver will take so much space because of larger quantity. However, note that increases in bullion value may not be that significant over time but if you are looking for a more stable way of putting in your investments, choosing this route is the way to go.

Collector’s value, on the other hand, considers many factors at play: its rarity, condition and grade. There are some silver coins that costs more to collect not because of their bullion value but because there were only a few of them that got into circulation. At the same time, there are also gold coins, especially in the form of old ones, that has greater collector’s value than its bullion value because of the way it was carefully kept since its production.

It is debatable whether one should invest in gold or silver coins and it really depends on the collector. Some people prefer to get both, so they have large investments ready in both gold and silver. That way they wont have to worry too much in case gold value increases in a much faster pace than silver, or vice versa. So, if you know exactly which coins to get, whether they be gold Kruggerands or American Eagle Silver Bullions you can look for trusted coin shops like Colonial Acres Coins to help you convert your investments.

Silver Coins to Add to Your Collection

Silver coins are valuable and are ideal additions to your coin collection. Silver, platinum and gold are in demand during economic growth. Silver is also cheaper in comparison to the two other metals, which makes it an attractive investment. These coins are a great addition to your collection because of their type, historical significance and rarity.

These are some of the coins you can add to your collection, whether you are coin collecting as a hobby or if you want to make money out of it.

Australian Koala Silver Bullion Coins

Koalas are one of the most famous animals in Australia; this animal has 99.9% pure silver bullion coins. These come in various sizes such as 1 kilogram, 1 ounce or 10 ounces. This silver coin depicts a fresh design yearly.

The Peace Dollar

Anthony de Francisci created this coin it depicts a crowned image of Liberty on its face and an eagle on the reverse side. This silver dollar was presented the re-establishment of peace after World War I. This coin has a substantial silver content at 90% and weighs around 1 ounce.

Silver Maple Leaf

The silver maple leaf is legal tender and has 99.99% silver content, making it one of the finest official bullion coins in the world. The reverse and obverse of this coin displays the profile of Elizabeth II and the Canadian Maple Leaf.

The obverse of this coin has three subsequent versions of Elizabeth II, these are:

1. 1988-1989: Arnold Machin created the portrait

2. 1990-2003: Dora de Pedery-Hunt made the portrait

3. Since 2004: Portrait made by Susanna Blunt

Morgan Silver Dollar

This coin was struck from 1878 to 1921 and got its name from its designer, George T. Morgan. You often see this silver dollar in magazines and on TV. The Morgan Silver Dollar is often associated with images of frontier life and the Wild West. These silver coins were in circulation during the 19th century in the West.

Silver dollars are common however, it is close to impossible to find a true silver dollar at a bank anymore. Millions of silver dollars are still around, but most of them were melted down throughout the years.

As a coin collector, continually enrich your knowledge about different coins to enable you to build your collection and spot a fake when you see one. It helps to meet with other hobbyists to find out which coins to add to your list and help appraise your coins.