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The error coin collecting hobby seems to be online nowadays. Dealers’ websites, eBay, online auctions, these all are where most error collectors buy coins for their collections nowadays. Yes, coin shows do have some error collectors in attendance, but the number is relatively small. We see only a minute handful of collectors at coin shows. The number of non-internet-using collectors are dwarfed by the huge number of internet-based collectors, who can sit in the comfort of their homes and browse thousands of error coins at their convenience.

The error hobby’s move online, which has happened more and more over the last 20 years, is not a bad thing. It has connected error collectors all over the country, and has allowed error collectors to share information like never before. We receive emails all the time from collectors asking “what do you think of this coin?”, to which we are able to reply almost instantly, making information sharing incredibly fast and easy. The collector can snap a photo with their smart phone, and have it online in minutes, or attach it to an email to share with other collectors. Some collectors have created websites to exhibit their collections (see our links section), with photos and descriptions making for a very useable and visually appealing way to present their collections.

All in all, the internet has been good for the error hobby, although the nostalgia of hearing the latest news from printed error coin publications, or from talking to people at coin shows does leave some older collectors wishing for “the old days” sometimes. The internet will never fully replace coin shows, nor will it replace printed publication, since there really is nothing like having a printed publication in your hands.

A huge benefit of the internet for error coin collectors is the ability to see photos for every coin you buy. Error coins are enormously effected by eye-appeal and their individual characteristics, and describing an error coin in words is always difficult. Now, collectors can view every coin they buy before deciding to make a purchase. Take this website for instance; every coin has a photo in addition to a description. This gives the collector the ability to see the coin before he buys, and he can know for sure “is that coin REALLY 50% off-center, or is the dealer being liberal and actually it’s only 30%?” With photos, a collector is left without having to guess. We love this, and it makes collecting errors easier than it has ever been.

So where are some online resources for error collectors? We’ve just updated the “links” section of our website, and have listed a number of error coin websites or sites which are useful to error collectors. Check them out and take advantage of the free information available to you from those sites. One site which is particularly useful is the site managed by BJ Neff on cuds. This site has pictures of cuds, and BJ also will attribute them for you (you can find the link here.) If you send him your cuds to attribute, you will also get credit for the cud on the website.

Have error coin questions? Contact us here: Contact