Coin collecting can be a fun and rewarding hobby or even a lifetime passion! Plan on a visit to the Denver Mint as part of your coin "education" and then share what you?ve learned with fellow travelers.

Instructions:

Many of the coins that have been in circulation for the last century were minted in Denver at the US mint facility located there. Take a tour of the Denver mint that teaches you some obscure coin collecting words.
The mint offers tours for individuals and small groups through its web-based reservation system (http://www.usmint.gov/mint_tours/index.cfm?action=Reservation). On your tour of the Denver mint, find answers to the following questions about coin collecting lingo:
1) What is a planchet?
2) What is a die?
3) What is an upsetting mill? (Hint: it doesn't make the coin makers sad.)
4) What is a bag mark?
5) If you're a numismatist, what do you do?
After you've figured out what these words mean, talk about what you saw at the mint and impress your fellow travelers with your new, flashy vocabulary.

Conclusion:

After touring the Denver Mint you can purchase many books or coin packages at their adjacent gift shop. Here you can find coin sets, commemorative and collector?s coins, educational materials, and official US Mint souvenirs. One good way to begin a coin collection is to purchase a US penny book or a state quarter book and then purchase a few coins from either the mint, local coin store, or from dealers on the Internet. If you do the latter, make sure you check with the Better Business Bureau to see if they have had any complaints.

User Reviews

Tell everyone what you think!
Be the FIRST to write a review for this activity.