Anybody got a water bottle to spare?

Well, here goes nothing. Another ambitious undertaking that looks like insanity, (Fifty States) but works out in the end.

For the typical casual collector, some of the rarer coins can be a pinch, and are just out of our disposable income can reach. Accept it. So instead, how about collecting some other cool coins, maybe not in as good of a condition, and building a cool collection off of those coins?And before anyone complains, the ANA's system for coins has caused these images to come out crooked. Blame them, not me.And special thanks to Marketplace Antiques in Murphy, North Carolina for the vendor who had these coins for cheap!Now, to the feature presentation.If you like the lifestyle of burning money on expensive coins, I don't believe this article will be right for you.  But, if you are like me, who has a teeny little pocketbook and hardly can pay for a nice coin without regrets, I think that this would be a good article to read. So, if this interests you, stick around.To most effectively live the bargain coin lifestyle, learn to bargain. Now, this will work normally only for the more expensive stuff. A good haggler in today's world of online shopping is rare. To combat this, antique markets and coin store will raise their prices 10% (this is also true for other old goods, such as typewriters). This is to take advantage of the people who don't care to bargain for a better deal, as they have been shopping online their whole life. So, learning to haggle is a good shopping deal. In one travel guide, I read about a good strategy to haggle. However, it is not good for people on a strict time constraint. Don't act too desperate, for this allows dealers to take advantage of your desperation of the object. Instead, act calm, and try not to sweat. First, list your starting price, beginning the haggling process. Then, he will list his price. Then, keep on giving counter-offer. But don't reach the final offer. Before that, WALK OUT THE DOOR and leave. In several hours (or days) come back, and see if that item is still there. If it is, list out your previous offer. This will assure you will get a much lower price. It doesn't work for everyone, however, and you are taking the risk that the item will not be taken in the time where you wait. The last main strategy I have is- digging in the bargain bin. Now, this is only cool if you like collecting the random US or World coins that have lined your dealer's display cabinet for years. So, take a good dig in there. You will be surprised at what you find. You know I was. See ya, and we will continue on our road trip of the United States later!  

Well, since I am interested in WWII and just got a brand new copy of the game Axis and Allies, I decided to write a little thing on WWII coins.In 1942, as the US War Department needed copper and nickel (bullets and tank coverings), they decided to victimize the coins metal content first. Proposed was first was a nickel that was half silver, half consisting of another amalgam of metals. As Thomas Dewey soon found out, this didn't work well in the subways, due to their weight. So, back to the drawling board.The finished war nickel was made of even less silver, and more of the amalgam of manganese and iron. Today, you cannot find these in circulation (though I found a 1943-P in circulation once) due to their silver content, and are available at good prices.The other US coin to be victimized was the penny. That year, they decided to make their pennies out of steel instead of copper. In concept, it was good. But appearance-wise, the coins tarnished easily. So, one year later, until 1946, they made the coins out of recycled bullet shells they had brought back from the fronts. Both varieties are available for good prices, and are popular as novelties for their appearance.Onwards now to the coins of the Third Reich. Overall, Nazi coins are generally more expensive than their American counterparts.In 1939-1945, the monetary unit in Germany was the Reichsmark. These coins came in several denominations, including 25, 50, and (planned) 100,000 Reichsmarks.The designs, however, are bland. Some have the blocky profile of Paul Hindenburg, the Zeppelin namesake, chancellor, and WWI general. Most, if not all of these coins include the eagle and the swastika. If you are trying to find Hitler on one of these, I don't think you can.Overall, buying them is fairly cheap, with some running up too $10-$15, tops. Be careful, as some companies try to hook the unsuspecting person in by selling one of these truly as novelty for $40.Next post, we will be mentioning British, Japanese (Moke if you want to do this you can), and Italian coins. Thanks!