Checklist for Coin Collecting

Coin collecting serves as a popular hobby around the globe, but it also takes a great deal of organization and attentiveness. Coin checklists make it easier for collectors to identify the many coins in their collections, and checklists come in several varieties.

Several companies today produce software designed to help coin collectors compile their checklists. WorldCoins, a software program released in 2007 by ArteCode Software, combines inventory capability and coin organizing into a single software program. The program allows you to add an endless number of coins, and you can add descriptive information and up to four photos per coin. It also features a search function to help you find information on certain coins in your collection. The company charges for its software, which only works on Microsoft Windows computers.

A second software program, CoinManage Coin Collecting Software 2009, was released in July 2009 and features a preinstalled database of more than 18,900 U.S., Canadian and United Kingdom coins. It also features pricing information and images of 1,500 different coins to help with identification. Liberty Street Software, which designed CoinManage, touts the program's ability to produce actual eBay auction results for various coins. Liberty Street Software also produces specialized checklist software for Canadian and U.K. coins.

One website---pyva.net/eng/chklist/---features a free program called CheckList that works with smart phones and pocket PCs. You can download the program from the website.

Some websites offer free, downloadable checklists. You can print checklist sheets, fill in the blanks and file them with your collection. One website---printablechecklists.com---provides a printable PDF in standard 8-inch-by-11-inch size. The form provides columns for coin year, mint markings, grade, price paid, value and notes. Many coin dealer websites offer similar forms for collectors.

A checklist provides a great way to store data on your coin collection, but only a few programs provide all of the information you want to include on your checklist. For example, printable forms leave all the work to you when it comes to noting the value of your coins and distinguishing characteristics. As well, software programs include information on a limited number of coins. Therefore, collectors also need catalogs to perform their checklisting.

"The Guide to United States Coins," known as the Red Book, provides a comprehensive list of U.S. retail coin prices. It is available from some bookstores and at many coin shops. In addition to print catalogs, many websites now list coin prices and other information. Numismidea, PCGS and ECoinprices all provide online coin pricing information.