If you are a buyer of gold and silver coins as a hobby, you are likely always searching for ways to expand your collection. When it comes to coins, it is easy to find them in different denominations and ages. If you have collected as many as you feel you can inside of your own currency, expanding to other currencies can help create a larger collection. Here are four things to get to know before you purchase gold and silver coins from other cultures. 

Determine whether there are years you should skip

At times, countries may have hit hard times or had a slip-up happen with their currency. For instance, there may be gold or silver coins that are not in the same gold or silver troy ounce as the rest of the coins of that denomination due to currency issues one year. This may be a piece that is not as valuable as the same coins made in other years. Knowing what to skip will help you get the best deals and retain consistent value in your collection. 

Learn the weights, dates, and carats

Identifying counterfeit currency in your own country's monetary system can sometimes be tough. Dealing with coins and counterfeits in another currency can often be a different story. If you are a newbie to dealing with currency coins in other countries, start with one country or region at a time. Learn the tell-tale signs of a counterfeit versus authentic currency. Be sure to have a small scale available when selecting any coins that will accurately judge the weight of the coins. If you are even slightly skeptical, take the coins into a dealer of the specific currency to have it inspected. 

Purchase from reputable dealers

If you want to get the best silver and gold coins from other nations, you may need to make a trip out to the country where the coin was created. This will offer you a wide array of possible coins to purchase. In coin hobby circles, find the names of sellers in the country of the currency's origin. Making a trip to the area will give you a better feel for the types of currency available. Being able to hold the coins from different years in your hands, test out the weights, and get an explanation for the physical differences can help you become a more prepared buyer. Buying in the original nation may also give you an advantage to pick out the best of the coins on the market. 

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