Then there are “coin collectors” — who can be scholarly as well, but seem to have a bit more fun with the hobby. My own site, http://www.valuable-coin-stories.com was designed along these lines.

Then there are dealers and auction houses. For some outstanding coin photography you can’t beat the big coin auction companies like Stack’s, Bowers and Merena, Heritage, and Goldberg Coins & Collectibles. The auction catalogues are a good pricing referenc as well.

And don’t forget your local coin stores — just look them up on Google Local or the yellow pages.

Coin collecting is the collecting or trading of coins or other forms of legally minted currency. Frequently collected coins often include those that were in circulation for only a brief time, those that are considered rare because they were only minted for a short time, coins that were minted with errors or foreign coins. Though both are closely related, collecting can be differentiated from numismatics in that the latter is the study of currency.

I was going to answer Bus Conductor!

Numismatics is the scientific study of currency and its history in all its varied forms. While numismatists are often characterized as students or collectors of coins, the discipline also includes a much larger study of payment media used to resolve debts and the exchange of goods.