Coin World's latest weekly edition is out the doors and will be in the hands of subscribers shortly. Here, we present previews of a few of its columns, all found exclusively in the print and digital editions of the Jan. 29 issue of Coin World.

A new name: ‘Skidding coin error’

In his latest “Collectors’ Clearinghouse” column Mike Diamond identifies a new error coin type — what he is terming a “skidding coin error.” He explains, this “off-center, rim-restricted second strike occurs when minimum die clearance abruptly increases so that the dies only manage to contact the design rim generated during the first strike.”

The coin being described is a Malaysian 2017 20-sen coin, though he has examined similar errors on U.S. coins. To learn how this particular error was created, read his column in the Jan. 29 Coin World, exclusive to the print and digital editions.

Well-informed collectors avoid pitfalls

Online auction portals offer collectors many opportunities to acquire coins at good prices, but for the ill-informed, they also offer pitfalls, writes Michael Bugeja in his “Home Hobbyist” column. Collectors who read books and hobby periodicals and follow the advice of experts are less likely to fall victim to the unscrupulous, he adds.

The advice of experts “is needed now more than ever, not because the hobby is dwindling or budgets are exhausted in a week, but because the thousands of people bidding in these auction portals are not informed about their purchases and often have no venue to return the items, fake or not.”

Beware what mold can do to your collection

Proper storage is essential to the preservation of your collection, writes conservator Susan L. Maltby in her “Protecting Collectibles” column. However, paper money faces a threat that you may not have thought about.

“Mold is a problem collectors of paper money encounter,” she writes, adding, “Mold not only represents a health hazard to the collector, it can also cause damage to paper-based collections.” Follow her advice to protect your collection of paper money and related collectibles.

Your New Year’s resolution: learn more

Brad Karoleff offers some advice about your New Year’s hobby resolution for 2018 in his “Designs of the Times” column. “What can one do to pull even more enjoyment out of this great hobby? Well, for one, you can learn more about what you collect or the hobby in general. Today this is something you can do for free!”

Karoleff profiles the Newman Numismatic Portal, an online repository for numismatic literature and more, available to everyone for free. “No longer must you ‘buy the book before the coin,’ as the information is there for you anytime,” he writes in his column, exclusive to the print and digital editions of Coin World.

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