Numista catalogues.
MyCoinage values.
Numista is the best free numismatic catalogue on the web. MyCoinage is built for valuation, realised auction prices, grade-by-grade history and portfolio tracking, with a UK and US focus. Most serious collectors use both. Here is the honest side-by-side.
Side-by-side comparison
Marked fairly. Where Numista does something well, it gets a tick. Where the answer is "kind of", it gets a partial mark.
| Feature | MyCoinage | Numista |
|---|---|---|
| Worldwide catalogue depth | UK & US focus | Best in class |
| UK coin coverage | 4,704+ entries, deep | Comprehensive |
| US coin coverage | Growing, key series in | Comprehensive |
| Realised auction prices | Yes, daily refresh | Member-submitted swaps |
| Grade-by-grade price history | Per coin, per grade | Catalogue values only |
| Portfolio value tracking | Live, charted | List, no daily revaluation |
| Price alerts | Pro tier | Not offered |
| Mobile experience | PWA, install-free | Responsive site |
| UK auction sources cited | Spink, Baldwin’s, Noonans | Not the focus |
| Editorial guides & articles | In-house editor | Wiki-style coin notes |
| Free tier | Up to 25 coins, full catalogue | Generous, ad-supported |
| Paid tier | Pro from £2.99/mo | Premium subscription (ad-free, more storage) |
| Community swaps / trading | Not offered | Yes, large community |
Numista’s feature set evolves; if anything above looks out of date, please flag it and we will correct it.
When to use which
Use Numista when
You are identifying a foreign coin, researching a variant from a country MyCoinage does not cover deeply, browsing the world’s coinage by region or ruler, or trading duplicates with collectors abroad. Numista’s catalogue depth and community are unmatched.
Use MyCoinage when
You want to know what a UK or US coin is actually selling for today, in a specific grade, based on real auction hammer prices. You want a portfolio that revalues itself, a price chart per coin, and PDF insurance exports. You want editorial pricing guides written in British English by a named editor.
Use both when
Honestly, most collectors do. Numista is the reference shelf; MyCoinage is the valuation desk. Identify a coin on Numista, then track its market value and your portfolio on MyCoinage. The two sites are complementary, not competitive.
What MyCoinage adds on top
Four things Numista does not currently set out to do, all built around real market data rather than catalogue values.
Is Numista a competitor?
Not really. Numista is a free, volunteer-built world catalogue. It is the place to identify a coin and read about its history. MyCoinage is a focused valuation tool for two markets we know well, and a tracker for the collection in your safe or your album. We link to Numista in our own editorial guides where it is the better reference, and we will keep doing so. If you collect world coinage broadly, you should be on Numista. If you collect British or American coins and you care about market values, MyCoinage will tell you things Numista cannot.
One honest caveat. Numista’s premium tier removes ads and adds storage; ours unlocks Pro features (full price graphs, PDF export, alerts, unlimited coins). Different tiers, different jobs. Our pricing page lays it out in full.
Useful next links
- Visit Numista for the world catalogue (recommended).
- Coin Price Tracker: how the grade-by-grade pricing engine works.
- Coin Collection App: the inventory side of MyCoinage.
- Coin Grading Guide: Sheldon 1 to 70 and the UK descriptive scale.
- Pricing: free tier limits and Pro features at a glance.
Try MyCoinage alongside Numista.
Free for up to 25 coins. No card. Keeps your Numista habit. Adds the valuation layer.