From Lydia to Lady Liberty, numismatists love a good story. Many coins are a chapter in a much bigger story of art, politics, and people.

With spot prices rising and premiums shrinking, some coins are selling at or near melt — making this a prime time to buy.

We pitch it, pinch it, squeeze and squander it. We stuff it in our loafers and offer it for our thoughts. A bad one always turns up and a pretty one is a splurge we heedlessly indulge. It’s the penny ...

Industries need it; monetary rebels want it; and state governments are whispering about silver as money again.