Introduction to coin collecting

Have you ever looked closely at the money in your pocket? Every coin tells its story, and right in the middle of it, you might find one that is rare and interesting.

This is what coin collectors all over the world are hoping for. Apart from the excitement of unexpected ‘find’, they also learn from their hobby, and sometimes even make money from it.

Coin collecting is called numismatics and collectors are called numismatists. The word come from the Greek word nomisma, and the Latin numisma , meaning ‘ a piece of money’. A hobby that is old as coin itself. As one of the oldest and most popular world pastimes, coin collecting most often referred to as the “King of Hobbies”

Hobbyist is the type of collector, who accumulates a collection purely for fun with no real expectation of profit. This is particularly true of casual collectors and children who collect items for their personal interest.

Coin collecting is the collecting or trading of coins, traditionally done in the past until now.

The most collectible coins are those that circulated for only a short time, coins with mint errors and especially beautiful or historically important pieces. The popularity of coin collecting started in the 19th and 20th century. The market for coins increased to include, not only antique coins, but also foreign or otherwise exotic currency. Coins shows, trade associations, and regulatory bodies emerged during these decades.

Coins are like a reflection from the past that give details of a picture of the life of Mankind through the centuries.

Kings, queens, dictators and presidents gaze out from their metallic frames. Wars the rise and fall of the nation, struggles for freedom, geographical changes, riches and poverty the stories behind all this, can be found in a nations coins. Some of these stories are full of adventure, some are cruel, but all of them are fascinating.

In the my next blog, we are going to talk about :

•  How to begin collecting coins

• How to take care of your coin

• Selling and buying coins

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BEGINNING A COLLECTION

With all these different kinds of coins to choose from, it may be difficult for you to decide where to begin collecting. However, you will almost certainly be able to make an ‘all sorts’ collection.

First, ask all your relatives and friends if they have any coins, which they might give you.

Next, read as much as possible on the subject, talk to other collectors, visit coin exhibitions, and get to know a dealer through whom you can buy your coins.

There are coin dealers in most large cities. Although there are many books in coin collecting, you, as a beginner, will probably be most interested in catalogues

Which describe the coins and say how much they worth,

Eventually you may wish to specialize; you might choose coins from a particular part of the world, for example or keep coins whose history you know.

You will find that most collectors specialize in Greek, Roman, British, Medieval (including foreign) or Modern (including foreign) coins. You might prefer to collect Oriental coins.

Some of them have very interesting shapes.

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