People from all over the world study, collect and invest in rare coins and bullion coins. These hobbyists are called "numismatics", and many take their hobby very seriously! Coins are so fascinating for many reasons. One is that coins represent many different and exciting periods in American and World History. There are always interesting stories behind these coins and they are genuine mementos of past history. Their historical interest is unique to every culture that has ever used coins, and has played an important part in the economic growth of these societies.
Collectors of anything, whether it's toy trains, rocks, hotwheels or artwork offers the collectors a feeling of satisfaction. Coins have the added advantage of their extraordinary endurance, easy storage and display factors, and importantly, the ability to complete sets. Collectors should take good care of their coins (and usually do!), since they will probably last for hundreds or even thousands of years! The earliest known coins were from the Lydian society, and were called "starters". They were made of a gold and silver alloy, and were used around 600-700BC! So we know that coins can last a long time! Starting a coin collection is easy and there are several ways you can so this. A favorite way of collecting is to start a general collection of a variety of different coins. For example, you might acquire a Liberty Walking Half Dollar, Buffalo Nickel, an Anthony Dollar, or a Peace Silver Dollar. You'll probably become attracted and interested to one or another because of its intricate design or interesting history. You then might want to complete a set of this particular coin, say every date and mint mark for the Peace Silver Dollar for example. Or you could collect one example for every different Buffalo Nickel, and then proceed to a different coin. The choice is your preference (and budget!). Anyone can find a coin that they like that will fit into their budget, and allow them to complete a set.
Another popular method of collecting is to buy type. You do this by assembling coins that have different stamps or designs. You can collect coins of any one denomination (for example, all cents, all quarters, all dimes etc.), or maybe just collect the coins of one century in history. This kind of collecting coins will help you to see the full overview of the coin designs, and just how these designs progressed through history.
If your budget doesn't permit you to collect a complete set of a coin that you really like, you can collect a Year Set. This would consist of acquiring a coin from each year that the particular coin was minted. You don't have to worry about mint mark, just the year. So if you want to collect sought after and valuable gold coins, such as the Indian Head $10 Gold piece which was minted from 1907 to 1933, you would just collect one of each year regardless of which Mint it came from. (If it was minted in Philadelphia or San Francisco for example, it wouldn't matter, just as long as you have one coin from each year.) This is a fun and lesser expensive way to complete a coin collection, and will give the collector immense pride and much satisfaction!
Collecting coins is really very easy to do today. People with middle income budgets, or even those with less modest budgets, can all enjoy the fun and excitement of coin collecting. Get started by visiting the many numismatic (coin collecting) sites on the web. Research all of the interesting coins you can. Find a coin you like and start collecting today!
Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Coin Collecting
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Russell
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