How To Start A Coin Collection

Coin Collecting is affectionately known as the 'Hobby of Kings' in reference to the fact that in ancient times only Kings could afford to collect coins as lay people spent every penny they had to survive.



Coin collecting or numismatics is an extremely popular hobby which is now affordable to everybody. You can delve into the wonderful world of coin collecting as you read these words by simply reaching in your pocket and finding loose change. So what are the key steps necessary to begin a coin collection?



Step 1: Decide What You Want To Collect



You need to decide what type of collection you want to build. There are many different types of coin collection themes. These include;



Country Collections



- Some collectors obtain a sample from every country while others focus on 1 country



Year Collections



- Many collectors collect by year e.g. one Lincoln cent for every year from 1909 to present



Mintmark Collections



- Different mint marks can provide adequate differentiation to collect multiple samples for each year



Type Collections



- A collection may include major design variants for a period of time in a particular country



Subject Collections



- Many collectors collect coins that depicts an area of personal interest e.g. planes, ships etc. Other collection categories include; period collections, composition collections, signature collection, series collections, printed value collections, volume collections and more.



Step 2: Educate Yourself on Your Selection



It is very important to educate yourself sufficiently. Join your local numismatic club, contact your local coin dealer and ask them for good sources from which you can learn about the hobby. This knowledge is vital such that you can appreciate what you need to consider when purchasing a coin, and how to evaluate the coin. An excellent resource is the 'American Numismatic Association'. This association will provide useful information on the bodies that promote coin collecting. Visit your local library or Amazon.com and get books pertaining to Numismatics.



Step 3: Complete a Set



Complete a set. Collect one of each year and mint mark of your coin of choice. (A mint mark tells you where the coin was made.)



Step 4: Subscribe to Coin Publication



Subscribe to coin publications such as "Coin World" or "Coinage Magazine." These publications will keep you up to date on developments and ensure you make more informed decisions.



Step 5: Get a Collectors Display Album



Pick up a collector's display album or folder to proudly show off your new found hobby. Other useful coin collecting materials include; coin capsules, coin magnifiers, coin envelopes, coin scales, coin carrying cases and coin trays.



Step 6: Partake in online discussion Perhaps the fastest way to learn coin collecting is by mingling with experienced coin collectors online. Join several of the top coin collecting forums and ask questions. You will be pleased to discover that so many experienced coin collectors are quite happy to share their knowledge with you.



Visit many of these coin collectors blogs and subscribe to their RSS feeds. This will leads to frequent coin collecting news and tips being sent to you.



There are a plethora of FREE coin collecting e-books online, simply enter the following search term in Google "coin collecting e-book".



I trust these tips were helpful. So root around in your pocket, find a few coins and start your collection today







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