Becoming A Coin Collector
If you have a jar of coins sitting around you house, you are a coin collector. You can sift through the coins you have and find many coins that are older than others are. You might even find an old rare coin that you didn’t know you had. Once you go through your coin collection, you might want to take your interest a step further and become an actual coin collector.
Becoming a coin collector isn’t going to make you rich. You’ll probably never land on a stash of old Roman coins or Celtic coins that will bring you fame and fortune. If you want to get into coin collecting, do it for the pleasure of hunting down increasingly rare coins or unique ones. Some people focus on collecting coins created in a limited edition that are new in the marketplace. Others focus on specific types of coins, such as old Canadian coins or silver coin sets.
A coin collector needs a few tools of the trade. A magnifying glass to examine details on each coin is one. Envelopes or albums to store and display the coins you have are other supplies to purchase. A coin collecting price guide that has information on dates, varieties, and grading guidelines is a smart addition. A plastic ruler that has both millimeters and inches for measuring coins, cotton or latex gloves for handling, a soft cloth to set coins on for viewing, and good lighting round out the list of supplies.
Starting your hobby of being a coin collector involves hunting down new coins. There are plenty of places to find coins for your collecting. Root in your own wallet (and everyone else’s who will let you examine coins for less-common ones). Look at the coins on display at flea markets and auctions. The internet is a great resource for buying, selling, and trading coins. Always keep your coin collecting price guide handy when shopping to avoid scams or paying too much.
Never clean the coins you’ve collected. Unless you’re a professional, cleaning old rare coins can damage them and reduce their value. If you’re planning to sell your coins, let them stay dirty. Of course, common coins are fine to clean, so if you want to shine up some pennies or nickels with less value, you can rub them clean with vegetable oil and a soft cloth or use warm water and dishwashing liquid.
As with any hobby, reading as much as you can about being a coin collector can help you create an impressive collection. It can also help you decipher the difference of old rare coins and others that just appear as if they are valuable. The more you learn about your hobby as a coin collector, the more you can concentrate on obtaining rare coins rather than the more common ones that every other coin hobbyist has. Once you have an impressive collection, you can pass it down to future generations of coin collector enthusiasts.
Published by Collectibles Editor
Coins Magazine – Coins Magazine covers market trends, buying tips, and historical perspectives on all aspects of numismatics. Articles cover cataloguing, selecting and displaying a collection, and the history of coinage. Regular columns include The Budget Buyer, Coin Clinic, an editor’s column, and a calendar of upcoming events and shows.
