| If you are in search of finding a rewarding, | | | | your collection, there are a few basic things you |
| exciting, fun hobby that you can easily enjoy, you | | | | should know about how to safely handle, store, |
| don't need to look any further than the coins you | | | | and protect your coins. |
| have in your pocket. Millions of people engage in | | | | First of all, be sure to either find or purchase a |
| coin collecting, a hobby that can be traced back | | | | magnifying glass so that you can see all of the |
| to the ancient Greeks and Romans. Starting up a | | | | tiny details on your coins. A magnifying glass is a |
| coin collection can be quite easy. In fact, you can | | | | very important tool for coin collectors to have, |
| begin building a collection with the very coins that | | | | and will help you to enjoy your hobby even more. |
| you encounter every day. | | | | No matter how tempting it may be to make an |
| There are many coin collecting goals that | | | | old coin look shiny and new, don't clean your coins. |
| collectors try to accomplish. Perhaps you might | | | | If you clean your coins, you may accidently end |
| want to collect each design of the United States' | | | | up ruining them. Not only can the cleaning alter the |
| Statehood Quarters. Or, maybe you will want to | | | | coin's natural color and tone, it might also put |
| seek out coins with pictures of your favorite | | | | many tiny scratches on the coin. Unless a coin |
| topics, such as animals, musical instruments, food, | | | | you find has a lot of loose debris (such as dirt, |
| historic events, or public figures. You could | | | | dust, or mud) on it, which you can gently rinse off |
| venture into collecting coins from faraway, exotic | | | | with pure water and softly pat dry with a clean |
| countries and lands. You might want to gather | | | | towel, you are usually best to leave your coins in |
| coins minted during the year of your birth. | | | | the same condition in which you found them. |
| Another fun idea would be to collect one coin of | | | | Also, don't let your fingers come in contact with a |
| every date you can find of Lincoln cents or | | | | coin's observe (the front, or "heads" side of the |
| Jefferson nickels, for example. Remember, these | | | | coin) or reverse (the coin's back side, often called |
| are just a few of the endless possibilities for | | | | "tails"). If your fingers, which naturally contain oils, |
| deciding what kinds of coins to collect. | | | | touch the coin's surface, they could leave |
| Whatever your collecting interests may be, there | | | | fingerprints on it; over time, these fingerprints |
| are a couple primary ways to acquire the coins | | | | may turn into ugly-looking smudges. The proper |
| you want for your collection. You can typically | | | | way to handle a coin is to hold it by its edge (the |
| locate plenty of cents, nickels, dimes, and | | | | thin side of a coin), between your thumb and |
| quarters dating back to the 1960s with the coins | | | | forefinger. Above all, never drop a coin. |
| in circulation ("circulation" includes the coins you | | | | It is also important to store your coins safely to |
| can get at the bank, find in your pocket or purse, | | | | help protect them. Keep your coins in a cool, dry |
| and give or receive as change when you buy | | | | place (a bookshelf, desk, or drawer is usually a |
| something). However, if you are lucky, it is | | | | fine place to store your coins). Also, don't store |
| possible to find in circulation some coins dating | | | | your coins loosely in a box, jar, or other place |
| back more than half a century, an occasional | | | | where the coins will get jingled or jostled around. |
| foreign coin, or perhaps even error coins. An | | | | Instead, you may want to consider buying |
| "error coin" is, for example, one that bears a | | | | albums, folders, and other storage devices |
| mint-made mistake, such as a double image of a | | | | designed to help keep your coins safe and |
| design, a coin that has only part of its design | | | | organized. Many large bookstores sell coin albums |
| showing, or a coin that looks as though it had a | | | | and folders (many that cost only a few dollars), |
| big piece of its metal bitten off by one of the | | | | and coin dealers sell many kinds of coin storage |
| machines at the mint. | | | | options. |
| Though you may be able to find in circulation all | | | | There are all kinds of things you can learn about |
| the coins you need for your collection, if you are | | | | numismatics (this word sounds like |
| hoping to find silver, gold, or obsolete coins, or | | | | "new-miss-mat-icks"), which is the study of coins. |
| those from many different countries, you will | | | | You can become a more experienced coin |
| most likely have to buy what you want from a | | | | collector by reading books about coins, talking to |
| coin dealer. You should be able to locate a coin | | | | friends about your hobby, and continuing to be |
| dealer near you by looking through the "coins" or | | | | interested and curious about the coins you see. |
| "coin dealers" listings in your yellow-paged phone | | | | As you will discover, coin collecting is a hobby that |
| book. Also, there are hundreds of reputable, | | | | will allow you to make exciting discoveries, let you |
| respected coin dealers who advertise online or in | | | | set and accomplish all kinds of challenging goals, |
| coin-related publications and ship customers their | | | | and give you a chance to explore countless |
| coins through the mail. | | | | wonders. Welcome to the sensational world of |
| However, before you start gathering coins for | | | | coin collecting. |