| tart --> | | | | collecting and give you a good background on the |
| Coin collecting is often called the hobby of kings | | | | history of the coins. |
| because in the early days of coin collecting only | | | | I can guarantee you will find coins that were |
| kings were wealthy enough to be able to save | | | | minted in the past that you never knew existed. |
| coins in a collection. Most people needed to spend | | | | For instance, did you know the U.S. made a two |
| any coins they received for food and shelter and | | | | cent and twenty cent coin in long ago? |
| many people never had more than a few coins to | | | | Joining a local coin club can help you on your |
| their name at any given time. | | | | journey and is a good way to meet like minded |
| Fortunately for us coin collecting, or numismatics, | | | | people in your community. They are a good |
| is a hobby that is available to anyone today that | | | | source for local show information and can give |
| wants to join in the fun. You can start out as a | | | | advice on local coin dealers. Of course, you can |
| casual collector with the spare change in your | | | | also find plenty of information on the Internet. |
| pocket and progress from there as you gain | | | | The most important thing when first starting out |
| knowledge and experience. | | | | collecting coins is to curb your enthusiasm. I know, |
| What makes coin collecting so special to many | | | | easy to say but hard to do but if you can control |
| people is the fact that there are so many areas | | | | your excitement just a little and not start buying |
| to specialize in. Just some of the possible paths a | | | | coins without some basic knowledge you will be |
| coin collector can take include collecting foreign | | | | far better off in the long run. |
| coins, coins of your home country, paper money, | | | | Speaking from personal experience I can tell you |
| ancient coins and coins with errors. | | | | that there are some coins I would not have |
| You can even focus on certain periods in history | | | | purchased had I been a little more knowledgeable |
| like coins of the 1800s or coins of the | | | | in coin grading standards and average coin values |
| Renaissance the possibilities are truly endless and | | | | when I was just starting out. |
| it can be difficult deciding on where to begin. | | | | Luckily, coin collecting has grown to a point where |
| Most budding coin collectors start with the coins | | | | coins are now graded according to very strict |
| from their own country as they are most familiar | | | | standards and with the wealth of coin collecting |
| with them. I would recommend going to the | | | | information available it is easy to determine if a |
| library and getting a couple of books on coin | | | | price for a specific coin is fair or not. |
| collecting to give you an idea of the different | | | | Unlike most hobbies that require an initial outlay of |
| types of coins available and how coins are valued | | | | cash you can start collecting coins for very little |
| and graded. This will help you to decide on any | | | | money and as your knowledge grows you will be |
| specific types of coins you want to start | | | | able to buy or trade coins more confidently. |