| Coin collecting as a hobby is enjoyed by | | | | collecting is very popular and because of the |
| thousands of people today and the numbers are | | | | availability of coin albums, it is quite easy to get |
| growing. This wasn't the case just prior to 1999. | | | | started. |
| Coin collecting as a hobby had been on the decline | | | | Another popular type of collecting is by coin type. |
| since the mid-1960s when the composition of US | | | | Instead of collecting every year and mintmark |
| coins changed from having silver content to being | | | | you would collect one coin from a series from |
| composed entirely of base metal. It became | | | | one mint. For example, you would collect one coin |
| increasing harder to find old coins in pocket | | | | from every series produced by a certain mint for |
| change so interest waned over time. The 50 | | | | the years 1900 - 1910. Your collection would |
| State Quarters Program began in 1999 with the | | | | consist of one Lincoln cent, one Buffalo nickel, one |
| issuing of the first of the State Quarters, honoring | | | | Washington quarter and so on. This type of |
| the state of Delaware. The 50 State Quarters | | | | collecting can be less expensive than |
| Program is credited with placing the spotlight back | | | | date-and-mint collecting. Most collectors use the |
| on coin collecting and single-handedly starting a | | | | savings advantage to purchase higher-grade coins |
| grassroots comeback for the now popular hobby. | | | | than they could have afforded collecting |
| The reasons for collecting coins are as varied and | | | | date-and-mint sets. |
| diverse as the collectors themselves. For | | | | A very popular type of coin to collect is the mint |
| example, some collect coin sets that coincide with | | | | error coin. Instead of looking for the rare coin in |
| the birth year of their children or grandchildren, | | | | un-circulated condition this collector looks for coins |
| with the intent of giving the collection to the child | | | | that have been minted with a blemish or error. |
| at a much later date. Then there are those who | | | | Some of the more popular errors are double die, |
| collect coins with the idea of cashing in once the | | | | date-over-date, mules and coins struck using the |
| set has increased significantly in value. They would | | | | wrong metal. The wrong metal coin refers to the |
| like to mirror the success of the late Louis E. | | | | 1943 "copper penny" that wasn't supposed to |
| Eliasberg Sr., who managed to complete his | | | | exist. In 1943, because of the war, pennies were |
| date-and-mint collection of US coins. After his | | | | made from zinc-coated steel to save copper. |
| death, his estate sold his collection for an over all | | | | Somehow a few coins were accidentally produced |
| total of $44 million. | | | | using the old bronze coin blanks and they found |
| Perhaps the most common place to start is with | | | | there way into circulation. It wasn't until years |
| date-and-mint collecting. For example, you would | | | | later that the coin-collecting world became aware |
| collect a Lincoln cent from every year it has been | | | | of their existence. Many a coin-collecting hobbyist |
| minted and you would collect a coin from every | | | | still hopes to find one of these valuable minting |
| mint that produced it that year. This type of | | | | errors unknowingly hidden away somewhere. |