Start Your Child on A Coin Collecting Hobby

Wondering what to give your child on his nextStarting the Hobby
birthday? Give him a gatefold spread that canFor starters, get magazines on coin collecting, a
accommodate up to 50 coins. He may notpair of white gloves, magnifying glasses, and coin
appreciate the coins, but telling him stories aboutalbums or folders. Start scouting for coins and
the coin and how it was made can spark hislearn all about the discontinued coins like the 1965
interest. For each birthday give him the coinsquarters, dimes, and half-dollars. Subscribe to coin
minted that year. His collection will grow and so willcollecting magazines and check out the websites
his interest and by that time, he will be anon coin collecting. You'll be amazed at the wealth
accomplished numismatist.of information you can collect and pass on to
History Lessons and Saving Moneyyour child.
The ideal age to start a child on a coin collectingUsing a magnifying glass to see the fine lines and
hobby is at six years old. Imagine the number ofthe details of a coin is an exciting experience for
coins he can amass when he reaches adulthood!a child. Make sure you are ready to give the
But there's more than just introducing him to coininformation your child may need. Or if you don't
collecting. You can use this exercise to teach himknow the answer, you can make it your project
how to save his pennies in a coin bank plus piqueto find out online.
his interest in the country's history when youBecause this is just a starting point for you and
start with local coins.your child, don't buy expensive coins and if you
Since you may not have those very old andfind some dirty old coins, don't attempt to clean it.
valuable coins dating back to the 1800s, get aFind out its composition and the appropriate way
book on coin collecting and show him the picturesto clean it. You can get help from several
of the coins. Add a story or two depicting the erawebsites specializing in coin collection.
that'll make any child sit up and listen. Stories addTips for Coin Hunting
value to the coin collecting hobby and expect yourThis is not referring to a treasure hunt. You can
child to be an expert in historical epochs.do your hunting online. However, coin collecting is
If someone gives your child a bag of coins, takean expensive hobby if you want the rarer and
out each coin and sort them. Teach your childmore prized coins. In the meantime, make do
how to do the sorting. As you go along, tell him awith what is available and always get your hands
little history on each coin. Probably the bag ofon new mints. Tell your friends you're helping your
coins will yield recent mints so it won't be hard forchild start a coin collecting hobby but be prepared
you to tell the coin's story.for the avalanche of coins that will start pouring in.
If you have saved all the coins circulating in theIn the future, when he coin collecting bug bites
year of your child's birth, that would be the bestyou real hard, you'll be running after a metal
introduction to a lifelong of coin collecting for yourdetector to clean out your yard and your
child. Help him along with the collection. Learn thegrandfather's house. The hobby meant for your
tricks yourself so you can teach your child howchild will be yours too.
to collect, clean, and store the coins.