Coin Collecting Tips For Beginning Numismatist

You are collecting because you like it. You may be interested in history, art, metallurgy, economics, or types of money people use as units for an exchange of value.
You can collect based on subject. You may like coins related to animals, flags or a specific subject matter. You can collect by country of origin, or from a specific era. Coins of the BC era or early AD. Colonial coins of the U.S. or Canada. You may collect European, Australian or Mexican coins or South American issues. Collect according to ruling governments. There are myriads of collecting subjects and specialties you can pursue. You may collect coins found in circulation. Oddities and errors and varieties that strike your fancy. Whatever your endeavor, it is because you like them and it interests you. You may collect square coins or coins with holes in them. You may collect by type and year or mintmark. You can collect transportation tokens, tax tokens, bank tokens, privately minted medals. As you can see the subject range is enormous and you are doing it because you like it and to learn from it. Lately, there are horoscope designs, coins to match human fantasy like cartoon, TV, and movie characters. Even tokens which represent crypto-currency with partial public key stamped on the token. Whatever peaks your imagination.

So, how do you find coins, rare & common, from your own country and around the world? Join a coin club in your area. So, how do you find a club? They don't advertise and your local coin shop is not going to tell you about them. Go to the American Numismatic Association (ANA) website, click on ANA Clubs, then click on your state. A list of all the ANA clubs in that state will appear and you find one nearest where you can attend. Some are free. Some have dues which may be a whole $10 per year. Most meet once a month, have door prizes, drawing and sometimes auctions and speakers that present programs of various numismatic subjects and interests. Sometimes even retired mint employees are members of clubs and numismatic societies, and will give presentations.

Attend Coin Shows. At the coin clubs you will not only learn about collecting & numismatics, you will find out about local and national coin shows. There is probably one show, somewhere, every week in the US, all year long. At clubs and shows is where you can buy, sell, and trade and get free appraisals and invaluable information for what your interests are. Clubs & shows have speakers which may cover any subject relevant to numismatics. Such as grading, counterfeit detection, how coins and currency are actually manufactured and printed. Numismatic photography. Speakers can range from numismatic specialists, to speakers from the U.S. mint, or Secret Service. Speakers giving presentations on the history and background of coins and mint engravers. Well known numismatic authors and collectors are members of clubs. Even speakers talking about the much controversial crypto-currency, like Bitcoin and Blockchain technology.

Subscribe to Coin Magazines or online publications. Many online publications are free. You can get complimentary magazines at clubs and shows. Get books on subjects that are your interest. There is Coin World magazine, Numismatic News, The Numismatist, Bank Note Reporter, World Coin News. All US publications. There is Canadian Coin News, Coin News Magazine in the U.K., The Austral-Asian Coin & Banknote magazine in Australia.

Collecting vs. Investing. As your interest grows, know the difference between collecting and investing, and look within yourself to know your objectives. Fun is good. Collecting is fun, but know thyself for more truthful value. You do not want your fun and collecting to cost you more than you thought. Read books, speak to people, look at a lot of coins. Gain knowledge, understanding, and with action, turn that into wisdom (The Trivium) and share your knowledge and interest with others. Don't be afraid to get around people that are smarter than you. That's how you learn. As Jake Greene says, "The only way to get smarter is to play a smarter opponent." Curb your ego. Ask questions. Meet people. In the process you will expand your knowledge and friendship base and thereby have more information you can share with others as it has been shared with you. Happy Collecting!