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Introduction to Coin Collecting

There are few people who do not have at least the beginning of a coin collection. Many of us own at least one or more old "good luck coins", a large penny, an old Indian nickel or silver dollar, a medal or a souvenir token. Any one of these items has often led to the start of a large coin collection and a new hobby.

Acquiring a coin collection of scope, interest and value takes some time and effort.  This is due to the fact that there are many branches of the numismatics hobby to explore and study. Some of these take years to master but this is part of the secret of this hobby's interest and charm.

Coins are fascinating because they often reflect stories of royalty, great leaders, history, power and patriotism relating to their respective countries of issuance. Famous figures become real and alive when depicted on an old coin. For example, Julius Caesar and Alexander the Great, in ancient times; Henry VIII, Napoleon, George Washington and Abraham Lincoln are all portrayed on coins just as they appeared at the time.

Many collectors specialize in odd coins or unusual forms of money, such as the cocoa bean money of Mexico, the glass money of ancient Egypt and the bullet money of Thailand.

Currently, United States coinage consists of pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters, 50 cent pieces and silver dollars. In the past gold coins were regularly in use but now are only being minted from time to time in commemorative issues. Also, at various times in the past, half cents, two-cent pieces, three-cent pieces and twenty-cent piece circulated for general use as coinage. Some collectors specialize in collecting just one of these different coin types.

A popular method of collecting is that of assembling complete sets of one or more series of coins such as Lincoln Cents, Indian Dimes, Eagle Gold Dollars, etc. Yet another approach is the "shotgun" method of collection whereby a person only buys coins which specifically interest them. When it comes to coin collecting there are no fixed rules. You decide what to collect. To be a successful coin collector requires that one study the subject.