Coin collecting is one of those hobbies that for most collectors, started by accident. Usually the coin that sparked the interest was a coin found in circulation. It could have been a foreign coin, or one from the country it was found in, but something unusual about the coin drew the attention of the collector. From there the collector likely started collecting other coins in circulation and eventually went on to become a more serious coin collector.
Coins were collected even in ancient Rome, although it is not clear if this was coin collecting in the modern sense, or just coin hoarding. Petrarch was the first man known to collect coins in the ordered approach of a modern coin collector. Petrarch lived in the 1300s in Italy and given his fascination with classical culture and literature, his collection probably included ancient coins. Since then, a number of different approaches to coin collecting have developed around the world.
The coins that collectors acquire can range from ancient coins to coins from modern nations that no longer exist. Some collectors even specialize in collecting coins made with minor defects in them. Many collectors choose a specific year or a certain series of coin to collect. Comprehensive coin collections, where a collector has every type of coin issued in a country, are extremely rare. Some people however, manage to assemble comprehensive coin collections from one country or another.
Most collectors start out collecting coins belonging to the currency of the country they live in. Usually it's something unique or eye catching to the budding collector that rouses their interest. From this start, they may go on to collect specific years or valuations of coins. Usually the initial interest provokes reading about coins and coin collecting and then they're off.
The best way to start collecting coins is to buy a coin collecting reference book and to join a coin collecting club if possible. The coin collecting reference book will both help you to develop an understanding of the valuation of various coins and to allow you to develop an appreciation of the variety of coins collected. Being able to join a coin collecting club as well would be especially helpful. Your fellow club members are bound to be more widely experienced at coin collecting and buying than you are. Furthermore, they will know trustworthy coin dealers, they will also know about coin collecting shows and you might develop some good friendships along the way.
A useful strategy for building a coin collection is to find a coin dealer that you can trust and get advice from. This is where joining a coin collecting club would help, because other members would know such individuals. Although some people might think that a coin dealer could have a conflict of interest in giving advice, the experience that a coin dealer could offer in terms of the coin collecting world could be invaluable to you. Obviously you will have to decide on what kind of budget you will follow in building your coin collection. This in itself will give you some kind of structure in terms of how quickly your collection grows and what you buy.
An outstanding coin collection may take a lifetime to build. Like many hobbies, the real advantage of coin collecting is the fascination, interest and mental absorption that the activity can offer the coin collector. If you select your collection well, you may even make a profit on the side.
Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Coin Collecting
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Russell
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