Collecting Coins

Many of us like coins. We enjoy counting them, we enjoy looking at their designs, and we enjoy spending them. But I think the best way to get the most fun out of coins is by collecting them. I have a decent-sized collection of foreign coins, which I have put together over the years.

Coins have been in use for hundreds of thousands of years, the most well-known ancient coins being Roman coins. There are many American coins that were minted hundreds of years ago, and some of them, even the pennies, are now worth thousands of dollars!

The best place to start up your collection is to check your pocket money. If you see any coins that are unusual, old, or unfamiliar, set them aside to look at later. Check in a coin book or on the Internet to see what sort of coin you have discovered. Make it a habit to check every single coin you receive. There are some rare or unique coins still in circulation, waiting to be discovered by a lucky collector. If you pay attention, it might just be you!

Collecting coins can be very fun, but it can become a nightmare if something happens to any coins in your collection. You must know how to properly handle your coins. Here are the best tips to handling your collection:

1.    DO NOT DROP YOUR COINS ON A HARD SURFACE. As sturdy as your coins may seem, some of the older ones are more likely to crack. You can reduce the risk of breaking your coins by examining them above something soft (blankets, paper towels, etc.). Dropping a coin on a soft surface leaves little or no mark, unlike dropping it on a wooden floor, which may cause it to crack in half.

2.    DO NOT TOUCH THE FACE WITH YOUR FINGER. You must be very careful about how you pick your coins up. Hold it by the edge between your thumb and finger, but do not touch the face. Touching the face with your finger may leave a fingerprint, depending partly on the age of the coin. You may not see the fingerprint at first, but after a few days it will start to leave a mark, making damage to the coin. This may seriously reduce the selling price of the coin.

3.    DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CLEAN ANY OF YOUR COINS. If a coin you find is dirty, you should not try to clean it, as this may damage it beyond repair. If a coin is so dirty that you cannot see anything on it, you should try to get it cleaned. But first, search the Internet for a safe cleaning technique, or consult a professional.

To keep your collection organised and professional, make a list of every coin you have. Make different sections for coins from different countries or continents, and make a record of all the markings and words on each coin. Remember to look very carefully at each coin, maybe with a magnifying glass. Keep your list organised, or else you'll just confuse yourself! Check your coins and list every month or so, to make sure you didn't make any mistakes in the list or lost any of your coins.

If you're wanting to sell some coins from your collection or buy some new ones, it helps to have a book about coin prices on the shelf. You should read lots of up-to-date books about coins, containing proper prices, so you know a fair price to sell your coins for, or know how to sniff out an unfair price.

That's all you need to know, so get going, and most importantly, have fun!