next coin/thing to collect

[Davids5104]

I currently collect 3 things.

1. mercury dimes

2. Roosevelt dimes

3. NGC top 100 modern

 

I am trying to decide what to start collecting now because the ngc set, I am left with the expensive ones and I have good starts on the merc and roosies and want to move energy somewhere else.

 

Morgans/peace/kennedy/buffalos don't interest me particularly. so I am shying away from those.

 

my questions are about fractional currency, foreign coins, and confederate coins.

1. how do you collect foreign coins? do you pick a specific country? denomination? I know this is a dumb question because you can do whatever you want, but what do others do? Where do you find foreign coins because it seems less available for obvious reasons.

2. how are confederate coins collected? and is that the same thing as tokens?

3. fractional currency just looks pretty, so wanted to know peoples general opinions on this topic. I know this is coin thread but......

 

If you had to pick one of these three options, which one and why? If you hate these options give me your idea and why...

[Lastufka Collection]

Recently I've been collecting 1oz gold coins from all countries. So precious metal weight? Not denomination. I find they are easy enough to find graded through bullion dealers and eBay. And I've bought a few in mint packaging from Canada and Austria to send in for grading. And because a few countries make so many varieties each year, I should have a lot of past and present designs to choose from for quite a while.

 

Probably not super helpful, but thought I'd chime in on your question about foreign coins.

[DaveG]

my questions are about fractional currency, foreign coins, and confederate coins.

 

1. how do you collect foreign coins? do you pick a specific country? denomination? I know this is a dumb question because you can do whatever you want, but what do others do? Where do you find foreign coins because it seems less available for obvious reasons.

 

2. how are confederate coins collected? and is that the same thing as tokens?

 

3. fractional currency just looks pretty, so wanted to know peoples general opinions on this topic. I know this is coin thread but......

 

 

Most people who collect world coins pick a specific country or region or time period. There are many world coin dealers in the US, so the coins are, generally speaking, pretty readily available.

 

Except for four Confederate half dollars and some Confederate cents (and restrikes), there aren't any Confederate coins. There's lots and lots of Confederate currency, though.

 

Tokens are completely different from Confederate coins. Tokens are issued by private individuals (or companies) to act in place of money. There are tons and tons of tokens out there from many different time periods and there are a fair number of people who collect tokens.

 

Collecting something "just because it's pretty" is a good reason to start collecting it. There are a fair number of people who collect fractional currency.

[Raisethis2]

There are hundreds of different foreign coins. You really need to know your business to ensure you're buying at a fair price point. I think for that reason only the most experienced collectors go after that stuff.

 

Similarly, fractional currency is somewhat limited unless you want to get into bills from specific years and areas (that's my understanding). Then it just comes down to condition.

 

I'd recommend a more collector friendly approach like AU or higher Walkers or Buffalo's. These are series that are kind of "down" now and can be bought reasonably.

[tommy44]

Not sure what you are looking for but let me tell what I did when I was looking for another "coin/thing" to collect.

 

I started to put together a collection of silver dollar size crowns of the world. No particular goal in mind, just one coin from every country in Krause that had a coin that fit the criteria. Combine that with a large framed map of the world and a bunch of map pins and it can teach you a lot about world geography, politics and history in addition to being fun. You would be surprised how many you can find on a limited budget, especially if you don't care if they are certified.

 

This could really be fun if you could put the collection together with the help of a child or grandchild.

[BillJones]

1. how do you collect foreign coins? do you pick a specific country? denomination? I know this is a dumb question because you can do whatever you want, but what do others do? Where do you find foreign coins because it seems less available for obvious reasons.

 

I have been working on a collection of at least one coin for each English king or queen, from William the Conqueror to Queen Elizabeth II. I have tried to acquire a gold coin where it is feasible. You can't get coins for all of them because none were made for a few reigns. The most recent one was Edward VIII (less than one year reign, 1936) who abdicated in before virtually any coins could be made with his portrait. It is a fun collection, and I have learned a lot along the way. It can be expensive, but you can also buy 500 year old English silver pennies for $100 to $200. Granted they are small, but they are old.

 

2. how are confederate coins collected? and is that the same thing as tokens?

 

There is virtually nothing to collect and there are virtually no coins available with respect to Confederate States of America coinage. There are four known Confederate half dollars that were struck at the New Orleans mint in 1861. There are the Confederate restrike half dollars, but those will run you $8,000 to $20,000 and were made in the mid 1870s. There are Confederate cents, but the original pieces are controversal and very rare. There are Bashlow restrikes, but those were made from transfer dies in 1961.

 

Civil War tokens are a whole different field. It is huge and there are many ways to collect them. If you get serious, you can join the Civil War Token Society, which can provide you with a wealth of information.

 

Confederate currency is another field. There are many ways to collect these notes ranging from very expensive to not that bad.

 

3. fractional currency just looks pretty, so wanted to know peoples general opinions on this topic. I know this is coin thread but......

 

I collected a type set of Fractional Currency in the late 1980s. I get them out and look at them every now and then. It is a fun series and might be interesting to you. Once more you can do it on a budget, or you can spend a lot of money.

 

If find all of these fields more interesting than the three areas in which you now collect, but that's just me. I get bored with most date and mint mark sets. You can look at my registry sets if you like. A couple of the links are in my tag line.

 

[Lucky One]

I currently collect 3 things.

1. mercury dimes

2. Roosevelt dimes

3. NGC top 100 modern

 

I am trying to decide what to start collecting now because the ngc set, I am left with the expensive ones and I have good starts on the merc and roosies and want to move energy somewhere else.

 

Morgans/peace/kennedy/buffalos don't interest me particularly. so I am shying away from those.

 

my questions are about fractional currency, foreign coins, and confederate coins.

1. how do you collect foreign coins? do you pick a specific country? denomination? I know this is a dumb question because you can do whatever you want, but what do others do? Where do you find foreign coins because it seems less available for obvious reasons.

2. how are confederate coins collected? and is that the same thing as tokens?

3. fractional currency just looks pretty, so wanted to know peoples general opinions on this topic. I know this is coin thread but......

 

If you had to pick one of these three options, which one and why? If you hate these options give me your idea and why...

 

for me, there are only two considerations:

 

1- the series needs to be interesing and challenging because if it is neither, it will not not give the enjoyment that collecting and studying coins offers

 

2- at some point in the future we all will have to sell our collections, whether it is to cover the expenses in an emergency or to cover the expenses of retirement. I always choose series that meet the above qualifications as well as the ability to hold more of it's value over time, or even appreciate, until I am faced with liquidation.

 

Foreign coins are beautiful and many are much rarer than their prices would suggest. I would recommend collecting a series like shooting thalers or small gold, and it doesn;t need to be organized in any specific way- remember, you're not doing this to make anyone happy but yourself, so no matter how haphazard your collection may look to others, if it makes *you* happy, do it.

 

Hope that helps a bit, it is a question I see all the time and this is the best reply I can think of. Enjoy the hobby, it's worthless if you don't...

 

ps- imho, fractional currency, confederate coins and currency and the like are so esoteric that unless you have deep pockets, you may have fun, but will there still be a lot of civil war buffs around when you decide to sell your collection? I am now 56 and remember a LOT of civil war enthusiasts when I was young, but I know almost none today. Granted, maybe my present location is the reason, but it seems to be an interest that is waning, not gaining, so unless you are just in it for the fun of it, shy away and go for something much more popular. I gave the suggestion of shooting thalers only because they are big, interesting and have a large world following but are still reasonably priced for the amount of interest in them.

 

 

[Lucky One]

1. how do you collect foreign coins? do you pick a specific country? denomination? I know this is a dumb question because you can do whatever you want, but what do others do? Where do you find foreign coins because it seems less available for obvious reasons.

 

I have been working on a collection of at least one coin for each English king or queen, from William the Conqueror to Queen Elizabeth II. I have tried to acquire a gold coin where it is feasible. You can't get coins for all of them because none were made for a few reigns. The most recent one was Edward VIII (less than one year reign, 1936) who abdicated in before virtually any coins could be made with his portrait. It is a fun collection, and I have learned a lot along the way. It can be expensive, but you can also buy 500 year old English silver pennies for $100 to $200. Granted they are small, but they are old.

 

 

this sounds very interesting Bill. I'll bet it makes a great display- have you shown it at shows? Thanks for sharing the idea...

[BillJones]

I am now 56 and remember a LOT of civil war enthusiasts when I was young, but I know almost none today. Granted, maybe my present location is the reason, but it seems to be an interest that is waning, not gaining, so unless you are just in it for the fun of it, shy away and go for something much more popular. I gave the suggestion of shooting thalers only because they are big, interesting and have a large world following but are still reasonably priced for the amount of interest in them.

 

There are a lot more Civil War enthusiasts out there than you might think. Civil War tokens were a major sideline for me when I was an active dealer. It was a strong lucrative market then and the prices are far stronger today. I have sold a few pieces from my collection and have quadrupled the money in some cases. And we are no talking about $1 to $4. It was hundreds of dollars to thousands of dollars.

 

In the same vein, Civil War Sutler token prices are way up. Years ago you could buy nice pieces for a few hundred dollars. Now they are a thousand or more dollars, even for the sutler token issuers who were considered "common."

 

The prices for Confederate currency are higher than they were years ago. There is an excellent guide by Pierre Fricke which has drawn more collectors into the series.

 

Regular U.S. coinage that is dated during the Civil War years is very popular. The most common date, 1861, is quite strong, and the better dates, 1862 - 5 are bringing good prices. Check the blogs. You see titles like "Recent acquisition - Civil War dated coinage."

 

In the overall scheme, I heard a few years ago that there were over 16,000 nonfiction books on the Civil War that have been published within the last couple of decades and the number is constantly growing. No, the demand for Civil War dated material is quite strong.

 

[BillJones]

this sounds very interesting Bill. I'll bet it makes a great display- have you shown it at shows? Thanks for sharing the idea...

 

No, it would be pretty hard to get that one to work if you are going to exhibit competitively. I already get too much static now that my exhibits have too much information. If I were to exhibit any part of that collection, it would have to be limited to a century or two.

[Lucky One]

I am now 56 and remember a LOT of civil war enthusiasts when I was young, but I know almost none today. Granted, maybe my present location is the reason, but it seems to be an interest that is waning, not gaining, so unless you are just in it for the fun of it, shy away and go for something much more popular. I gave the suggestion of shooting thalers only because they are big, interesting and have a large world following but are still reasonably priced for the amount of interest in them.

 

There are a lot more Civil War enthusiasts out there than you might think. Civil War tokens were a major sideline for me when I was an active dealer. It was a strong lucrative market then and the prices are far stronger today. I have sold a few pieces from my collection and have quadrupled the money in some cases. And we are no talking about $1 to $4. It was hundreds of dollars to thousands of dollars.

 

In the same vein, Civil War Sutler token prices are way up. Years ago you could buy nice pieces for a few hundred dollars. Now they are a thousand or more dollars, even for the sutler token issuers who were considered "common."

 

The prices for Confederate currency are higher than they were years ago. There is an excellent guide by Pierre Fricke which has drawn more collectors into the series.

 

Regular U.S. coinage that is dated during the Civil War years is very popular. The most common date, 1861, is quite strong, and the better dates, 1862 - 5 are bringing good prices. Check the blogs. You see titles like "Recent acquisition - Civil War dated coinage."

 

In the overall scheme, I heard a few years ago that there were over 16,000 nonfiction books on the Civil War that have been published within the last couple of decades and the number is constantly growing. No, the demand for Civil War dated material is quite strong.

 

thanks for the info Bill, definitely useful. I began my numismatic collecting career through my interest in the revolutionary and civil wars as a child, grew up in an area rich in civil war relics, so I know some of them are hard core collectors. I was referring to the future, suggesting that that level of interest might not follow through the generations and be there in thirty years, that's all. As a collector of liberty half eagles, I definitely have to agree that civil war era coins are popular, but I think what drives the prices is the lack of available coinage more than anything else. Yes, the more people who collect civil war relics, the more coins are taken from pure numismatists, but the core problem is that some of these dates have less than 30 known and most less than 100 known to exist. The opposite is true for Indian cents, seated quarters and halves, etc, from the same years. So I agree with you wholeheartedly and add this to the discussion...

[Lucky One]

There are hundreds of different foreign coins. You really need to know your business to ensure you're buying at a fair price point. I think for that reason only the most experienced collectors go after that stuff.

 

Similarly, fractional currency is somewhat limited unless you want to get into bills from specific years and areas (that's my understanding). Then it just comes down to condition.

 

I'd recommend a more collector friendly approach like AU or higher Walkers or Buffalo's. These are series that are kind of "down" now and can be bought reasonably.

 

great observation. I became one of the experienced ones after realizing how big an ocean of sharks I was swimming it. For me though, since I collected only colonial era foreigns, there were a lot of US dealers at small shows with large inventories of what I wanted so I got some good deals on my picks.

 

I also want to say that your suggestion of collecting AU WL halves is a good one- for around $20-$50 you can buy true gem AU WL halves, probably 30 or more different, and they look as nice as gem BU's with just a touch of rub if you discriminate. They are beautiful, interesting and just hard enough to find to spend a year or two on before you move on to somehting bigger and better. Same goes for Morgan and Peace dollars- with silver dropping so drastically, there is a glut of nice gem AU coins on the market at rather reasonable prices- why pay hundreds for common relatively common choice to gem bu coins when gem AU coins are in the same price range as the Walkers? Great suggestion!

[cpm9ball]

I started collecting medals about 20 years ago. You can collect them any way you wish. For example, one of our members collects Swiss Shooting Medals and has a great Registry Set. Another member collects medals with horses on them. I collect French, Belgian and Swiss medals from the 19th & early 20th century. You can collect medals made in almost any metal composition.....gold, silver, bronze, copper, brass, etc. I also have a collection of ANA National Convention medals for the years 1969-1982 that are struck in silver and bronze as well as anniversary and bicentennial medals by state.

 

There are so many possibilities for building sets that it is only limited by your imagination. The only caveat that I must offer is that not all medals can be authenticated by the major grading services.

 

Chris

[Lucky One]

Not sure what you are looking for but let me tell what I did when I was looking for another "coin/thing" to collect.

 

I started to put together a collection of silver dollar size crowns of the world. No particular goal in mind, just one coin from every country in Krause that had a coin that fit the criteria. Combine that with a large framed map of the world and a bunch of map pins and it can teach you a lot about world geography, politics and history in addition to being fun. You would be surprised how many you can find on a limited budget, especially if you don't care if they are certified.

 

This could really be fun if you could put the collection together with the help of a child or grandchild.

 

this is how I started collecting foreign coins- I loved the big crowns and because I couldn't afford US bust dollars, they filled the urge for five to ten bucks a pop back then. What great memories this topic brings back. And the point that you learn as you go shouldn't be taken lightly, especially if you're trying to interest a young one in to keep him off the streets.

 

A side point is that many ask 'what should I do or how should I organize such a collection?' and to that I say buy what makes you happy and holds your interest and let the collection shape itself- I have for fifty years (yep, this is my fiftieth year in my favorite hobby) and it's still evolving...

 

[cladking]

I enjoy collecting many of the modern circulating coinage of the world. I define "modern" as the debased coins made after the silver was removed between 1945 and 1965 depending on the country. I collect the series by date in nice chBU/ gemmy condition or MS-63+/ MS-64+. I do like higher grades as well but avoid paying premiums for them. Usually the coins will be cheap regardless of grade if you can find them.

 

I've also started a world silver type collection from 1800 to1965 as well as a few copper series like the English Pennies from 1860 to 1970.

 

There are some surprising coins in the world.

 

Tokens and medals are a hoot as well.

[david3142]

Here's a question to ask yourself - what grade do you like to collect? Obviously, when you combine this with your budget, you'll get a pretty good idea for what series (or type collection) make sense to pursue. I enjoy a broad range - I like the way circulated Buffalos and Lincolns look, but I don't really like circulated Walkers below AU or Morgans below VF. If you like MS63 and MS64 coins, then you can complete most of those two series. I don't care too much about getting grades above 65 for Morgans, generally. I'd rather get something toned or DMPL. If you like MS66-MS69 coins,then unless your budget is enormous, you should find something modern (commemoratives, Lincolns, Eagles - many choices!)

 

Another thing to consider is the length of time you plan to take to finish the set. How many coins are in the set, how available are they, and how often will you be adding them to your collection? Or perhaps finishing isn't a goal and you just want to explore.

[mackbrass]

Take a look at some of the less know lower mintage Canadian coins, start with the 2013 high relief maple, mintage of only 10th and look awesome. Also look at the Canadian war of 1812 3/4 oz, very cool and rarely seen. Me personally, I love the Perth mint lunar series. Limited mintage and highly collected. Back to the Canadian stuff, they have some 1.5 oz, 1.25oz, 3/4 oz stuff that are very cool.

[World Colonial]

You should tailor your collections to what you like and what you can afford. Sounds to me that you have holes in your current sets because they are out of your budget. It doesn't matter if completion isn't apriority to you but it is too many others.

 

I have been a collector (off and on) for 40 years, since I was 10. When I resumed collecting in 1998, I chose to exclusively collect "world" coins because I quickly concluded there wasn't anything from US coinage that I could both afford and really wanted even then, and prices are much higher now for better quality coins and even the circulated type that many collectors want to buy.

 

There are a few challenges you will find with "world" coins that you don't encounter with most US series.

 

First, there isn't a lot of reference material outside of the major countries such as the UK or ancients (Greece and Rome), though these aren't considered "world" coins by most. Much of what exists isn't written in English either, though I have found that invariably, a lot of research is done by English speakers (mostly Americans and British) because there is little local interest in collecting in most countries.

 

Second, depending upon what you collect, the coins can be much harder to find, especially in the quality (based upon the TPG grade) that most US collectors prefer to buy and collect. Because TPG isn't that popular elsewhere, there aren't very many graded coins and disproportionately, most graded "world" coins are bought and owned by American based collectors.

 

Also on the scarcity, because of the lack of reference material, it isn't always obvious how available the coins are and the supply isn't always indicative of what exists because the prices are "artificially" low. By this, I mean there is a lack of "price discovery" because there is a lack of sales history, the price guides (such as Krause but could be others) are invariably wrong and this combination doesn't make it worthwhile for knowledgeable owners to make them available. For 20th century coins, many of these are (presumably) also owned by non-collectors.

 

My primary series are Spanish colonial pillar minors (1732-1772), South Africa Union (1923-1960) and Bolivia Republic decimals (post 1863). For pillars, only the Mexico 8R has relatively wide availability in any decent grade. For Union, the early proof sets are disproportionately scarce and so are many of the KGV circulation strikes. Almost none are common in high grades. Only a very low number of the Bolivian series are available either in higher grades.

[Davids5104]

these are all great comments and suggestions. Mississippi has a coin show coming up in a month or two. I may wait till then to see what strikes me. having some british coinage 500 years old is intriguing though. right now my most expensive coin has been a 290 dollar coin and I did not like seeing that money leave my account. but I also do not buy coins less than 25 dollars. so most are 50-150 which gets you far on mercury, roosies, and NGC modern. Until I either divorce my current wife and marry for money (instead of love) or get a better jobs that pays 4x what I make now. I will be stuck at this dollar value for my coin purchases....

[World Colonial]

You can buy a lot of world coins for $300 or less, though not as many in higher grade as before. My collection is worth in the range of $50k and the average value is about $200, with most worth less than this amount and a small number a lot more. I liquidated most of my better South Africa in 2009-2011 to "cash out" and slightly ahead financially on what I have still have.

 

Whether you buy US or world, you might also want to "save up" for better coins. Sometimes its hard if you see something you want and you are the type of buyer who likes to make regular additions.

 

I haven't bought much this year. Aside from other financial priorities, I am also saving my coin budget in anticipation of the second installment of the Rudman collection in 2016. His is one of the few complete and maybe the highest quality Mexico pillar collection ever put together. For this series, "name" collections are often the only opportunity to find the most difficult coins.

[Lucky One]

 

...because of the lack of reference material, it isn't always obvious how available the coins are and the supply isn't always indicative of what exists because the prices are "artificially" low. By this, I mean there is a lack of "price discovery" because there is a lack of sales history, the price guides (such as Krause but could be others) are invariably wrong and this combination doesn't make it worthwhile for knowledgeable owners to make them available. For 20th century coins, many of these are (presumably) also owned by non-collectors.

 

 

very astute observation that escapes many modern collectors. I think it was Bowers who used to say 'buy the book before the coin', but if the book doesn't tell you anything useful on value, the next best advice is buy what everyone else is ignoring if you know it to be scarce or rare. If there's no one paying attention, there is no market and no price runup. Anyway, you make a stong point about many really rare (comparatively) world coins and they are there for the stealing if you want to do the research. I have cherry picked world coins all my life with no particular aim to my collection, and they don't have great value like some early American coins have, but they taught me as much as collecting American coins has and they are extremely interesting, their history as well.

 

One other point that I'd like to make is that Krause and the rest do a pretty good job of comiling prices but, like American coins, it is hard to do with so little sales information available. Perhaps in another twn years we'll have world data entry points and a central database to look world coin data up on, but for now we have to take the guides for what they are- just guides. Good thing the prices are usually behind, gives collectors the edge up!

[cladking]

Good thing the prices are usually behind, gives collectors the edge up!

 

Knowledgeable collectors certainly have the upper hand but almost the entire supply of most country's coins are in the US so the artificially low prices are driving them out of the country. Much of the growth in world coin collecting is occuring in relative handful of countries like India, China, Russia, etc, etc...

 

 

[World Colonial]

Price guides such as Krause or local catalogs such as the South African Hern Guide do not remotely reflect reality in my experience. My conclusion is that they just make the numbers up because there certainly isn't a better explanation for it. They are useful for attribution but not really otherwise.