Few people realize that beginner coin collecting can take them down a long, fascinating history-laden road. One cannot look at many coins without seeing the face of a famous historical leader like Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, prominent Native American Indians, as well as national monuments. Ever wonder how historic faces got onto the fronts of coinage, where they were produced and when they were made? Stay in this pastime very long, and all of this will be revealed. To get started in this interesting hobby, few tools are needed other than a strong light, a magnifying glass, and a container for the collection. A collecting book that gives all the instructions will be needed to discover the varying types of defects, designs and delights inherent in not only our nation's, but also in the world's coinage. The local hobby shop can provide little acid-free envelopes in which to store various pieces, and trips to local shops will provide introductions to other collectors, who can pass on volumes of knowledge for those new to the hobby. The coin collecting book will not be the only reference at this point. Most likely, these people will become valuable resources when pricing information is needed, when information is desired about when numismatic shows will be scheduled, and when the collector wants to network with other numismatists in the area. What is a numismatist? Why a coin collector of course! Sounds like a cerebral hobby, doesn't it? Well, it is.
Rather than simply a pastime for a rainy Saturday afternoon, this hobby can become quite lucrative for those who decide to collect year upon year. For the serious collector, the coin collecting book becomes a veritable encyclopedia of all the coinage in the collection, and also contains the history, place of minting, condition and value of each piece. If very old or rare specimens are found in excellent condition and kept for many years, they can be taken to auction and sold for hundreds to thousands of dollars. At this point, the hobby is no longer beginner collecting, but investing. This is the point at which collecting becomes very lucrative and financially beneficial for the studious and careful. Collections have even been put into family wills and trusts to be handed down from generation to generation.
Beginner coin collecting will also reveal that money wasn't always in its present form, but years and years ago, glass beads and even cocoa beans were used as forms of currency. Early peoples of the world like the Romans made currency of baked clay and iron, and as the centuries passed, more and more sophisticated means were used to manufacture coinage. Early in American history, small and large denominations were made of gold which was stored in the nations treasury. During World War II, pennies were made of steel so that the copper and silver could be used in support of wartime industry. Also, the designs on the reverse sides of coins have changed throughout the decades. Paging through a collecting book will reveal various values for each type of design minted. Today, pennies are made of an alloy center with thin layers of copper on each side. Nickels are manufactured using this method also, only instead of having a coat of copper; they are thinly coated with silver.
Someone new to beginner coin collecting should familiarize themselves as much as possible with the terminology used in the study of coins. Then when it comes time to visit coin shows, attention can remain focused on hunting those precious coins currently missing from the collection, instead of wondering what all those terms mean that are written on the outsides of the coin covers, boxes and that are used by professionals and long-term collectors. Perhaps it would be a good idea to bring along that valuable coin collecting book.
One of the quickest ways for those in beginner coin collecting to become familiar with a large variety of coins is to learn to grade them. Grading is the simple process of matching the coin to a picture of it in the coin collecting book in order to discover its condition. Also, the collector can focus on one particular denomination of coin, like the quarter or the rarer 3 cent pieces used earlier in American history. Coin shops stock card books with coin-shaped slots in them where one can store various types, sizes and denominations, so that they wont get soiled or damaged. Collectors obviously go to great lengths to ensure no piece to the collection is ever lost. In the same way, Jesus cares for humanity, only on a much grander scale. In the book of Luke, chapter 15, Jesus discusses the parable of the lost sheep and about how valuable people are in His eyes. In verses 8, 9 and 10 He says "Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doeth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently until she find it? And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and neighbors together, saying, rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I had lost. Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repenteth".
If the numismatist desires, he can venture out to other establishments that sell old pieces, like antique shops and flea markets. Who knows, perhaps that elusive vintage denarius has been lurking in a crock of coins in a corner somewhere! Many people have taken old collections to pawn shops when they needed money to pay off debts. These types of stores could be a great place to search for collections someone else has carefully and lovingly put together over the years, and all of the searching has already been completed. Now all that is left is for the beginner coin collector to learn how to say numismatic ten times fast without getting tongue tied!
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