Coin Collecting – A Beginner’s Guide

Coin collecting is a popular hobby among people of all ages from every economic background. The technical name for the study of coins is numismatics. Some people become interested in this activity by finding a curious coin in their pocket change or while metal detecting. Others are introduced to it by a family member, friend or by attending a Boy Scout coin-collecting merit badge workshop.

Some collectors are more serious about the hobby than others and will spend a great deal of time and money trying to build a very large collection. This is not always a good thing as it can take the fun out of the hobby for some people. Other people just enjoy assembling a small group of coins that represent a particular historical period or that have a certain design theme such as horses, ships and boats, birds or architecture.

This hobby can also be very lucrative if you are smart about it and buy coins that will increase in value over the years. There are some rare beautiful coins that have been sold for millions of dollars.

A good way to begin this hobby is by saving the coins that you receive in your change. There are many specialized coin dealers who will purchase these coins from you at reasonable prices. There are also books like “A Guide Book of United States Coins” or the widely known “red book” that will give you a good understanding of the history of coins, how to grade them and a list of errors to watch for.