Any coin collectors out there?

[PippinTheChicken]

I was wondering if anyone here likes old/unique coins.

I'm not such a "collector" but I enjoy having old coins. I only have 2 special coins.

I have one Welsh dragon £1 coin. I don't have it with me at the moment so I forgot the year.

Yesterday I bought a 1879 trade US dollar!

 

[MeanCheek]

Also these, but I don't think they are rare or unique. All fifty, shiny and unused.

 

[Shevraeth]

I used to teach history and geography, and I very casually collect (like, it's all thrown in a box and not organized and stuff) random currency. I have a little bit of something from all over the world. Third Reich pfennigs, a coin from Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), occupied Japan, 1943 France, Civil War coins and Confederate IOUs, 1909 rubles from Russia, etc, plus modern currency from about half the world I'd say.

 

[Fluffy Lambs]

Hahah my brother just started acting like he wants to collect coins so he's stealing my dads

 

[1cock2hens]

I had a wonderful coin collection until recently, I'm very into old American coins. I traded most of my silver coins for a goat and trades my only gold coin for 2 goats. I can't wait to build my collection again

 

[azurbanclucker]

Does the year matter for all coins?

Yes, for a variety of reasons:

• Older coins typically are more valuable because they're more rare (in theory, not always true).
• Materials changes over time impact value. For instance, US Mint stopped minting quarters out of silver in 1965, so pre 65 coins have more value (fluctuates depending on silver pricing of course). Coins minted with precious metals seem to always be at least worth the metals weight if nothing else.
• Design changes matter. More visually striking coins have more value, and they're usually minted for a period of time (like say bicentennial quarters were only 1976)
• Coins stop being minted due to low circulation or paper changes (20 dollar gold eagles are an example. paper 20 dollar bills were easier to carry so they died out and as a result are worth mega bucks today).
• Circulation of coinage for a given year may be lopsided (meaning one minting location produced a LOT while another location produced very few). So the coins minted in low numbers will have higher value than the more common ones.
• Low production volume collector coins minted as legal tender tend to appreciate in value too, but it's a dice roll and they can fluctuate wildly in value depending on the whims of the collector community.
• Minting nation matters too. Old Mexican pesos aren't valued as highly as old US coins for example. (again, there are some exceptions to this).

Condition and rarity are the really big keys to coins, as is popularity of certain designs. Finding the right mix in your coins is how you cash in on a collection (see what I did there?)

As I mentioned, I'm not really a collector and this is just stuff I've picked up as general knowledge. I'm certain a skilled numismatist would be able to go deep into this topic in ways I can't imagine.

 

[MeanCheek]

I have a couple gold dollar coins, and a half dollar or two, but my only rare one is a special penny. Let me find it

 

[PippinTheChicken]

I remembered the date of my Welsh coin! 2000!
Here's a google picture, because as I said, I don't have it with me!

 

[azurbanclucker]

I had a wonderful coin collection until recently, I'm very into old American coins. I traded most of my silver coins for a goat and trades my only gold coin for 2 goats. I can't wait to build my collection again

This gave me a mental image of Jack and the Beanstalk for some reason.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Why do other countries have such cool currency?

I collect money, mainly quarters. But only ones that are like landmark years or parks. Not the states or the eagle one.

I also have some bills. A 2 dollar, a cool 20 dollar and one from Costa Rica with a sloth on it