How To Determine Your Coin Collecting Goals As A Beginner

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Many people look to their pocket change with interest.

Why? Because coins, which are at the root of our nation’s — and the world’s — economy, offer so much more than buying power. They represent history, society, geography, and politics in artistic designs meant to capture the eye and, often, the imagination.

I’ve been collecting U.S. coins for over 35 years now. (You can read about my first coin — the one that got me started collecting!)

Following are some tips to help you set goals for your own coin collection, no matter how large or small it might be. (Even if you never really thought of yourself as a “coin collector.”)

In this article you will find:

• Reasons to start collecting coins
• How to determine your goals as a new collector
• The best coin collecting books & price guides
• The best websites & coin forums to get your questions answered
• Lots of fun ways to collect coins & build your first collection

Who Collects Coins Anyway?

Coin collecting is a hobby whose origins can be traced back to kings and the rich of ancient times.

Today, millions of people (of all social and economic levels) around the world enjoy collecting coins.

MUST READ: 11 Reasons To Start Collecting Coins Right Now (5 More Reasons Here!)

Those people who devote a particularly good amount of time and interest in studying coins are often called numismatists.

• Numismatists are those who study coins and money.
• Numismatics is the study of coins and money.

While some people are dedicated students of the hobby of coin collecting, many others are simply those who enjoy collecting coins on a more recreational level.

Yet, no matter to what level one takes their numismatic pursuits, most everyone who takes that extra moment (or two) to look at the coins in their hands has one thing in common: they all find coins interesting.

Here’s a list of celebrities who enjoy collecting coins.

What Are Your Coin Collecting Goals?

People who express an interest in getting into the hobby of collecting coins sometimes do not know where to start. In fact, coin collecting is one of those hobbies that has few, if any, restrictions. And countless options!

The key to this hobby is to collect what you enjoy most. You don’t have to follow strict guidelines as to what types of coins to collect.

Some coin collectors even like to have numerous such goals, which are pursued simultaneously!

Like most anything else we take on in life, coin collecting often urges us to define and reach certain goals and objectives. So it’s up to you to decide for yourself which type of coin collecting goals you will have.

For instance, would you like to collect one example of every coin design the U.S. Mint has produced during the 20th century? If so, you have defined for yourself just one of the countless types of goals that coin collectors try to reach in their hobby.

As you can see, coin collecting allows you to personalize your collection in most any way you like. Yet, when you set specific collecting goals for yourself, you can take the hobby to a whole new level of excitement.

These goals need not be hard to reach. Yet, for those who enjoy a challenge, coin collecting allows people to work toward particularly tough coin collecting goals which can literally take years to “complete.” Even after these goals have been met, there are always others that can be pursued.

Don’t forget, you don’t need to limit yourself only to the coins you see in pocket change everyday.

There are hundreds of coin dealers who sell coins in stores and online who can offer you everything from ancient coins to gold coins to the coins of foreign lands — and everything in between.

Great Resources Beginner Coin Collectors

So… what goals do you want to set for your own coin collection?

If you don’t know for sure yet, take some time to surf the internet or read some books and see if you can figure out which types of coins interest you the most.

There are many great books that can help you get acquainted with some different types of coins. Two of my favorites are:

• The Guide Book of United States Coins by R.S. Yeoman and Kenneth Bressett is a coin-collecting staple that has been annually revised and published since 1947. Often dubbed “The Red Book,” it’s published by Whitman Publishing and can easily be found in bookstores.
• The Standard Catalog of World Coins published by Krause Publications is another resource that will introduce you to coins minted over the past century or so from all over the globe. This book is currently not being printed on an annual basis, but older editions are readily available online and remain useful as a photographic guide to vintage and modern world coins, as well as for the wealth of information on coin designers, mintages, and the like.

As far as helpful sites on the internet are concerned…

• The U.S. Mint’s website is a wealth of information for those wanting to find out more about U.S. coins.
• The American Numismatic Association (ANA) a renowned organization that was first chartered in 1891.
• Here are 5 online coin forums where people are talking about coin collecting.

Here are 10 important coin words you should know as a new collector.

Lots Of Fun Ways To Collect Coins

Having a hard time deciding on your personal coin collecting goals?

Here are several articles I’ve written that might shed some light on unique ways to collect coins.

Hopefully, these will bring some fun and interesting ideas to mind for you:

How To Build A “Type Set” And Collect Every U.S. Coin

7 Coin Sets You Can Build For Under $10

Tips For Collecting Novelty Coins

How To Build A Set Of 1900’s Coins

9 Cool Ways To Collect Pennies

How To Build A “Birth Year” Set Of Coins

How To Collect Short Sets

Tips For Collecting Commemorative Coins

3 Ways To Collect Proof Sets

Collect All 50 State Quarters

Collect Modern Coins (1950 To Present)

What To Look For When Collecting Coins From Circulation