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Jamie Bergman

Complete novice

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Hello, as the title would suggest I am a complete novice to coin collection. 

Is there a “starting point” to this? 

Where are the best places to acquire coins?

i have looked on eBay and have purchased some commemorative items from the royal mint. 

But, any other advice and/or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. 

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Welcome to the forum ;)

As you've already purchased some commemoratives, I'd say that you ualready found the starting point. I can personally reccommend reading through some of the posts here on the coins you like the look of to give you more info.

The search box is your friend.

 

 

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Hi Jamie,

Welcome to the forum, well you have made a good start by finding this forum. Tell us a little bit about what has sparked your interest in coins. It might help people give you advice on what you are looking for. There are a lot of different things to choose so it's good to ask questions and to do some reading. The Rotographic books advertised on this site are a good start. Be careful of spending too much time on eBay it's just one place to look.

If you delve around the site you will notice that there are some good dealers on here who will see you okay. But if you are a complete novice don't rush things even though the temptation is to buy loads at once, easier said than done I know.

Start reading some of the threads on here and ask some questions.

Ian

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Hi Ian

thanks for the tips. 

I’m not sure where my interest has come from but I’m ex armed forces so the commemorative coins are a good way for me to have a link with coinage. And if my eventual collection brings a small amount of wealth to my children then that would be a bonus.

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I wouldn't bank on modern commemoratives giving you any wealth either now or in future.

Many (as advertised on TV) are a complete waste of cash, but the general rule is, if you enjoy them and you're happy with what you paid, then that's ok.

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45 minutes ago, Jamie Bergman said:

Hi Ian

thanks for the tips. 

I’m not sure where my interest has come from but I’m ex armed forces so the commemorative coins are a good way for me to have a link with coinage. And if my eventual collection brings a small amount of wealth to my children then that would be a bonus.

Collecting commemorative coins should be relatively straight forward. The coins are usually sealed and in mint condition and so you don't have to worry about grading. If the coins are not sealed up, then avoid touching the surfaces with your hand as you will leave finger prints. 

Ebay should be fine if you do your homework and know what the prices should be. Buying from auctions is another option later on. Remember, the original issue price from the Royal Mint tend to be extremely high compare to what it will sell for later on. Hence, don't overpay. I think most modern commemoratives will not increase significantly (if at all) in value over the years and so I think it is wise to allocate a "hobby budget" rather than an "investment budget" unless you are really sure about resale prices. The values of modern commenoratives are often linked to bullion prices. 

If you were in the armed forces, then you might one day be interested in getting coins that circulated during the times of major wars / battles. E.g. George V coins minted during WW1, George VI coins during WW2 etc. However, you need to have some understanding of grading when buying currency coins. Buying these coins from trusted dealers is often safer than from ebay until you have some experience. 

Happy collecting.

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Welcome Jamie - I hope your collecting proves successful and rewarding.

I am also ex-services and have been collecting for about 16 years (not counting a few years as a child). I could give you advice and ideas for hours so I will try to focus in on a few key points.

Firstly I suggest yo put the "investment" side of collecting on the back burner for now. Rarely does this work out well unless you are really expert. I would also be wary of spending too much on the commemorative coins from the Royal Mint. Very few go up in value in the short term, unless they are precious metal and then they move with the metal. In most cases it is a bit like buying a new car - the value drops by a half just driving it home. And avoid the non-Royal Mint "coins" all together - in most cases they are a complete rip-off and the resale value is almost zero.

Then I would say you need to set yourself some objectives in good military style. Mainly this is deciding what you want to collect - which countries, which metals, which denominations and which eras. All are possible but will depend on budget. You can specialise in a very small area, or spread out looking for anything and everything. You can take any grade that fills a gap, or only buy the very best and take your time. It all comes down to what floats your boat. 

Personally I have gone for British - mainly pre-decimal - and aimed at getting one of everything I can in any grade to start with before gradually upgrading as the opportunity arises. This fills my "completer" mind set and keeps the cost reasonably low, whilst giving me plenty of opportunity for little victories. Others go for a very small area of collecting and focus on being expert in their speciality - you will see them discussing the minutest details on individual coins, and that fills their needs.

Do get a few books before you spend too much on coins. If you are going for British coins, the Rotographic books advertised here are a great affordable start point.

Get a copy of Coin News or search on the web for coin fairs and get along to one to see what is available. It will help you to identify what you enjoy most. Ebay can be good, but bear in mind there are a lot of fakers and charlatans out there, so don't invest a lot until you know how to spot them.

... and keep asking questions.

 

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13 minutes ago, Unwilling Numismatist said:

I wouldn't bank on modern commemoratives giving you any wealth either now or in future.

Many (as advertised on TV) are a complete waste of cash, but the general rule is, if you enjoy them and you're happy with what you paid, then that's ok.

I have to say the military commemoratives are more for nostalgia so it’s a budgeted option. 

Thank you all for your comments I shall try to continue to educate myself and not be too hasty in my purchases. 

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Hi Jamie and welcome to the mad house.

Remember most of us on here have a coin addiction .....so take your time :o

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17 minutes ago, PWA 1967 said:

Hi Jamie and welcome to the mad house.

Remember most of us on here have a coin addiction .....so take your time :o

Thanks 

i feel the temptation building to buy every random coin I see...

must stay calm and learn some more. 

Can anyone recommend any books on the subject?

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5 minutes ago, Jamie Bergman said:

Thanks 

i feel the temptation building to buy every random coin I see...

must stay calm and learn some more. 

Can anyone recommend any books on the subject?

The first question is 'What is the subject?' I recommend you sort that one out first.

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@Rob does have a point.

I narrowed my subject down to Victoria and coins I like, and coins I buy and coins in presentation packs and sets which I also buy, plus some others and also odd job-lots.

Plus a few bank notes.

I try my best not to get involved in anything not directly British.

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1 minute ago, Unwilling Numismatist said:

@Rob does have a point.

I narrowed my subject down to Victoria and coins I like, and coins I buy and coins in presentation packs and sets which I also buy, plus some others and also odd job-lots.

Plus a few bank notes.

I try my best not to get involved in anything not directly British.

:lol: Quality

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If you don't get too hung up on resale value, then buy what you like. If you want to maximise resale value, desist from buying coins until you have read a lot of books and searched through past sales results. There are many ways to collect, all equally valid and sensible.

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Just amazed at some of the lengthy responses here, simply brilliant!

welcome!

My thoughts would be you need to decide what it is you like about coins first. Is it the thought of connecting with history, or do you just like pretty things? A lot of people enjoy collecting type sets of all the different monarchs? That would expose you to a) some of the cheaper coins if you start with Elizabeth and work back, and b ) give you the opportunity to start cutting your teeth on something, as you’ll likely change your collecting area a dozen times until you finally settle with something you like. As you work your way back, there will come a point where you might just want to collect one nice example coin from each monarch, could get a tad expensive otherwise.

Dont forget to buy a couple of nice hammereds  to see if you like them...before you finally settle down to collect pennies! :rolleyes: 

Enjoy!

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Welcome Jamie.

When I rekindled my interest in colecting coins a few years ago, I started by looking to have one coin of each main circulating predecimal denomination, from the quarter farthing to the crown, and then by looking to have at least one coin with each different monarch's head on it (just as far back to Charles II at the moment, I haven't dipped my toe into the world of hammered coins...yet).  This approach meant that I soon had 'a little bit of everything' - which then perhaps leads you towards areas where you might want a few more.

I buy them with no regard to resale but look to buy them relatively shrewdly rather than buying the first one I might see.  My coins are in a whole variety of grades; I would rather have something scarcer/more interesting in lower grade than something more common in very high grade, but to every general rule there are always exceptions and you'll probably find that you will occasionally push the boat out for something really appealing to you.

Have fun and good luck!

Dan

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So it’s been a few days since I last posted and let’s just say I haven’t stop staring at coins. I have bought a few and I’m trying to gain some knowledge on the whole thing but it’s hard to know where to start i.e. a particular time period. Maybe I’m trying to go to quickly? 

 

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I guess the biggest question here is what sort of coins do you like?

Roman, Hammered, Milled, modern .. any particular denomination (some find solace in sixpences, others Threepneces or Farthings or Pennies and all of their varieties.

Silver , gold or Bronze / Coppper, sets or presenation coins, piedforts, proofs or patterns - or maybe even tokens.

What can your budget afford based on the above?

 

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33 minutes ago, Jamie Bergman said:

So it’s been a few days since I last posted and let’s just say I haven’t stop staring at coins. I have bought a few and I’m trying to gain some knowledge on the whole thing but it’s hard to know where to start i.e. a particular time period. Maybe I’m trying to go to quickly? 

 

Yes maybe Jamie and perhaps put the handbrake on , although i can understand you want to buy some rather than look at pictures.

Can i ask what you bought please or maybe some pictures ?

There are also shows that allow you to look at all types of coins.I dont have a clue were you live but one at Birmingham(although that was today)and Wakefield every month.

Pete.

Edited by PWA 1967

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11 hours ago, Jamie Bergman said:

So it’s been a few days since I last posted and let’s just say I haven’t stop staring at coins. I have bought a few and I’m trying to gain some knowledge on the whole thing but it’s hard to know where to start i.e. a particular time period. Maybe I’m trying to go to quickly? 

 

That's far and away the most important thing. Read profusely - books, magazines, specialist tomes - and try to work out what interests you before you jump too quick.

A good starting point would be Collectors Coins GB and Grading British Coins, both available via that banner ad above. If you think you want to go further back, invest in a copy of Spink's Standard Catalogue, which lists most English types from Celtic and Roman onwards, and which becomes more comprehensive the further forward in time you go.

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21 hours ago, Peckris said:

That's far and away the most important thing. Read profusely - books, magazines, specialist tomes - and try to work out what interests you before you jump too quick.

A good starting point would be Collectors Coins GB and Grading British Coins, both available via that banner ad above. If you think you want to go further back, invest in a copy of Spink's Standard Catalogue, which lists most English types from Celtic and Roman onwards, and which becomes more comprehensive the further forward in time you go.

Couldn't agree more, although if you're anything like me, you learn as you go along. As I started collecting, I also started to buy books and learn.

One thing of considerable note IMO - that once you are deep into collecting your chosen speciality, the increasig breadth of technical and other knowledge you hold about that speciality, will stand you in very good stead both for avoiding being ripped off, and possibly even more importantly, recognising a bargain and/or a prized acquisition. 

Keep at it Jamie and good luck :) 

   

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