don't know where to start

[burpalot 0]

okay im a noob and this is my first post so bear with me.

I would like to collect coins but i don't know where to start.

Please can you give me feedback on how you started.

i do have around 50-70 coins and the oldest one is from 1941.

they are from all around the world.

i didn't buy any of these they were passed down through the generations.

please give feedback

BURPALOT

[Unknown 0]

Well, the first step, I think, is to decide where your interest lies.

For that you need knowledge, you can aquire it in forums like this one, and with books and other coins web sites.

If what you are mainly interested is Great Britain, the best place to start is by looking at the book "Collectors' Coins GB 2006" published by our own Chris and that you can buy for littel over a fiver here.

Remember, any time spent in gaining knowledge is worth it.

[Rob 2,999]

Define your collecting taste if possible and then read as much information as you can find. Most importantly learn how to grade because this determines price and most sellers up the grade a bit to give the appearance of a bargain.

If you don't know what you want to collect, search the web for coins and see if anything takes your fancy. There are a few dealers and auction sites with good quality pictures in their catalogue sections. If you want to expand your existing collection, it looks as if you have the whole world to choose from. It should therefore be relatively easy to amass a broad collection quite cheaply. Most people start out as generalists, but then refine their area of interest as they research their hobby.

Resist the temptation to buy the first thing you see that seems to be attractive as it may be overgraded and you could pay too much. On occasions you will do this, just try to keep them to a minimum.

[planz666 0]

My interest began when a small quantity of coins were handed down from my grandparents,nothing of any particular monetary value,however,this stimulated my interest.My collection began to grow,and I quickly realised that I had little or no interest in anything non-british.Or indeed anything much older than 1750 ish....not sure how this came about,it's just a personal preference.

I can recommend the download for ''Collectors coins GB 2006'' available on the main site.It contains useful information and the images are superb.

As to grading,yes you will probably be bitten several times by unscrupulous individuals,it's diffcult to avoid.Just remember,it's not only about the grade itself,it's what a particular coin is ''worth'' to the individual.Even if one is filling in dates,a certain satisfaction can be got by completing a run of dates even if paying a little over the odds at times.

I'm a newbie to this forum too,and I have found it of interest and use, so stick around,there's plenty to learn here!!

Welcome,good luck,and enjoy...........

[burpalot 0]

Thanks for your feedback

I have a book called british coins market values 2006 so i hopefully won't get ripped off

Thanks

BURPALOT

[Chris Perkins 223]

Thanks for your feedback

I have a book called british coins market values 2006 so i hopefully won't get ripped off

Thanks

BURPALOT

Argh, my arch rival!

[custard1966 1]

okay im a noob and this is my first post so bear with me.

I would like to collect coins but i don't know where to start.

Please can you give me feedback on how you started. 

i do have around 50-70 coins and  the oldest one is from 1941.

they are from all around the world.

i didn't buy any of these they were passed down through the generations.

please give feedback

                                                                  BURPALOT                         

Welcome to the forum

In addition to what the others have sensibly advised, if you're in the UK have a browse through Coin News in your local newagents. You should find plenty of ideas about what to collect. Note also that your budget and how frequently you want to be able to add to your collection will affect what you can go for.

Unless you're buying stuff for a few pence I'd advise steering clear of E-Bay and the like until you're more experienced. Look through the forums here for all the pitfalls ready to trap the unwary. By all means browse E-Bay for inspiration/education.

The best way to get going is to be able to find one or two dealers who you can talk to. If you can get to a local fair (or retail premises) this is the best way - though I'd avoid the big London ones which are just too hectic. Any good dealer will be happy to advise you and will look to build a long-term relationship with a customer who keeps coming back. You also get the advantage that they'll know what you're looking for and will keep an eye out for it when buying new stock.

Hope this helps.

[burpalot 0]

thanks.

Do you know about any coin fairs in the north of england.

ps.. how do you know what metal the coin is made from.

BURPALOT

[Rob 2,999]

ps.. how do you know what metal the coin is made from.

For currency pieces it's not really a problem. British base metal coins (fractional farthings to twopennies) were mainly copper prior to 1860 (with a few tin examples in the late 1600s). After that they changed to bronze. 0.925 silver was used for 3ds upwards until 1920 when it changed to 0.500 silver. From 1947 onwards silver coins changed to cupro-nickel. Gold is obvious. Maundy money has always been silver. Some modern stuff is copper plated steel. Foreign coinage generally uses the same materials, though you may find things like aluminium bronze as well.

Hammered currency before the onset of milled used gold and silver where the face value of the coin was equal to the precious metal content. There were also a few James 1st farthings in copper.

[custard1966 1]

thanks.

Do you know about any coin fairs in the north of england.

ps.. how do you know what metal the coin is made from.

BURPALOT

Your best bet is to grab a copy of Coins News that'll list all the fairs - major & minor

[mint_mark 3]

Just to add a couple more metals... the light grey really light weight coins are aluminium and the very dark grey coins that go powdery are zinc. Sometimes iron is used, which you can tell because it is magnetic and goes rusty! All these have been used during wartime and other shortages.

Don't give up on the whole world! For years my collection grew from holiday money that people gave me

[burpalot 0]

Should i keep my coins in an album.

do you know any cheap online stores that sell albums.

[Chris Perkins 223]

Have you actually been to www.predecimal.com and had a look around?

I really must get more people looking around and not just think the forum is all there is.

[Rob 2,999]

I really must get more people looking around and not just think the forum is all there is.

That's because both the predecimal and rotographic links are not obvious at the top of the forum page. The colours are too similar to stand out clearly and this is compounded by small lettering. I always forget they are there, in fact I found Rotographic via Google months before I noticed the link.

[Peter 615]

I've mentioned this before when forum members couldn't find links to Radio 3 counties.

Edited January 10, 2006 by Peter

[Chris Perkins 223]

The thing is, I wanted to keep the forum separate to some degree, that's why it doesn't look like the rest of the site.

During my current redesign I'll probably do something to get more people looking at the coins and accessories via this area.

[burpalot 0]

i found this site on google so i just thought it was a forum

BURPALOT

[Sylvester 15]

Coin fairs in the North of England. There's one on in York at the end of January it's held at the Race course. It's on on Friday 20th and Saturday 21st Jan 2006.

For experience i'd recommend going on a friday, as by saturday alot of stuff has gone. There'll still be plenty of coins there on the saturday that will catch your attention but to get the full appreciation.

[burpalot 0]

should i generalise in the type of english coin i collect or should i just collect all british coins.

BURPALOT

[Peter 615]

Have a look around and identify a series which is both pleasant to the eye and achievable to your pocket.

Maybe start with Edward V11 coins...a shortish reign....many cheap coins but a few ZONKERS (1903,05 2/6 & 1905 1/-)....also plenty of varieties if you want to specialize on cu.

At the end of the day you must decide yourself.

[Sylvester 15]

An 1887 year set from Crown to silver threepence is as good a place to start as any. That's where i started. That way you don't have to pick a denomination from the off, you can find out which one you're natually drawn to.

1937 set can be fun too; crown to farthing. If you really want to start cheap try the 1967 set (halfcrown to halfpenny), a very good set to start with.

[mint_mark 3]

Another option is to collect by type... you just try and get a nice example of each different design and don't worry so much about the dates. This way a reasonable sized collection can cover a huge span of history or geography.

Think about what coins mean to you... are they works of art? Pieces of history? Technical accomplishments in engineering? Souvenirs from around the world? Once you work out what really interests you about them, then you'll find which ones interest you most.

[burpalot 0]

im going to reasearch. thats the key to success

[Geordie582 18]

Don't get hooked up on date runs. You are bound to come up against that astronomically priced date you MUST have. Suicide is the next step!

[Rob 2,999]

Don't get hooked up on date runs. You are bound to come up against that astronomically priced date you MUST have. Suicide is the next step!

Very sound advice, particularly if you are on a tight budget.