Help And Advice For A Beginner

[Artisan]

Hello, 

My name is Greg and I am retired and live in the South West of England. I am a new member of the forum and as a complete beginner at collecting coins I would be grateful for advice and answers to some questions. 

The coins I am most interested in would be from the Roman period and up to the Victorian era. I would like buy and sell online as a hobby and would like to know the best way to get started on a budget?

I want to collect the above coins not for their monetary value but for the social history they represent.

I already have a selection of various other coins that I have been given over the years and would like to sell them so I can purchase more coins. My problem is that most of the coins I need to identify. Can anyone tell me what is the best way to search and identify these coins? 

Finally, could anybody suggest online coin inventory software I could use to keep track of my collection?

 

Thanks in anticipation.

[Paddy]

Welcome to the forum Greg!

You ask a lot of questions that needs long answers, and I am sure others will chip in with their thoughts. Just to let you know, I also live in Devon, so if you would like to meet up, we can discuss and I can pass on my thoughts. (I have been collecting and dealing for 20 years+.) I am in Barnstaple Pannier market most Wednesdays, if you are in North Devon?

 

[Nonmortuus]

Welcome! The best bits of advice I was given when I started were:

Buy the book before the coin. Read, read, read if you are serious about collecting.

Buy the best grade you can afford of a particular coin.

Finally if you buy coins graded by third parties (slabbed coins from LCGS, PCGS, NGC, ANACS to name the mains ones) buy the coin not the slab. That is to say dont let the grade on the plastic deterkine if you feel its a nice coin.

Good luck and  I hope you enjoy this great hobby!

Edited June 25, 2021 by Nonmortuus

[copper123]

As far as coin dealing goes I would surgest don't bother , its nice someone young has an interest but I would strongly surgest its not a good way or an easy way to make a living you will need a lot of luck and working for someone else might be a better idea

[Peckris 2]

Welcome Artisan, from yet another South Westerner!

My first bit of advice is very simple. As a newcomer to collecting, don't even THINK of becoming a dealer until you have a solid foundation of knowledge in, and experience of, coins in general. I'm sure the dealers on this forum would agree? That doesn't of course prevent you from putting any spares you may have from your collection, up on eBay and you would get help doing that in this forum.

Your area of interest - Roman to Victorian - is very wide, and there are many books you could invest in. The first one would be Spinks Standard Catalogue which is published annually. However, coin prices don't change dramatically these days so don't get the latest edition (rather expensive), but pick up a copy from eBay that's 2 or 3 years old and won't cost nearly so much.

You can get help from members here about the coins you want to identify, but pictures are a MUST! If you need more room than the attachment maximum for each post allows, then just make more posts.

Sadly there are no big coin fairs down here, which would be your best way to see and learn about the coins you're interested in, so treat this forum as your resource and we will help where we can.

Good luck.

Edited June 25, 2021 by Peckris 2

[copper123]

You might and I say just might find coins to sell on local car bootsales (Good luck finding anything decent) or a better way might be local antique and collectors fairs and even summer markets if antiques change hands .

Fully agree that books should be your first choice for any spare cash

Edited June 25, 2021 by copper123

[Artisan]

Thank you to all the members that have posted great and valuable advice on how to get started in collecting coins. Your friendly responses have given me confidence in how to researching and hopefully selling the coins I have been given over the years thus enabling me to purchase coins I am most interested in.

Thanks again.

Best regards,
Greg

[Mr T]

I would echo the above sentiments about buying a book before anything else.

If you're going to sell as well I'd be checking my change for anything worth selling as it seems like some of the low mintage commemoratives can got for a bit over face value.

I use a spreadsheet to track my coins - it's not perfect but it does the job.

[Artisan]

Thanks for the advice

[copper123]

You do have a love for the history

"The coins I am most interested in would be from the Roman period and up to the Victorian era. I would like buy and sell online as a hobby and would like to know the best way to get started on a budget?

I want to collect the above coins not for their monetary value but for the social history they represent."

Thats a great way to start but remember there are less than 15% of the dealers around now compared to 40 years ago when everyone was at it .

The reasons? Many and various but mainly due to profit margins and the amount of time coins remain in collections .

Its a pity coin monthly folded as well I remember looking in the back and there would be fifteen coin fairs in various parts of the country and everyone would be within twenty miles or so of a fair say five times a year.

Now we are left with the midland fair the wakefield fair and a few in London.