"My First Coin Collection" Project

Hey, gang activity has always been around. I've seen West Side Story

Hey, Cascade - What are ya gonna do, "When you're Jet?" Jack

Finn235 - I haven't as yet made the presentation. I'm still putting together the concept. I thought I'd make a handout with numismatic terms that the kids could fill out during my talk (ie. obverse, reverse, mint mark, circulated, proof, etc.) I also need to buy the flips and the 20-pocket pages. I thought I'd take a mint roll of quarters and pennies to pass out as well as have the teacher request that the kids bring some pocket change on the day of the talk. I thought I'd give the ANA website out as they have lots of cool stuff for YNs. Also, the US Mint has some kid related stuff. I thought I'd make myself available to a couple of 3rd grade classes to start and see how it goes. Any ideas would be great. I need to get beyond planning mode and "Just Do it!" Part of my procrastination is that I don't really consider myself an authority. I'm just a collector. Jack

nwplaza- Thank you very much. What a great idea. The map adds the dimension of Social Studies and Geography. I guess the kids place the coins in the slits like the old March of Dimes cards. It also allows the teacher to follow up in lots of different ways. Maybe short little "Show and Tells" about the people, crops, flag, etc from the chosen country. Is this like a field trip to your LCS, or anytime a little one comes in to the store? I'm not sure I want to go with World coins to start, but this would be a great way to go. It could also be adapted to a US map for the ATB Quarters. Thanks for a very creative idea. Jack

In addition to saving you time, used printed folders will also have better eye appeal for the kids. You should be able to get them for fairly cheap. Or the 2x2 idea is pretty good... you could buy 35 2x2 pages and a whole pile of 2x2's.
I agree. Any time spent on this would have a cost, which I suspect will outweigh what it would cost you to snag a wholesale lot of empty albums. Maybe you could even work something out with your LCS?

I agree!

Thanks to all for the great ideas. I've decided to make Penny Boards, of any quality, is not realistic. I'll probably go with 2 X 2's and album pages simply because it's real easy and cheap. In the longer term, I'd really like to give nwplaza's idea a test run. Sounds like it could be put together, in bulk, fairly inexpensively, and would have eye-appeal as well.

nwplaza - You are a real credit to the hobby for the effort you expend with youngsters. Great picture of your store, by the way! I hope you have great success. Thanks for your time and effort on this project.

I'll let everyone know how it turns out. Now I just have to get off my "week-end" and get it done. Blessings to all. Jack

Searcher - As the Great and Powerful Wizard of Oz once said, "Very resourceful." Ten folders would yield 30 penny boards. Still an expense to be considered. I don't really have a LCS near me, so used ones aren't readily available. I'm not sure how common the generic penny folders are (ones without date/mint marks). I use plain folders for silver Washington quarters and Kennedy halves, neither of which I actually collect by date & mint mark. It's a great idea if I could find inexpensive (read: gently used) penny folders that would solve the dilemma. I appreciate the help and, "Pay no attention to that man behind the screen!" Jack

True, but many of us old fogeys here made it through those dangerous times of yesteryear when 3rd graders had a metal (pointed!) compass for drawing circles, metal scissors in our desks, and were trusted to use staplers. In fact twice a day we even were aloud outdoors to play on very fast merry-go-rounds you could fall off of and very tall slides with no safety rails.

But... they do make 2X2s that require no staples.