Top 10 'Must Have' Coins For Collectors Around The World!

That is indeed a super list! (even if a bit Anglos-skewed)



That description might better fit the medieval to early-modern florin I think.
A bit pricey for many collectors, so I would instead fill the 1,000+ year gap on the list with:

- Medieval denar / penny / pfennig /denaro the common everyday denomination across the western world from 800 A.D. until ...?

(and there should probably be some representation from East Asia?)

Great choices.

So far I have
10. (Pennies),
9. (AU toned)
8. Roman and Carthaginian coins
6. Yes
5. Don't have the pill but a 2½ centavo nickel and UNC decimo and cuarto balboa,
3 I have a kazillion half crowns and crowns from 1935 onwards but a St George Crown is on the books - does the one with King George VI and 1951 count?
2. Yes a Walker at the moment, but Morgans and Peace dollars on the cards
1. Sadly no, I do have a one reale of King Carlos III dated sometime in the 1780s, and a Peruvian silver sol of 1869 a coin that succeeded the 8 reales.

2 more suggestions (And yes my bias as I love silver and gleaming large coins)

1. A New Zealand silver half crown in VF to EF



These beautiful coins had mintages of just 500k to 2 million and they were a beautiful design of Imperial British and Maori artwork. VF+ coins are great as the high rim means the obverse has almost no wear and you get lustre with only wear on the Kings head.

2. Any proof set issued by your favourite country in the 60s or 70s. Preferably a British Commonwealth/Empire country or USA.



Many countries switched to decimal currency and/or became independent and thus issued new sets of coins. Often high quality and fairly low mintage numbers. Quite expensive in the past, but cheap if the set does not have any precious metal.

The Kiwi set from 1969 above cost me just $8 and I have 7 gleaming and historical coins in a beautiful plush case.

The new collector on a low budget will love these, as its something beautiful that showcases the beauty of coins and their collecting. Plus it's a motivation that coins that are not silver or gold, can be beautiful, eyecatching and pleasing to the eye.

For someone with a bit more money, sets with 1 or 2 silver coins in amongst base metal ones usually cost $50 or so - but ones with a Gold coin are usually a bad investment after about 1965 - as modern gold, unless rare or errors seldom attracts above melt value and some percents.

Great choices @Ag47 and I agree with most .

I would give the Maria Theresia thaler a regular place on the list, that is a coin one can build an entire collection of from all the varieties. Books have been written about this coin alone. The restrikes that followed on Maria T's passing 1780 should not be seen as less genuine in any way, they came to because there was a demand from the Oriental trade for this particular coin, and no other design than the voluptuous lady was accepted. Older restrikes (they began already in the 1780s) are clearly worth more than melt. And it is no doubt one of the most beautiful coins around.

Also, like @tdziemia, I would place a medieval (European) hammered coin on the list. There are many to choose from, so no particular preference.

Pepactonius, I think the OP was emphasizing affordability. Your list is great, not cheap!

Many very fantastic looking coins. However, I have none of those and do not forsee myself ever collecting any of them. I'm just an old, US coin person. Although most of our US coins are rather plain and boring, they are mine.

I would disagree with your #10 and #9. The others are certainly worthy of being on the "short list".

So will we collect everyone's choices, then vote on the longer list? Everyone has 10 choices?

I see selecting a list based on a number of factors, like being unusual, beautiful or historically important. We could have a "budget" list, an a "millionaires" list.

I just realised all I did was add to the list - not choose 10 recommended coins of my own - so here goes.

1. NZ EF Halfcrown as discussed
2. A 1960s/1970s Proof set of 5 or more coins

New choices of my own

3. A Walker half dollar and or Mercury dime
4. A gold sovereign/20 Franc any other 8 - 10 gram European gold coin
5. Current high value coins of any modern country - eg 200 Florint, 500 Yen etc
6. Commemorative circulating coins like British 50ps, Australian dollaz etc
7. NCLT Bullion (But not a fan of wildly overpriced gimmick issues) - better off paying $30 or so for a 1 ounce Eagle, Maple Leaf, Taku etc, rather than some silly commem coin that costs like $150.
8. At least 10 different old English pennies/halfpence/farthings - just beautiful, historic and interesting cheap coins.
9. An ancient coin - again budget dictates, coppers are cheap (Particularly 3rd and 4th century Roman ones) - silver for the richer and gold for the bling bling rich.
10. A silver crown coin - again mostly affordable and gorgeous slabs of coins - good ones GB 1887 to 1937 coins, South Africa 1947 to 1964 Crowns and 50 cents, NZ 1949, Aus 1937 etc.

Finally - read all you can about anything you want to specialise in and don't skimp on good albums, protectors, pockets for your nice coins.