Why Do You Collect Coins?

I don't know I just like them.

Definitely the history. The feeling of holding a thousand years old coin
in my hand... someone did kill for it, someone was killed for it.
And what did they buy? Bread? Wine? Women?

I remember my grandfather collecting coins when I was a kid, well I guess you could say he hoarded coins instead of collecting even though he did have albums and allot of them but most were in jars, medicine bottles, cans or anything else he could find with a lid. I remember thinking this is crazy when he would ask everyone to empty their pockets so he could go through their change and keep what ever he wanted (still don't understand that one myself because I still don't go through my change, I just dump it in a bucket and when its full I carry it to the bank). He would also take us to the bank and buy us what ever was the weird coin of the time for our birthday and let us hold them (in the wrapper) until we got to the safe deposit box in the back so we could put them in there (try telling a 6 year old "here is $100.00 but we are buying this with it and you can't have it until you are 18 because its going to be in this metal box at the bank"). I had quite a few SBA's and Ikes when I was 18 but I think I was the only one that didn't cash in my box of all the grand kids and when I did finally go look I noticed he bought all the others boxes for what it was worth and had placed theirs in my box as well. My great Grandfather used to also give each of us kids a silver Dollar every Christmas and that is actually the first thing I can remember collecting because a big silver dollar was so big when I was 4 and remember how much heavier it was than the coins I was used to seeing and feeling. Anyhow I didn't really collect anything until after I hurt my back in 2000 and then was getting ready to cash in my safe deposit box with my grandfather because I was out of work for so long and I just couldn't sell all those coins because it reminded me of us piling in the car riding to the bank getting them and going out for ice cream afterward. When I first started collecting I went back to my youngest memory about coins and started looking for Silver Dollars and that is when I discovered Morgans and well the rest is history

A mate told me once "collecting dimes is better than collecting dime bags".
I have a few ancient romans(one I might post in the right forum,im not sure if its legit)
and greeks.I always wonder about the coins I have,where they have been,who's hands they have been in,were they in a soldiers pocket during a battle? etc.That's what I think the cool thing is about collecting coins.It would be awesome if there was a way to track a coins full history,I'm sure they'd have some interesting stories to tell.

I do it for the history. The thought of having a coin that was around during a historical moment is awesome.

It is my retirement fund... I've kept every piece of change I've gotten since I was 20. Most is stored in old 5 gallon water jugs. I put them in the jugs after they have spent sometime in a quart canning jar. once the jar gets full I search through it and see what I find. Everything I consider non-collectible goes into the jugs. At present I have 7 1/2 Cent Jugs, 2 Nickel Jugs, 3 1/10 Dime Jugs, 4 1/5 Quarter Jugs, 1/4 full junk Silver jug, and a 1/3 full half dollar / dollar coin jug.

I make sure I never count or Weight my retirement fund because I don't want to spend it on something I want but don't need.
But it does really suck when I have to move.