New To Collecting- Equipment/ Books/ Tools Recommendations

to the hobby.

You've asked a lot of questions so I'll try to limit my reply to the areas I think I can actually help with.

gold/ silver testing kit (what's safe for coins?) - The best way to test to see if a coin is actually gold or silver is to know the size and weight of a real specimen and then to weigh and measure your coin accordingly. Chemical tests will damage the coin.

magnifiers? - Sure, if you like. It's not essential.


special gloves for handling coins? - White cotton gloves are a must if you're handling mint state coins, especially silver.


coin cleaning kit? (or does everyone strongly recommend to never clean them?) - As a general rule you shouldn't clean a coin, unless you've just dug it out of the ground.

Best and safest folders/sleeves?
Best and safest capsules? - This is a matter of personal preference but I would say capsules are best for mint state or proof coins. For normal circulating coins you can make do with something cheaper, like cardboard flips (known as 2x2s)

My aim is to build up a nice collection to pass down to my little one, I am aiming at collecting mainly where I see a potential investment

By all means build up a collection to provide your child with a valuable gift when he's older, but beware that investing in coins is a minefield. It is difficult to say how the market will behave towards any given coin in the future.

Some people have success investing in coins but many people would acknowledge that their collection as a whole is actually worth less than the sum of what they paid for each individual coin. Unless you're going into business, then treat it as a hobby and hobbies are basically things that people throw money at.


On a side note, what else can you tell us about those sovereigns of yours?

I'm going to do some stream-of-consciousness stuff here.

Although a newbie to coins, you're obviously not a newbie to the business end, and I feel advice in that regard (although welcome) isn't as important because you've learned how to learn. That will set you in good stead moving forward.

As regards cleaning: Don't. The list of exceptions to that hard-and-fast rule is more or less long. Don't worry about that yet; for those rare occasions (and they're case-by-case) where some sort of cleaning is warranted - by the way, we call it "conserving" as a sop to our feelings of guilt - the most appropriate methods don't really require coin-specific compounds. Acquire some pure (and I mean pure) acetone; the best is that intended for the use of painters as it's most likely to have zero additives. You'll have ample occasion to use it in the future, once you've learned its' capabilities.

Keep in mind, coins which have served as jewelry are very likely cleaned/polished/marred somewhat, and it is appropriate (imperative) to disclose that history when selling them. Numismatists place great store in originality of surfaces (hence the denigration of "cleaning") and a former jewelry piece is unlikely to retain that originality. Thus, the price for such a piece should reflect some consideration of its' origin.

You'll find proponents of handling coins only with gloves here, and others who prefer to handle them only with bare hands. I fall into the latter category, refusing to surrender the slightest bit of feel and dexterity. The tradeoff is greater risk, especially with Proof coins, and one who tends to sweat more in their hands is probably at excessive risk for this method. Human skin oils will permanently mar coins - once set (relatively quickly, days to a couple weeks), a fingerprint is no longer removable from a coin without acid. Needless to say, not good. If forced to recommend gloves, I prefer tight-fitting kitchen gloves of nitrile or powder-free latex as a minimal surrender of manual dexterity. I won't recommend cloth of any sort unless it's tight enough to comfortably pick up a coin laying on the table with no fumbling.

Educate yourself regarding PVC as an additive to plastics, especially storage materials. You do not want this substance involved in anything which touches a coin. PVC in this application uses added plasticizers whose outgassing attacks silver and copper, and will permanently damage a coin. You will find sellers of coin storage methods to advertise that their product is PVC-free if it's so; if that specific mention is not made or you can't independently confirm its' truth, do not buy that product.

As regards a magnifier, your eyes will need to partially inform your choice. This is the specific loupe I use (understanding the link is just the first I found depicting it; the price is almost twice what you should pay):

http://www.usgeologicalsupply.com/b...s-5x-7x.html

It has all the magnification required for a hand loupe. Bausch & Lomb also makes a 3-lens, 5x-20x model which I'd recommend with equal enthusiasm. A larger, single-lens fixed model will also work well especially if your eyes are not what they used to be (myself, I'm in a permanent state of denial in this regard). Do not skimp on optical quality.

If you're going to be handling mostly British issues, I urge you to post a bespoke thread on the subject of grading resources in our "United Kingdom Coins" subforum where you'll find the specialists in the field. Mention that I've referred you specifically to this method.

I did not expect to find anyone younger than me in this hobby, I just turned 28 a couple of months ago. You watch video of auctions and it's mostly shades of grey on show.

Stop for now attempting to purchase coins. Instead look around for a place to buy books on coins. Here in the USA we have many books on coins. One most used is called the Red Book. You should have a book or a few showing all the different possibilities of coins available. Don't start looking for coins where you will never finish a series. Makes it all a bit depressing. Go to a regular type store for a few magnifying glasses. Don't waste money on all types of expensive ones. You just need a few to see details, not examine the dirt on them. Don't bother with coin cleaning materials. Sort of a bad thing in the coin collecting or any antique collecting world. Being new, keep far, far away from ebay. Actually try to keep far away from most on line dealers if possible. Look around for possible coin shows in your area. Also, check for coin clubs. If you have any coin shops or antique shops, go there and look, look, look. Get to know prices. Remember purchasing from on line anything makes it all a chance you'll get what you really want for a price that is correct. Really difficult to know what is what when buying something you really don't see in person. Make sure you have items like 2x2's, other size flips, plastic rolls, Albums not Folders, for you coins. Keep in touch with members here and as you acquire more posts and replys, you might start dealing with members.

Also Dave, took on board what you said about buyer should know the origin of coins (being in jewelry) so I sold them in the earrings they came in.

They were very nice coins, I half regret selling them, but I kind of needed to know I didn't make a big mistake with the purch ASE

OK, OK. Time for some bubble bursting I think Mash.

You need to make a decision. Clearly, as SsDd has observed, you've an eye for business. And it sounds as if you are having fun buying and selling coins. But ...




.. um, no.

So far what you have is an accumulation. And if you carry on, you will pass on a 100kg bundle of coins worth £000s. But only if they are sorted and marketed and sold.

That's not a collection IMHO.

A collection has a structure. It's nice to look at. And the collector learns as they assemble it. Plans. Chooses one coin over another.

Yes, with time and a bit of luck it will be worth more in a few years time. But partly because it is a collection. More than the sum of its parts.

Now there is nothing wrong with making money! Go for it if you have a knack! But in that case, pass on the money to the little one so s/he can buy something s/he likes!

If you want to pass on a collection then you need to pass on the enthusiasm, the knowledge, the interest and passion. Only then will the collection be valued over the asset.

What do you think of this?
http://www.coinsofbritain.co.uk/adm...N%201891.jpg

Nice? Not nice? Personally I would rather have a coin like this (and no, it certainly isn't perfect) than a new £20 or 8kg mixed.

Or this, one of mine:



Not bad for nearly 370 years old, eh? And possibly less than 14kg of oddities ...

the choice is yours.

A book on grading coins: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/09...N=0948964839

And a coin guide that might interest too: http://www.amazon.com/Collectors-Co...oins+gb unless you want hammered coinage too, in which case Spink is best.

Oh, and a book for valuing coins? Doesn't exist. Well, OK, it does exist. But by the time it hits the bookshops the prices will be out of date. Plus one coin that looks very much like another can, because of date, design or metal be worth a fraction or 100 times as much. And most coin guides give a general price for the most commonly encountered in average conditions.

The best way to value a coin I'm afraid is to see lots of the things in different grades (condition) and learn which have been cleaned, which have been played with to look more colourful and which are better than average examples of the type. Which are the EF the seller says, which are really only gVF (or just F!) and which might actually be heading towards Unc.

And while some of that can come from books, a lot of it has to be learned by looking and comparing notes with other collectors in places like this.

Have I been too harsh? I hope not. Just trying to avoid you looking at some piles of coins a few years down the line and wondering "Why did I buy those"? (Though to be honest we all do that! But it's better to do it to a lesser than greater extent!)

Good luck!