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 Replies: 16 / Views: 3,046 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
560 Posts |
Has anyone here started off collecting coins and gravitate towards banknotes or vice versa? Why did you become interested in banknotes? If you are not interested in banknotes, why not? What do you like about banknotes versus coins?
I'm curious to see what others think about this. I always felt that banknotes were too expensive for me and out of my league but I've come to realize that they don't have to be.
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Moderator
 United States
14463 Posts |
I started going through my grand parents coins and then my own coins. Searching for other coins online, I saw notes too. That and getting a Hawaii note from my Mother peeked my interest, so I started with a few notes. I have about 200 now, from gold certificates to the hyper-inflation Zimbabwe notes.  |
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Pillar of the Community
798 Posts |
I like both coins and banknotes but I prefer coins. Banknotes are paper and paper will one day be dust, coins are metal and can survive for thousands of years. I have a couple banknotes but don't plan on getting a lot more of them. I have gotten the banknotes I have now (after) starting collecting coins.  |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
11951 Posts |
Interesting question, I had to stop and think, about I got to where I am today.
My mother owned a restaurant in the 1960's I had the opportunity to collect wheat cents any any older coins I fond in the cash register.
So I started out with the standard coins of the day. I would also notice silver certificates and red seal notes. Some of those found their way into my collection.
It wasn't until the late 80's that my collection started to take form into a sort of American type set of coins and currency.
I feel in America, we see a lot of old and new coins and currency not only from U.S.A. But from Canada and Mexico also. Then there are military and tourist that bring home interesting coins and currency.
My current line of thinking is to learn as much as I can about all areas of coin and currency, I try to do this by collecting everything I can ..
within my price range.
I would say that last couple years my currency as grown to maybe 200 notes ..or more. I do think a lot of collectors ignore notes ... But if they gave them a chance, they might find them very interesting.
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
560 Posts |
I guess for me, I always liked the different colors and larger surface area for design and artwork on banknotes but I could never justify putting away the larger denominations, relative to coins, of banknotes.
As pointed out, coins are far more durable. I first started collecting coins. I like the intrinsic value of copper, silver, and gold coins compared to paper, cotton, or plastic.
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
726 Posts |
Very interesting question for me..As I joined coin club in 05 , and went to paperMoney in April 13....Our coin club has both, so while I bought coins at our monthly club auction mostly,, I did buy a few banknotes (Did not call myself then a collector).. It is hard for me to say why I switched to paper....Hav to think..my son is part of reason, and also got a little disinterested in coins after 8 * years,,,, I hav enjoyed notes but need to slow down as I am spending too much money,,,Although In 1 year I hav an inpressive note collection....Part of answer is that I like to research (Coin and paper) or read about....
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1234 Posts |
I started with coins in 1982 (the copper/zinc craze) ended up with a few bank notes over the years. About 120 of them nothing special, some Chinese 20 gold units and a few notgeld and Japanese Government occupation notes from SE Asian and the Islands they held. I've always liked the departures (like the Hyper inflation notes, but don't have any of them.)
By contrast I have 140 tokens and in the area of 3000 coins. That is just world coins, I'm not even counting the rolls of silver dimes and quarters in the vault, or the tons of Canadian coins I have stashed away. I am very glad I have a 1 dollar Canadian bill to go with my 1 cent Canadian coins, a dying breed. For me it's a subset, a bit of variety or a departure, not my focus but a little extra just for the fun of it.
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
5417 Posts |
I started collecting coins, then became unexclusive and got into stamps, banknotes, coins and Fossils, then slowly pulled off, first stamps, then banknotes and finally fossils. Now I'm just focusing on my coins and I've traded off the bulk of my stamps and notes. I think it's better that way.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1234 Posts |
Quote:
I think it's better that way.  yeah I need to cut down my computer collection. My brother had stamps but sold them all off. This thread got me thinking about my most interesting note, a Korean 1000 Won it has mystery signatures on it. Like I said "a bit of variety or a departure" Check out my post about it here https://goccf.com/t/168829 |
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Bedrock of the Community
13014 Posts |
I strongly prefer coins over banknotes, but confederate banknotes do appeal to me. Theres not really an affordable coin equivalent and being a sucker for anything civil war the confederate bank notes provide a historical aspect that coins cant for me unless I win the powerball.
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Moderator
United States
188440 Posts |
I have never been too excited about banknotes, but I do keep an eye out for interesting ones. I have a few red seals, silver certificates, and other older notes that I have found over the years; however, most of my finds (mostly star notes) are used to purchase coins. If the dealer finds them interesting enough, I am compensated (discounted) accordingly.  |
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
3692 Posts |
Banknotes are for sure harder to store, IMO.
Notes get handed down and I keep the interesting ones. Coins and notes go hand in hand, it's basically the same hobby. Notes appear more costly because one could just spend them if current or they could seem worthless because they're obsolete.
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Valued Member
United States
263 Posts |
I started out collecting coins, and they are my primary obsession, but I have picked up a few notes here and there. Coins have more heft and permanence, but banknotes have the same allure of being a window into another culture - seeing what they consider important enough to place onto their money.
I'm a civilian who works with law enforcement, so laws and crime interest me. I found it fascinating to read the anti-counterfeiting warnings on bills. Some countries make no mention of it, some remind the reader that it is forbidden, some warn that it is forbidden and there will be consequences...
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2850 Posts |
Got into US money to start off and have a fairly extensive collection of large and small size bills now. Found my way into doing coins for a while and now I'm back at doing paper money. I go through cycles.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
7618 Posts |
I collect both coins and paper money. I started off in coins back in the 60's during the small date cent craze and Treasury silver dollar releases. I gravitated to paper in the 70's and bought my first home town national bank note from the late, great Curtis Iversen. Paid $19.50 for it and still have it, too! Been hooked ever since on the paper. The coins can come and go however.
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Valued Member
Switzerland
57 Posts |
First I just collected circulated coins. A few months later I started collecting uncirculated and proof coins.
About a year after I started collecting coins I got some old Banknotes from Germany. Then I decided to collect banknotes too.
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Replies: 16 / Views: 3,046 |
Posted 01/30/2014 9:04 pm
