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 Replies: 21 / Views: 3,252 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
6130 Posts |
Poll Question
As I am branching out my collection, I am becoming aware of the possible breadth of our hobby. While "coins" proper were invented independently in Lydia, India, and China in ca. 600 BC, (and again in Yap in the middle ages) the concept of "money" stretches back several thousand years, where the line blurs into primitive barter. I am curious where everyone's "line in the sand" is, in terms of what is welcome into our coin collections. Here is the breakdown in general order from most general to most specific.
- All coins, currency, and exonumia
- Commodity money (beads, shells etc)
- Government-controlled non-"coin" money (Knife/Spade money, boat money, bullet money, sycee/chogin)
- Anything that is a "coin" from the whole world
- Only coins that are immediately clear (to you) what they are, e.g. no ancient Indian coins from obscure and short-lived kingdoms.
- Only coins from one or more specific countries
- Only specific denominations, compositions etc (Dollar set, nickel set etc)
- Circulation strikes only
- Extremely high grade certified coins (or certified lowballs) I would also lump the VAMmers and varietiey collectors in this group
The hypothetical scenario here is if a trusted dealer approached you with a good "coin" that is a slam dunk for the price, but not a trivial amount of money, where would you draw the line between "Umm okay" and "No thanks" ?
Edited by Finn235
09/08/2016 10:29 am
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Rest in Peace
United States
7075 Posts |
This is going to be interesting!
I have to admit that my answer is based on my lack of experience. While I am no longer new to the hobby, I will never have the time to gain the knowledge that comes after devoting decades to numismatics. So I went with "immediately clear".
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Moderator
 United States
187702 Posts |
"Must be a missing piece of a set I am building"Of course, it could be that I instantly decide there is a new set to start building, which is what recently happened with those two Ikes I just got. 
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
6130 Posts |
I have honestly had more fun branching out into the unknown than I ever had trying to build sets. The modern age has plenty of interesting countries to collect, but the ancient world I think has been the most fascinating. Nothing drives a passion for history like the prospect of owning a piece of it, IMO. To illustrate my point, in 469 AD the Sassanian (Persian) king Peroz I went to war with the Hepthalite huns, but was captured and forced to empty his national treasury to pay his own ransom. The abundance of these coins led to scores of local imitations, some of which were still being made a thousand years later. It has been said that these copies and some well worn originals from the 469 AD ransom, were still in circulation in Afghanistan in the mid 1960s. Best of all, these are dirt cheap because everyone is too busy with Morgan VAMs and Niue junk to care. The one area I have not ventured into is the non-coin money. A while ago on ebay, I saw a trustworthy seller list a pair of Southeast Asian "boat money" for a very reasonable price. I passed on them, because I just didn't see them "fitting" in my collection. About the furthest away I have ventured is the Japanese "mameita-gin" which were tiny stamped ingots (more like drops) of silver. I hope someday to own one of those gold Koban (giant gold Pringles), but honestly can't see myself collecting knife and Spade coins like our very own TypeCoin. |
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New Member
United States
24 Posts |
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Of course, it could be that I instantly decide there is a new set to start building, which is what recently happened with those two Ikes I just got. Haha, that must be what I'm doing - I just think of a new set or subcollection I can do for each coin I come across! In regards to the main question, I picked the "circulation strikes only" option. I have the odd NCLT piece, but those are either ones that somehow made it into circulation, or I abide by my fairly strict rule that I have a very specific reason for wanting it, not just "it's cool" or "it's a good price". Helps curb my acquisitions. I appreciate non-coin currency in the collections of others, and enjoy learning about the history, but I have no real desire to own those things myself, for the most part. I like round or roundish bits of metal that someone has used to pay for something at some point in time. That example of historical imitation coins, yeah, that sort of thing would be included for me. |
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
2869 Posts |
My only real determining factor in collecting coins is "did someone use it to buy something". If not then it isn't a coin as I define it - it's a token, or bullion round, or ... holds nose.... a collectable.
I really prefer pre WWI material, and really really prefer medieval or ancient. On saying that I do have bullet money, and some Chinese knife money, even kissi pennies because they were used for commerce. Somebody somewhere used that coin/object I hold in my hand as a means of exchange with someone else. That's real life traveling down through the centuries and decades to rest in my hand. For me they are more "real" money than a ... holds nose again .. modern collectible.. :)
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Pillar of the Community
United States
513 Posts |
I presume that "circulation pieces" include tokens intended for circulation. For example, I do include Conder tokens and colonial tokens, would consider Civil War tokens, but exclude stuff like bus tokens, gambling tokens, and store tokens (but many--most?--Civil War tokens are store tokens). Yep, my line in the sand wobbles a bit.
Edited by Garoyn
09/08/2016 1:42 pm
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Valued Member
South Africa
331 Posts |
At this stage I only collect coins from the U.S try to get slabbed coins
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2023 Posts |
I'm at the same point as teslacoil -- primarily slabbed US coins (working on a type set, including early and modern commemoratives that are personally interesting). But I also pick up the occasional silver round as the mood strikes me -- have a few Norfed and SBSS pieces, and a couple from Daniel Carr. Oh, and a Green Lantern silver round from the Cartoon Celebrities series (that's my avatar). |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1119 Posts |
I picked 'must be' as my choice because it must be something I want at that particular time. I buy what I like when I like it. doesn't matter what and I might not like it one day and might like it the next day. I change my mind more often than my underwear.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3843 Posts |
I'll buy anything and everything that catches my eye that I like the look of and is being offered at a reasonable price.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
666 Posts |
It's a great question and a fun poll.  Btw, I love, "Oooh! Shiny!" ;-) You might want to change: what is welcome into our coin collections to: what is welcome into our coin collections since one's collection may not be limited to coins (and that's a primary point of your poll). ~ Mark Edited by dd27
09/09/2016 12:48 am
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Pillar of the Community
Russian Federation
5172 Posts |
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I picked 'must be' as my choice because it must be something I want at that particular time. I buy what I like when I like it. doesn't matter what and I might not like it one day and might like it the next day. I change my mind more often than my underwear. This basically, except that I try to stay within $5 per coin (unless it's ancient, then $10). I don't buy much NCLT, but only because it's usually quite expensive. I pretty much jump on it if I can get any cheaply. (Though I doubt I could bring myself to buy modern fantasies.) I don't think I've ever been in a shop that sold historical commodity money. (And I don't really trust myself to recognize the more exotic types as money.) But if I ever saw any for sale, it probably wouldn't have been within my budget either. And half a year ago I'd have said I'm not collecting tokens. Then I find a dozen nice shiny old tokens in a 50 cent bargain bin. How fickle my interests are! |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
666 Posts |
From the CCF Glossary: NCLT - Acronym for Non Circulating Legal Tender.For those folks, like yours truly, who might not be familiar with the acronym. Quote:
Then I find a dozen nice shiny old tokens in a 50 cent bargain bin. How fickle my interests are! 'fickle' = an enlightened, sophisticated collector  Edited by dd27
09/09/2016 09:11 am
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts |
Quote:
I'll buy anything and everything that catches my eye that I like the look of and is being offered at a reasonable price. Same with me |
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Pillar of the Community
Norway
1358 Posts |
I don't fit in, really. I collect 'anything that is of interest to me'. Which is both exonumia and coins, but not all coins or exonumia: far from, in fact. I am pretty selective nowadays.  |
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Replies: 21 / Views: 3,252 |
Posted 09/08/2016 12:05 pm
