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 Replies: 21 / Views: 2,251 |
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Valued Member
United States
63 Posts |
Since I've started collecting coins about 10 years ago, I've often thought about "my coins" and which ones I wanted to buy and how to store them and how proud I am of what I've accomplished. Lately, my views have been changing. As I read through my coin magazines and history books and see special collections being broken apart and auctioned off, I've come to feel more like a steward or caretaker of the coins in my possession. I look at the coins and think where they have been and how long they will be around after I'm gone, and I see my time with them as so temporary. Unlike a car or piece of clothing that you buy, use, sometimes become attached to, and trash, coins are different. As I assemble my collection, I realize that is just what I am; an Assembler. Also make me curious about who has previously owned the coins in my collection and what their histories are. I do keep a spreadsheet of all my coins and where I purchased them and for how much, but I'm also thinking about the possibility of compiling a history for my coins and where they have been with me, and possibly include some information about myself. I don't know if it would be very meaningful to the next owner, or how I would even keep the info with the coin, but it is something I've often wondered about. I would hope that my children would keep and even expand my collection, but nothing is for certain. Maybe one day one of the grading services will attach a microchip to their slabs to store such information. Wouldn't it be cool if you had a coin that you knew was owned by Teddy Roosevelt at one time or was some pilot's lucky charm during WWII? I know I'm getting a little deep, but these are some of the things I wonder about as I work with my collection.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1173 Posts |
 Great post, Dorion! You've stated so well, what I've often felt...wondering where the coins in my collection have been, and where they will be going next. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2602 Posts |
Very thought-provoking topic. I've often thought about what will happen to my coin collection when I'm gone. Or whether I will decide to piece by piece sell it when I got much older. Or maybe I will need to pay medical bills and be forced to break up my collection? Or maybe I will leave the collection to my kids and let them do whatever they want (likely break it up and sell it)? I'd love for me collection to remain in my family for several generations, but I don't know if that is feasible.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3233 Posts |
All of the coins in our collections are simply on loan.
Edited by Prethen
03/20/2008 2:36 pm
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Valued Member
United States
255 Posts |
Let us know how you go about chronicling these things as it may benefit all to do some similar things.
Ryan
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Valued Member
United States
473 Posts |
Yeah, Dorion, I've thought about this alot too. Imagine how much your favorite coin means to you then think about how much it migh thave meant to someone 100 years ago...then you get to thinking about what happened to that collector who saved this coin so many years ago, and where the rest of his collection now lies....
One day, I'm going to bury a bunch of coins somewhere in the woods near my house. I'm going to leave a short note outlining my life, my collection, and the life of my collection. I hope that one day, 200 years from now, somebody digs it up and enjoys my coins as much as I do.
--gary
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Rest in Peace
United States
3730 Posts |
Good post.
In a way we are part of numismatic history, especially when we take coins out of circulation. Those coins, hopefully, will remain part of a collection for hundreds, or thousands, of years. And, it all started with us removing a coin from circulation.
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Valued Member
United States
272 Posts |
I have often wondered this about gold coins people find while metal detecting. A single gold coin was worth alot of money back then, how could someone just lose it? Did a child take it outside to look at it in the light and lose it, was someone killed while holding it? I guess we will never really know, but I makes you wonder.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
535 Posts |
quote:
One day, I'm going to bury a bunch of coins somewhere in the woods near my house. I'm going to leave a short note outlining my life, my collection, and the life of my collection. I hope that one day, 200 years from now, somebody digs it up and enjoys my coins as much as I do.
How much disaccant do you put in for 200 years worth of humidity? |
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Valued Member
United States
306 Posts |
"quote: . I hope that one day, 200 years from now, somebody digs it up and enjoys my coins as much as I do. "
".and it will distract them enough to dig no farther and find my old business partner who was stealing from the company."
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2049 Posts |
Interesting thoughts and I too have wondered where my coins have been in the past. I dont have much at all in the way of high valued coins, so I dont wonder much if they were in someone's collection who was a wealthy individual or high profiled person. I wonder more about the circulated coins and what travels they have made. I daydream sometimes about the 1800's coins I have and imagine them having been used in the old west at a poker game in some saloon.
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Moderator
 United States
187702 Posts |
quote:
"quote: . I hope that one day, 200 years from now, somebody digs it up and enjoys my coins as much as I do. "
".and it will distract them enough to dig no farther and find my old business partner who was stealing from the company."
 quote:
How much disaccant do you put in for 200 years worth of humidity?
Maybe it would be better to use high-tech modern vacuum sealed composite plastic container? Regarding the topic, deep thoughts indeed. I think we all would do good to mentor an apprentice, relative or not, and hope our collections remain intact and even grow after we are gone. |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts |
Lots of good about this post and something not to pleasant for me. I know full well that soon enough my entire coin collection will be dissasembled and probably dumped or sold. Possibly into a banks counting machine. I'm way up there in age, a recent cancer survivor, have other medical conditions and one son that has absolutely no interest in coins. All other relatives have now passed away. So just what will be the future of all my coins? I've lost interest in that subject I think, maybe. Seams like it is all a waste at times. Well over 60 years of coin and other object collecting and may well end up in an estate sale or even a garage/yard sale.
I know that at one time I was really interested in almost everything about all my coins. I had Excel spreadsheets discribing dates of acquisition if known, amount paid if known, or from change, dates, mint marks, grades and approximate values based on several sources and then an average value of those. Over the years I said to myself, SELF, why document all this if no one will ever read it, care what it says and probably dump the entire book and computer files. So I slowly eliminated most of the documentation. Now only have a list of type, date, mint and grade. Value? Why? At my age I've no interest in selling any, no interest in what they cost, no interest in total values or value of each coin. No interest anymore in where they came from, who had them, who handled them and what they did with them. Just getting old and enjoying several collections that all to soon will probably have something done to that I don't want to know about now.
Yes, I too am a holder of some objects for someone, somewhere else, sometime in the near future that too may have no idea of who I was, nor care.
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Moderator
United States
187702 Posts |
Just pondering some things here for those without an heir apparent for their "Kingdom of Coins"... Adopt one or several of the members here, or adopt someone local that does or could have an interest. The goal is to find someone to respect not just the coins, but the collection. Your blood, sweat, and tears; your legacy. You could stipulate that whoever gets the collection cannot break it up and they are encouraged to complete anything left undone. You might even sell off duplicates; include the proceeds to fund and encourage their continuation of your work. You could give the entire collection to one person, or part it out, or just sell it outright. You could stipulate that a donation (equivalent to the fair value inherited) is made to your favourite charities, in your name or anonymously. That way you can give the collection away without having to sell it for money you do not need when you are gone. You can make any rules you want; these are just some things that come to mind. |
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Valued Member
United States
69 Posts |
Just Carl, maybe you are right and your coins will end up dumped by someone who just cares about cash and not the history or work that it took to put it together but maybe not. All we can do is enjoy our hobby and the pleasure it brings to us. I am new here but I have enjoyed your posts to all the questions I and others have asked. I guess in the end we never know who we have helped along the way but I am sure with over 1800 posts that you have helped many. It's not just putting coins together in a book but enjoying the hobby and people that have come into our lives because of it. Thanks for the help you have provided. Getting sentimental, time to get back on topic, sorry
Small Change
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
19931 Posts |
WOW....it's funny you posted this because I've been thinking that for a long time. The coins last virtually forever, I'm just holding them for another collector someday.
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Replies: 21 / Views: 2,251 |
Posted 03/20/2008 2:23 pm
