Will Coin Collecting Die Off?

I think the biggest challenge that the next generation of collectors will face is the overwhelming breadth of modern coins, both circulating and commemorative.

I was 10 when the State Quarter program launched, and I was thrilled to start collecting them, but lost steam around 2003. I was able to catch up in 2008 when the last designs were rolling out, but I've lost steam again on the ATB series, and the low mintages of 2010-2012 mean I am unlikely to finish the set from pocket change. Imagine being 10, having $15 to your name, but having 100 State Quarters, 12 territory quarters, and 100 park quarters to collect... it's overwhelming! And President dollars... most of the "good" ones are either low mintage or straight up NIFC!

The US mint thankfully has kept a tight grip on the reins of modern commemoratives, but most of the rest of the world is off the deep end at this point... charging obscene premiums for gimmicks that are too numerous and too expensive to assemble a meaningful collection.

When I realized this (after accumulating a hoard of hundreds of dollars of coins that will never be worth even 110% of face) I turned the other way toward US classics, then settled in to world coins and ancients. I think modern numismatic items are heading straight for extinction, but thankfully there is still 2,600 years worth of material for everyone to find a niche.

you can push it back even further than that. There are convention pictures from the early ANA conventions back around the turn of the 20th century (attendance was low enough they had group photos) and what do you see in the pictures? Old white guys, no youngsters.So it's been old white guys for well over 100 years now.



I'm sure only because there is a law now that forbids more than two commemorative programs per year. It has nothing to do with the decision by the mint. The mint is trying to get around that with all kinds of special sets and gimmicks on their own. And the third party graders are getting into the act too with all the different label variations.

I think that in the UK there's more interest in coins right now than at any time since decimalisation. When I went on a tour of The Royal Mint last month, there were lots of visitors, including teenagers and families with young children, and many of them bought coins in the shop after the visit. The Olympic and Beatrix Potter 50p coins certainly caught the mood of the public, and a new monthly coin magazine has just been launched: the UK has had just one coin magazine since 1992. The downside of all this is the way people are hoarding recent commemoratives and often asking silly prices on ebay for common coins...

......unless it's sold for melt!

I don't really have an opinion about the next generation but I do think that coin collecting is done mainly for investment purposes. That is, it's a way to save and also enjoy a fascinating hobby. And, maybe make some money, too. It's a lot closer in analogy to collecting comics, jewelry, or art.

When times are good, collecting will be robust. When times are tough, prices will drop and buyers will be few. So, as long as the world economy stays afloat we should be good.

Judging by the price jump in the 1932-D and 1932-S quarters (which I bought in 1997 and would pay three times as much today), yes.

If I was rich I would make a game or treasure hunt to get kids and the younger generation into collecting. Just like someone said have a pokemon game that gave away coins. Would definitely spark a new generation. I throw in wheat pennies and half dollars into my change so people can find and hope a kid finds it.

Agree that "moderns" are never likely to be worth much except for a few "key dates" type coins .. but doesn't that also mean that coins will become MORE SCARCE, especially the older coins..