Questions For Collectors Of Modern Coins

Just remember, when you ask a question be prepared to hear an answer you might not like.

We're going to be lucky if the kids can put their phones down long enough to collect anything, this is the most soulless generation I've ever seen, and we boomers were bad enough.

I can't stand snobs either but most modern bashers aren't really snobs, they just have a visceral hatred for clads and moderns. The introduction of clads in 1965 not only destroyed the coin market of the time but it also hurt collectors because the perception was all the good coins were no longer circulating. Coin collectors were blamed for the coin shortage and were punished in various ways by the FED, mint, and government. By the time it and all the date freezes were over collectors who were left hated clads not only because they were debased junk but because of what they represented.

This disdain has been passed on to new collectors for more than 50 years.

During all this time few people even so much as looked at the coins so they didn't notice that finding nice attractive BU coins was often quite difficult. They had a knee jerk reaction to just dismiss clads and all modern coin collectors.

With the introduction of the states quarters interest in all moderns has been growing slowly and steadily.

The next ten years will be a very interesting time in the hobby as it diversifies and is led by a new generation which doesn't hate moderns.

Frankly, when I have extra money, I like to buy new bullion(mostly silver 1 ounce coins) and fractional gold coins. It depends on a couple things. Whether your looking to make a quick buck and profit, or because you just enjoy the hobby. It can be both

I personally like low mintage new coins and colorized coins, although some will definitely tell you not to buy "gimmick" coins.

Every coin has a history in my opinions, old or new. They will all change hands, be passed down, run over, found in the dirt, be kept pristine for hundreds of years, etc.

Here is why I collect moderns
· It is a good beginners place to start
· They are budget friendly
· Accomplishment in completing a date/mm set in MS
· Even though they are everyday coins it becomes quite an impressive collection when you get so far in
· I enjoy the hunt of buying below guide prices
· There are so many avenues with varieties and error coins
· My wife would kill me if I collected what I wanted to - Roman Coins!

It's modern now but when I pass it to my kids and grandkids, it wouldn't be consider modern then. Patience is a virtue.

@ cladking. So it's basically based on a 50+ year old grudge? Are you saying that the problem people have is not so much with the coins themselves, but rather with what the coins represent to them? (Debasement, mass produced (common), started during a time when coin shortages were blamed on coin collectors.)Well let's break that down, shall we? Debasement: Nickel 3 and 5 cent pieces were debased versions of silver trimes and Half Dimes, yet classic collectors still like them. Plus the mint still makes silver proof dimes, quarters and half dollars, as well as gold, silver, platinum and starting just recently palladium bullion coins and gold and silver commemorative coins. So it isn't about debasement. Maybe it's the fact that they're mass produced (common): Mercury dimes, Indian Head cents, Buffalo nickels and Morgan dollars are all extremely common in the coin market as a whole, and yet again, classic collectors love them. So it isn't that either. Sure the mint treated collectors less than fairly when clad coins started. But shouldn't that cause distain for the mint of the time, and not with the coins themselves. Plus the mint eventually admitted they were wrong. In recent years the mint has been very collector friendly. The only two complaints I could see is the cost that the mint charges for some coins is a little high and the fact that in some years the mint makes too many types of coins at a time. That last one is a good thing because they're offering people different options to choose from. It's only bad if you're an obsessive compulsive completist or you're extremely indecisive. It could be because of the designs, which is perfectly fine. After all, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I will say however, that when you take into account all of the state, territorial, and America the Beautiful Quarters, the Lincoln bicentennial cents of 2009, the Westward journey nickels of '04 and '05, the Sacagawea and Native American dollars, the Presidential dollars, the first spouse $10 gold coins, the different reverse designs of the platinum eagles and the different commemorative designs, that there's been more diversity in coin designs from the U.S. mint in the last 19 years than in their first 205 years combined.

Well, the large copper cents were debased to small copper nickel cents and the Half Dime was debased to the nickel five cent piece. Most collectors, even traditionalists like small cents. And you can't deny the popularity of the Buffalo nickel. Shield nickels? Well ok, to most people it's probably not as attractive as some other coins. The Liberty Head nickel is fairly popular though. Maybe not Morgan dollar popular, but still popular. And yes, clad coins are money. Copper and nickel may not have the scarcity or value of gold and silver, but it's still based on a fixed supply and intrinsic value. If we replaced our quarters with silver ones would prices for everyday items drop, or would the quarters essentially just become three dollar silver pieces? That might be a stupid question, but I'm genuinely curious.