Added A 1946 Portugal 2-1/2 Escudo To My World Silver Collection

The benefits of being old !

I was searching through dealers' junk boxes in the 1970's when silver was being withdrawn from the Worlds circulating currencies and was as common as bronze coins in dealers' junk boxes. With good cherry picking skills, good quality World silver coins of all sizes, could be found at around melt prices.

Silver became scarcer in the junk boxes, when silver was speculated by the Hunt Brothers, when they made an attempt to corner the World silver market. They failed, and junk silver coins made a bit of a comeback into the junk boxes during the 1980's.

During this period of 20 years 1970 1990, I was always on the lookout for better condition World silver coins, that could be had for around melt prices.
I also collected a lot of better condition World bronze coins of the 19th century (1800's), during this period, for what would be considered to be throwaway prices today.

It was during this period that most of my World collection of about 2,500 pieces, was put together. Perhaps 60% of them are silver coins. Nevertheless, my collection extends back to include all ancient coins of all cultures.

I still cherry pick whenever I am at a show or visiting a dealer, but as everybody else has experienced, better quality World silver in dealers' junk boxes is rarely found these days.
I had to go up market price wise, and the most valuable coins I have acquired in the last 15 years or so have come from public auction.

Although I might be termed a 'numistmatist' by some, when it comes to World coins, I am definitely a humble 'coin collector'.

When there is a scarcity of silver coins to be found in dealers' junk boxes of today, a different strategy has to be adopted, if your collection of World coins is to grow and be kept interesting.

1). I ask myself a couple of questions:
What are the most valuable base metal World coin types that have been issued in the last 200 years?
2. What would be the coins that my father would have collected (grandfather, if you are younger), if you wanted to build an interesting collection?

As with all collectors, even with base metal minor coins, always get the best condition that is possible. Even with base metal World coins, top condition World coins can be relatively cheap to buy in lots of cases.

These days, I tend to concentrate on the period from about 1820, and from when copper nickel was introduced (1856). Not much interested in coins issued after about 1950.
I am happy to take early 1800's coins lower grades, provided they are not junk, and the price is low.

With these three strategies, I am still a very active cherry picker.

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The answer to question 1)., is best provided by an old copy of Krause World coins 1900-2000, and if possible, and old copy of Krause World coins 1800-1900.

On line 'NCG World coins values' also helps,
but the books are the best way to build your knowledge as a whole, by just browsing through them, when you have nothing else better to do, or you are looking for the details of a specific coin.

A cheap way of having some fun, and learning something of the World history, by actually handling some of the 'hardware'.

I am an old guy now, but I have never stopped learning since I was a child.