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 Replies: 15 / Views: 1,566 |
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Valued Member
United States
116 Posts |
This is one of those which kind of car do you think I should buy questions.  I live in the U.S. and collect U.S. coins but at times have the passing thought that I might want to get into world coins. What country would be the easiest coins to obtain? Do you collect sets or just random world coins that you like the looks of? I've not done any research myself on this - Do you have any web sites or books you recommend? Thanks - appreciate your helping me out with this. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
7123 Posts |
Hi CoyoteMoss World coins are a relative new endeavor for me also , I collected nothing but US coins for many years , then I started collecting the Australian and Philippines coins minted by the US ,and now I have a fairly large collection of Mexican coins it seems that Mexico has some really cool designs . and progressively I also started collecting a few peso coins from other south and central American countries Panama and Chile . My best advice is to take a look at the world coins by purchasing a Krause catalog of world coins , check out the designs and see what sticks . your also welcome to brouse my gallery , just click the link in my sig line ,there are coins from several different countries ,certianly not all countries but if you look at the other members galleries also you will come up with many Ideas for what world coins you may like to collect . |
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Rest in Peace
 United States
1380 Posts |
As a relative newbie also, I can tell you what I did. I too was just collecting US coins, but kept winding up with a random foreign coin here or there. Went ahead and bought a small bulk lot on ebay to start doing "one from each country" but I had too hard a time deciding on which one when I had multiples. As I use Dansco albums for my US collection, I wanted to stay with them and am using their plain Coin album, which holds 2x2's, 3 across. The natural thing for me then was to decide to collect three from each country, so everyone got their own row. Then I found I had just tons of British and Euros, so I decided to go ahead and set up a collection of British, which now has three albums - copper, silver/cupro and decimal, and Euro type which also has spread to three albums - original 12 type set, new and changed type set and 2 euro commemoratives. So my recommendation here is to just get a bunch of foreign coins and let nature take it's course. You'll wind up with something you enjoy, but it will change and grow as you go along, probably in some unpredictable direction. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2269 Posts |
For me the easiest coins to obtain are Canadian, due to my location in the United States. For the last 20 years I have been saving every world coin I come across. Some of my collection came from the countries I visited, some have been found in circulation, and others were plucked from the coinstar machine. A few weeks ago I purchased an album that would house only 2x2 flips. I researched every foreign coin I had and properly labeled them. Although most of my foreign coin collection consists of Canadian coins, I am very proud of the album I put together. If you are into Euro's I would suggest https://www.eurocollections.com and definitely pick up Krause Catalog of World Coins. |
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
1077 Posts |
Welcome to the "dark side"  If you want a subject to start with it might be worth looking at your heritage. For example, what country did your ancestors come from. If you do want to specialise in a single country or two then it is worth getting a copy of the "local" Red Book equivalent for that country. For example Spink for Great Britain. If on the other hand you are going to be including more than a few countries then Krause is the essential one stop reference. Also if you don't have one already get a free membership at numismaster.com as you can research individual coins there. Even if you don't know where they are from. You can search by design, denomination, words found on them, dates and composition. Most of all get ready for a huge change. After spending time looking at the same 80 or so designs of US coins the world, and it's thousands of designs, is literally your oyster. Just hanging out in the appropriate forums on CCF and asking loads of questions you will learn an awful lot and never be stuck for an answer to something. You might want to check out my little contest on identifying countries that is currently running, to whet your appetite. You can use it to practice researching on numismaster.com Most of all enjoy!  |
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Rest in Peace
United States
1729 Posts |
 I bought odd lots of world coins and sorted through them and eventually found myself retaining type sets from all countries and by-date sets from Mexico, Great Britain, and Canada. Of course I found a scattering of overlooked coins which had more than nominal value, so I kept those, too. Along the way I've picked up some historical facts, a love of certain coin designs, and a better sense of world economy. Luckily my local dealer buys large lots of world coins for $5.00 a pound and sells them @ $6.50, so after I sort a 15- or 20-pound lot, I can turn them in and take home another lot. He has a group of collectors like me and keeps our sortings separate and circulates the lots amongst us. Also, he allows gradeschoolers come and and sort through his open stock kept in a reinforced box on the floor, and by doing so he's fostering new collectors. It's a win-win situation for all of us. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2661 Posts |
I love world coins. I have been collecting them since 1981. I had an advantage over most darksiders, I was able to visit the country and obtain them from pocket change. My job took me to 6 continents and too many countries to list. I just bought a 600+ coin lot from one of our members and I am getting ready to sit down with them and see what I have. Black Mountain Coins has good deals on bulk coin lots so you might want to check them out. As for what I collect, if it ain't US I keep it.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
507 Posts |
If you are able to go to a coin store or a coin show, there are often 'junk boxes' where the coins are sold for ten or Twenty Cents each. You can pick out the ones that you think look interesting, and then worry about finding out when/where they came from later. You might end up liking coins with animals, large copper coins, dime-sized silver coins, coins with arabic, etc... There's a lot to explore. Buying bulk lots from ebay is kinda similar, except you don't get to pick and choose. wheatiefan |
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Valued Member
United States
60 Posts |
Like most, I started with US coins... and then drifted into world coins. I have focused my world coin endeavors (primarily) on silver coins (when possible) as well as specialize on 8 Reale pieces. Whatever the age or metal used though, some world coin designs are superb. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1840 Posts |
I actually started with a small world coin collection that my grandfather gave me in second grade. I remember being amazed at the variety of different coins in the old Krause catalog that he bought me for my birthday. In my opinion world coins are more reasonably priced than their US counterparts. You can easily find low mintage, older coins in quality grades and not have to go broke getting them.
Here's some food for thought. You could collect by:
1) Country. One of my favorites is Germany and the German State's coinage. I also have a collection of 20th century Afghan coins. Others collect coins from former empires like France, Portugal or Great Britain.
2) Period. For instance a WW-II era collection.
3) Variety. Many CCF members are working on collecting coins from as many different countries as possible (sometimes called OFEC or "one from every country).
4) Theme. I also have a fish themed collection comprised of coins with different fish on them.
5) Type. Some collector just collect proofs and/or commemorative coins. There are literally thousands of different world commemorative coins to choose from.
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Valued Member
United States
259 Posts |
The easiest ones may be kinda obvious - Canada and Mexico is where I started. Then Australia. I also found I really liked the Peru Sols, Panama Balboas, & Philippine coins esp. the one centavos and pesos. Now I'm doing the OFEC thing. Have about 200 so far. Worldwide Coins Magazine from Coin World gives many good idea and is reasonably inexpensive. Edited by chasinva69
02/08/2009 5:54 pm
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Valued Member
United States
306 Posts |
 I started collecting world coins about three years ago. Decided to make my theme World coins minted by United States mints. Sounds easy, but there are about 70 different countries and total of about 2000 coins if you collect each date. Picked up an old Whitman book from 1964 with my theme's title. Most are quite inexpensive, but hard to find. I would suggest starting with collecting by types rather than trying for each date. Good Luck and keep up posted on what you decide. Terrell |
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Valued Member
 United States
116 Posts |
Wow ! Thank you -each and everyone for taking time to answer and provide some really great information. Will try to get the Krause catalog of world coins today during lunch and get started with the advice and information that you've posted. Going to get started maybe as soon as this weekend at a local coin show. Been getting kind of bored with U.S. coins. Again, really appreciate your helping me out. Thanks!
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Pillar of the Community
Australia
1040 Posts |
CoyoteMoss, if you develop an interest in Australian coins, when you get to 50 posts, send me a PM and I would be more than happy to trade some Aussie coins for US coins. Every one should have Aussie coins in their collection. |
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Valued Member
United States
116 Posts |
Guess I'm an official beginner in the collection of world coins. Purchased yesterday the 2009 Krause Catalog of World Coins from 1901 - 2000, which came with a CD version that should help a lot with searches. (geez that's a big catalog, needed a fork lift to get it to my car) Also went on BlackMountain.com and ordered a 10 lb bag of coins,-- funny buying coins by the pound.... Found out by email that they will be at the coin show this coming weekend. Thanks everyone!
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Valued Member
Netherlands
376 Posts |
Hello CoyoteMoss,
what could help starting up is to ask whether members of Coincommunity will take pleaesure in sending you their everyday circulation coins for in return statequarters or eventually, later on Lincoln Commemorative cents. I myself am a world collector with a small collection of approximately 20.000 differnet types of world coins from Roman Times till 2009, but I collect for more than 30 years in practice.
The world is large as it is with more than 161 independant countries today. The ancient Dutch Colonies will later this year be independant and will change their current currency of Antillian Guilders for Antillian dollars; Aruba will hold on to its florin, but the isle of Curacao will have dollars in the second part of 2009. Question is what will Bonaire and Saba do: keeping their guilder or also their own dollar? The little Isles of St. Eustatius and St. Pieter will have Euro as change, but they will not produce euro of their own.
Also Kosovo in former Yugoslavia became independant and is willing to introduce their currency in the latter part of 2009.
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Replies: 15 / Views: 1,566 |
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Posted 02/08/2009 10:32 am
