Posted 03/14/2006 7:32 pm
Depending on your location, world coins may be very easy to find. Many coin shops have "junk boxes" of world coins priced at just a few cents each; those inexpensive coins are a good place to start. Local coin shops usually have a selection of world coins, often priced reasonably so that the inventory will move. These coins don't always sell very quickly. Many large coin dealers also sell them in bulk quantities, but I don't know how well mixed they are - foreign coin mixtures seen in the U.S. are often heavy in Canadian and Mexican. Still, they are usually dirt-cheap in quantity. You can buy them by the pound from larger dealers. These dealers often advertise in Coin World and other coin publications. I haven't tried any of these bulk lots, but they are usually priced so low that I wouldn't worry about the risk of getting a poor mixture.
(I just looked through a recent Coin World and I quickly found one - 5 pounds for $38.45 from Gatewest Coin.)
If you really want to get into foreign coins, you will need a book to help you identify them. The best source I have found is Krause's "Standard Catalog of World Coins". You would probably want to start with the book that covers 1901-present, but they have additional volumes going back to 1601 if you really get into it. Especially if you want to acquire large quantities of world coins in bulk, you should buy this book before you proceed.
From what I have seen, there are also trading networks here, and that could be another way to get these coins. I haven't participated in any trading because I tend to become sentimentally attached to coins that come into my possession, but for people who don't get so attached it might work well.
Good luck! Collecting world coins can seem intimidating at first, but it is very rewarding, and it is possible to accumulate vast quantities of coins for very little money. I have large quantities of coins from all over the world, and most of them were under US$1.00 each.
Heather
(I just looked through a recent Coin World and I quickly found one - 5 pounds for $38.45 from Gatewest Coin.)
If you really want to get into foreign coins, you will need a book to help you identify them. The best source I have found is Krause's "Standard Catalog of World Coins". You would probably want to start with the book that covers 1901-present, but they have additional volumes going back to 1601 if you really get into it. Especially if you want to acquire large quantities of world coins in bulk, you should buy this book before you proceed.
From what I have seen, there are also trading networks here, and that could be another way to get these coins. I haven't participated in any trading because I tend to become sentimentally attached to coins that come into my possession, but for people who don't get so attached it might work well.
Good luck! Collecting world coins can seem intimidating at first, but it is very rewarding, and it is possible to accumulate vast quantities of coins for very little money. I have large quantities of coins from all over the world, and most of them were under US$1.00 each.
Heather
