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Numismatic gift suggestions for little ones?
goldrealmoney79
Posts: 417 ✭✭✭
Was hoping to get some input from members here, my niece who is young has an interest in coins, on top of the regular gifts im purchasing this year I decided to throw in a couple numismatic items, however im struggling to figure out what I should purchase to instill some curiosity or fire. What have you guys had success with in the past gift wise for a yn? anything yall can recommend.
Currently ive purchased a 2009 penny set, but unsure what else to throw in. ..
https://www.ebay.com/itm/2009-Lincoln-Bicentennial-Penny-8-pc-Set-P-D-Mint-Red-Packaging/143656166078?hash=item21729322be:g:62wAAOSwXEdaX5vL
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What if you gave her a small stocking full of loose cents with some old wheaties and an Indian planted in it? Her parents might want to kill you but she might find it fun. Maybe something with Buffalo Nickels. Those are always fun.
Great transactions with oih82w8, JasonGaming, Moose1913.
I may get flamed, but there's a lot of nice topical non-US NCLT. Kids really like them.
Maybe find out the year one of her grandparents or great-grandparents were born, and buy her coins to put together either a Year Set of raw coins (and you can place the coins in a nice Birth Year Set holder), or put together a graded Year Set in grades that your budget allows. Unless the date is a very tough year, this latter suggestion can be accomplished at very low cost.
My collecting “Pride & Joy” is my PCGS Registry Dansco 7070 Set:
https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/type-sets/design-type-sets/complete-dansco-7070-modified-type-set-1796-date/publishedset/213996
Anything you give a kid that they can spend will get spent. Wanna see my granddaughters state quarter albums? Empty. Lesson Learned.
What's she interested in? Get her something like that. What you shouldn't get is what you think she should be interested in.
Yes there are such as: Disney Princesses, Mickey and Mini Mouse, Marvel Superheroes, Lunar Calendar series, Birth Month Coins, and many others.
What ever she likes their is a coin for that.
A coin with a truly beautiful design, such as a Walker in AU58 up with lots of luster. Then, you know her likes better than us. Maybe she is the type that loves quantity. If so, get her a 1946 through 1958 Lincoln Cent collection, which is very inexpensive and allows her to fill the remainder with Cents out of pocket change and bank rolls. Then if it catches she can go after the earlier, one at a time.
Best of luck and Merry Christmas to all.
Jim
When a man who is honestly mistaken hears the truth, he will either quit being mistaken or cease to be honest....Abraham Lincoln
Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.....Mark Twain
My daughter likes panda bears; she really liked the Chinese Panda in silver. They have copper rounds available too.
young niece...
attainable but needs a coin store or ebay to keep up with it...
sac & n.a. dollars. and don't forget there are up edge letters and down edge letters.
How young? Get a handful of foreign bulk, throw in a couple older US coins. Then go to hobby lobby and get a small, wooden treasure chest. Fill chest with coins.
Keeper of the VAM Catalog • Professional Coin Imaging • Prime Number Set • World Coins in Early America • British Trade Dollars
I hate to say it but trying to convince a kid to collect by date and mintmark seems hopeless. Find her one really interesting historical piece, put it in a really old envelope or box, and tell her the story behind it. Could be a medal, a coin, a banknote, a token, whatever. It will either light a fire or it won't, but at least you've got a shot.
Doggedly collecting coins of the Central American Republic.
Visit the Society of US Pattern Collectors at USPatterns.com.
As I can only speak from my personal experience. I think the term is recycler , it fascinates me that I can go to the bank and get rolls to search and pay face value. I feel like I’m treasure hunting anyway that’s what pulled me in 20yrs. Ago
MS65 PCGS CAC Saint will get her attention.
MISSION IMPOSSIBLE.
If she’s already somewhat interested in coins, then I’d suggest flipping through a CoinWorld or similar magazine and take note of things she points out. Also take note of what this young lady advises:
TurtleCat Gold Dollars
OP,
You know her better than we do.
Perhaps browsing will help you identify something that will pique her interest.
https://www.apmex.com/the-holiday-shop?_campaign=holiday2020-regular-11052020-theHolidayShop-topstrip
Good Luck !!!
What kind of interest has she shown? Given that she's shown some interest, I would try to build on that.
If you want to instill curiosity and $90 isn't too much, this coin just sold and I think it's the kind of coin a kid might treasure for decades.
When I was a kid I had a bit of circulated silver but I would have been fascinated by a BU coin from the 1800s. I had silver-dollar sized moderns, but it would have been amazing to have one from the 1800s. I also had circulation coins, world coins, and other items, but it's the large silver pieces that kept my interest over the years, even today, I fondly remember my 3 large silver-dollar sized pieces (1 US, 2 world coins).
Maybe some coin folders like the Washington quarter National park set or the state quarters set something they can find in the change get them hooked
https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/quarters/washington-quarters-major-sets/washington-quarters-date-set-circulation-strikes-1932-present/publishedset/209923
https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/quarters/washington-quarters-major-sets/washington-quarters-date-set-circulation-strikes-1932-present/album/209923
I really wish someone would of started me out in Numismatics early in my life, didn’t get started until my mid 30’s.
For a young person why not get a 7070 and do a type set with them, seems like a good start point. Also for stocking stuffers.. 1g Silvers and .5g gold are really nice, plus if they loose them it’s not the end of the world
How about a kid sized metal detector, could be a ton of fun for a youngster.. plus the treasure hunt and getting them out of the house and off the phone for a while. The whole family could get involved
A silver eagle of her birth year that she can HOLD in her hands. So what if she gets fingerprints on it? The heft of it may spark a collecting passion.
My suggestion for one of your purchases is to get her a YN ANA membership. There are a lot of programs that she can become a part of based on her interests. She would also receive the monthly electronic Your Newsletter. Here is a link for more information: https://www.money.org/young-numismatists
One roll each of the new innovation coins might be something to consider.
They're shiny and apparently look like pirate gold, so I was told.
They also work well for Show-&-Tell.
Maryland drops on 17 Dec.
https://catalog.usmint.gov/american-innovation-1-coin-2020-rolls-and-bags-connecticut-MASTER_INNOVATIONCT.html?cgid=2020-product-schedule
https://catalog.usmint.gov/american-innovation-1-coin-2020-rolls-and-bags-massachusetts-MASTER_INNOVATIONMA.html?cgid=2020-product-schedule
https://catalog.usmint.gov/american-innovation-1-coin-2020-rolls-and-bags-maryland-MASTER_INNOVATIONMD.html?cgid=2020-product-schedule
My Saint Set
Kids like animals and variety. I suggest buying her a pound or two of bulk foreign coins to see what her interests may be. A 1967 Canadian mint set is something that might attract a child. How about a two cent piece and three cent or a Large cent? None of these are very expensive. A buffalo nickel. Kids usually like to touch the coins, so I do not recommend slabbed coins at this point. Perhaps a Red Book?
My dad got me started with the Whitman Lincoln cent folders and a bag of cents from the bank to go though. I enjoyed this method of collecting all my life.
Oh, yeah! Take her to coin shows! There sometimes is a YN box full of donated coins for kids.
State or National Park quarters Whitman album. She will be searching change for the next 10 years.
Give Me Liberty or Give Me Debt
How young?
Most kids want to handle stuff. I'd get her a worn silver dollar and/or half dollar that she can put her paws on and show her friends.
“In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock." - Thomas Jefferson
My digital cameo album 1950-64 Cameos - take a look!
an old 5 coin type set of circulated stuff - barber year range or walking liberty year range
Someone once advised me the best gift you can give a kid is time. If you just give them coins, they are not likely to value them, but if you give them your time, you are investing in them the most valuable asset you have, and it is more likely your passion for coins with catch on with them. I have found with my Grandkids that they love going through rolls with me. In this way they have each built their own State and Natl Park quarter sets. I also let them keep any coins they find from their birth year, but they have to spend the money with me. They really like going through pennies and finding wheaties, one has a collection going back to 1935, also another one has done a complete year set of Jefferson Nickels. Not each one is as interested as are a couple of them, but they all have kept the coins they worked hard to find
.
Anyway...my advice...
Get them the biggest and shinny coin you can find so they will never lose nor misplace it. (5 oz us Quarter, 10 oz British queens beast or 1 Kilo Australian zodiac.)
Asked the same question back in '06
Best suggestion I got was 'big and 'shiny'
That silver panda idea sure rings the bell.
edit to say I should have just posted what @TurboSnail said lol
You need to give them something they can identify with. I give all my grandchildren 100 year old Gold from their birth year and 200 year old Silver from their birth year...
Disney Dollars.
Try a bunch of wheat cents and a Whitman album and see if it takes.
Maybe a few odd denomination type coins, such as a half cent, two cent piece, three cents silver and copper nickel. The time factor, as pointed out by nickelsciolist would be important, too. Those Innovation bucks, as suggested by ReadyFireAim would be a winner, too.
Coins can be swallowed. Don’t gift them to anyone under 18.
I would go with different coins. When my kids were YN's, whitman had a 20th century type folder. You can get that thing filled up super cheap. You can start with the folder and a sample - a wheatie, an IHC, a buffalo nickel, and a Morgan Dollar (kids are ok with whizzed dollars - don't pay much more than melt for one.) Put those in the folder. Then go through the pocket change of the adults that are around, and see if you can find any of the other coins - you will assuredly get a memorial cent, shield cent (if there's a spot, which I bet there is now), Jeffy, clad Roosie, clad Washington. That gives you a good chunk of the book. Then you can bring a newp over whenever you see her, and once Covid passes, take her to a B&M and pick out hole-fillers.
Strong suggestion - treat these coins as toys not collectibles. Don't emphasize how to take care of them. Let her play with them, take them out of the album, put them back in. Let her put them in reverse facing out if she wants. Don't tell her how to enjoy the coins, let her enjoy them.
Suggestion #2 - whenever you send her a letter, and do send her letters from time to time, use stamps bought from a local B&M - get the stamps for less than face. She may not save any of them, but she'll see that cool stamps once were a thing.
Successful BST (me as buyer) with: Collectorcoins, PipestonePete, JasonRiffeRareCoins
Some stamps still are a cool thing-
Take her shopping and let her pick out the item(s) that interest her. Time well spent.
If you must purchase something a coin 100 years older than her might be of interest.
Remember to wrap a story around the coin to give it some perspective.
Good luck. Above all as another poster said, giving your time is the most precious gift. If it happens to include numismatics all the better.
A: The year they spend more on their library than their coin collection.
A numismatist is judged more on the content of their library than the content of their cabinet.
I talked to my kids about coins for Christmas today. Size matters, they both want something big. She (10) likes foreign mor and he (7) wants American. Each will probably get a grab bag. Maybe an odd denomination for the boy. He likes 20cent pieces, so maybe a cheap 3c nickel?
If she’s already in to something - dolls, horses, Disney, animals, etc. - there’s something out there for her.
If she’s into whatever you’re into (like I was with my uncle), get her interesting stuff and spend the time to let her know why it’s interesting.
If she already has an interest, try to build on that. Also a birth year set... A Redbook may be applicable, you can best judge that one. Cheers, RickO
What got me started (at age 8) was some clad kennedy's, $2 bills, ike dollars and "rare" coins, then my dad took me to a coin shop bought me a 1936 circulated buffalo, mercury dime and a ike 40% in mint packaging, and 9 years later here I am.
When I saw it was over 10 minutes long, I said ‘no way am I watching it all.’ But I did! What a great YN and representative for the younger collectors and she had some good ideas and suggestions. Thanks for posting!
She is very articulate and I had the same feeling when I first started watching. Just kept watching. It’s always nice to see young people who are both enthusiastic and well spoken.
TurtleCat Gold Dollars
Hello,
I own a small E-Commrce coin site and one of the things we sell are what we've coined (pardon the pun) "Fun Rolls" which are salted rolls intended to be fun (and profitable) to dig through. As a child "roll searching" was fantastic time spent with my father, as I would guess it was with many collectors. I'd like to donate one of our Fun Rolls for your cause.
If you'll PM me I'll make arrangements to send you one.
Kind regards...and enjoy!
E.J.
You could consider a combination of incorporating themes and nationalities into numismatics. Maybe coins that feature animals or subjects that you know are of interest to her from far away places might encourage a global perspective of what is possible to collect.
Experience the World through Numismatics...it's more than you can imagine.
Are we talking 5 years old or 17? I think a five year old would get more out of some foreign coins as they are obviously different from the coinage they are used to. As a teen if they are the historical type maybe some "junk" mercs, maybe a franklin half.
Attractive circulated coins give me a thrill now, just as they did when I was 13 or so
Evan Saltis in the real world.
University of Maine
Politics, food, numismatics, and Lithuanian/Slav genealogy.
Feel free to contact me at any time!
Liberty: Parent of Science & Industry