What do you "do" with your coins?

bohica268

I posted this on the U.S. Coin Forum and got a few answers. Seems like most people there "look" at their coins. Is this true here as well? Anybody do a "show and tell" about what they collect?


While talking with a summer intern (she is a non-collector) about coins she asked "What do you do with your coins?". I was at a lose for words and had no ready answer. But not for long.

The next day I took 3 coins to show her. The first was an 1806 British Penny featuring King George III (still alive and kicking but his mental state has clearly deteriorated). I explained that when it was minted Abraham Lincoln's birth was still 3 years in the future, the burning of Washington by the British was still 8 years away (War of 1812) and Queen Victoria wouldn't be born for another 13.

The second coin was a copy of Lt. George Dixon's $20 gold piece; a gift from his girlfriend. It saved his life at the Battle of Shiloh and went with him to a watery grave outside Charleston harbor when the C.S.S. Hunley sank February 17, 1864. The mis-shapen coin; bent by the impact of a bullet fired at close range, was recovered along with Dixon's remains when the first submarine to sink a ship was raised August 8, 2000.

The third coin was a South Carolina state quarter. Struck off-center (about 1/10" toward 11:00) it is the coin that brought me to the CU site in 1999. Using that as a step-off point I brought up the U.S. Coin Forum and showed her some of the pictures posted here. She liked the Morgans which is appropriate; she is entering her last year as an Education Major and wants to teach K-3 when she graduates in the Spring.

What do you "do" with your coins?

sumnom

I "look" at them. No one I know cares about them so I almost never do a show and tell. It has happened but it's very rare.

boz

I have one friend that collects coins. We look at them whenever we get together. The only one interested in my family is my 3 yr. old daughter. Her and I look at whatever is around the house at least once a day.

oldshep

My grandkids love to look at the pretty coins - the silvers with animals and ships. I also like to look at them again and again and like sharing with others on this forum.
As you stated, the history that some of the world coins represents is very interesting.
Shep

Darkhorse

I build a fort for them and play soldier.

theboz11

My larger ones and Medals I put in a display caabinet,, The expensive stuff stays in the Safety Deposit Box. I get a kick out of talking about them until somebody comes up and states that they are a big collector and Have pennies with wheat things on them

Coulport

I get the coins out of the safety deposit box every once in a while and go through them again.

We have a wonderful coin club in my area and I have displayed some of my coins during the show the club sponsors.
It is a lot of fun and I have won ribbons for 'Peoples Choice', First Place and Best of Show.

Aethelred

Take pictures of them.

hamiltonjh

<< <i>I build a fort for them and play soldier. >>





I just look at'em time to time, show them to friends and try to get them interested in the hobby. but, I have no friends, so that hasnt worked yet.

Sylvestius

I scan them in on the computer, and then put the coins in the cabinet. (once they are in there i rarely look at them... i even forgot i'd got a 1750 sixpence in AU!).

I sometimes look at the pics and i lend the pics out to website owners that need them. A bit of show and tell, and a few writups over at Coinpeople.

Mostly though, once i have the coin i move straight on to hunting down the next one i need.

lordmarcovan

<< <i>I build a fort for them and play soldier >>





This explains why he's always liked "imperial" coins.

I just let mine sit around. Sometimes I look at them, but I think about them more than I look at them. Which brings up the issue of why I need to keep 'em around in the first place. Collecting is definitely a form of dementia.

syraq

I just let mine sit around. Sometimes I look at them, but I think about them more than I look at them. Which brings up the issue of why I need to keep 'em around in the first place.

Because deep down, you know you'd miss at least some of them if they weren't there anymore.






Collecting is definitely a form of dementia.

laurentyvan

Since I buy coins on Friday, the weekend is 'input into the collection time', moving coins throughout pages to make room for the new ones.

In doing so, I always rediscover some of the excitement of the initial purchase of other coins I've had for a while; the reasons I was attracted to them in the first place.
When this happens, down comes the Krause for a little study and reawakening of knowledge. Usually I'm checking for correct order of appearance within the denominations, and finding ways for the visual display to flow intelligently. Other times I'm checking for errors, die breaks, doubling, die clashes, anything out of place.

On coins with great toning, it's always a pleasure to reexamine them in a new light (quite literally) and seeing if something different can't be pulled off with a new photo. To truly study a coin, I've found there's no better reinforcement than to image it and examine the coin on the screen.

My wife's family is literally into the 100+ with dozens of little cousins and nephs running around, and I never pass up the opportunity to show them a few and awaken what little nascent numismatic interest there may be.

If I have a white night and can't sleep, it's not unusual for me to get up, turn on a light and spend time appreciating these little bits of the Darkside that have entered my life and keep me so captivated. The fact that my wife grumbles about the hour doesn't seem to deter me.

Factor in the time spent reading about coins, surfing the web for them, participating in these forums, and I find my involvement with my coins is one of the constants in my life. May it never end!