Do you collect the coins of your ancestors' countries?

lclugza

Do you collect the coins of the countries your ancestors came from, or do you collect coins from countries where none of your ancestors came from? And what are your reasons for collecting (or not collecting) coins from those countries? I seem to be mainly English with some Scotch, Irish, Welsh, French, German, and American Indian; so far I've only bought British coins of the foreign countries I mentioned.

Edited to add: Yes, technically England, Scotland, Wales and part of Ireland are in the UK.

AuldFartte

My ancestry ranges from England to Ireland to Scotland to Italy ... even some Dutch and German back there, too, but I don't specifically collect those countries' coins for that reason, although I have coins from each of those countries. I just collect what I like

cacheman

My ancestors have been tracked back to 1520 Germany and I collect Farside German material, German cityviews, and patterns. They traveled to Russia in 1740 then the U.S. in 1918...I don't collect Russian or liteside.

Aethelred

I am half German and half English. I collect English coins but not German.

lordmarcovan

I did, for a while.



And still do, sort of. WhiteLighnin just donated this one for my Holey Coin Vest. (Thanks, WL! You rule! That is the oldest Irish coin I've had- a 1693 William & Mary halfpenny, from the looks of it!)




The "luck of the Irish" also visited me when I was out detecting one day.




Now I have the Irish half of my Scots-Irish background covered (my father's side). I still need to get a Scottish coin, to represent my mother's side. I have a US Pilgrim commemorative half dollar, which is appropriate, since I am a descendant of William Bradford, the Pilgrim governor and person shown on the coin, through my mother's side.

farthing

Not really, both sides have been here from Europe for a long time. I tell people that my ancestors were kicked out of Europe before their ancestors were.

I do collect the countries I have spent time working in. I also collect English coins because the first few darkside coins I found as a youngster were Victorian pennies.

MSD61

My parents were from Northern Ireland (not from the 6 counties that are part of the UK) so I collect Irish notes and coins. But I do have other coin interests like Canada, England, France....okay a little of everything else.

PuddlePirate

I collect coins from where my family and family members have been. As to the ancestors, yep as far back as the family tree allows. MY collection starts from ancient greece into ancient rome and up into Europe. Totally reliable family history goes back to the Roman Empire with sketchy family stories going back even farther to Sparta and Crete.

NJMark1

Yes I do collect coins from my ancestors origins. The only countries that I collect NCLT from also. Poland Russia Lithuania.

Mark

Askari

I'm mostly Scots-German, with a little Anglish thrown in for good(?) measure. I do collect German, but have little Scottish or English material ... although I do have some Celtic coinage from what is later became England.

agraded

Absolutely...my father's side of the family were all from the UK (Scotland) and it's that influence that is reflected in my collecting habits. But I have no idea why I squeeze a penny until it cries out in agony.

FC57Coins

Well - since Im a first generation imigrant, I guess I collect some stuff from whence I came from...

Aethelred

<< <i>Well - since Im a first generation imigrant, I guess I collect some stuff from whence I came from... >>



That coin has a great obverse design Frank!

FC57Coins

I think the entire coin is quite striking. It was designed by John Sinnock - who designed the Roosevelt Dime and the Franklin Half - two of my favorites too

SYRACUSIAN

Totally reliable family history goes back to the Roman Empire with sketchy family stories going back even farther to Sparta and Crete.





Now this is something that I'd like to hear PP.

Aethelred

<< <i>I think the entire coin is quite striking. It was designed by John Sinnock - who designed the Roosevelt Dime and the Franklin Half - two of my favorites too >>



Nothing shabby about the reverse, but the obverse is simply stunning IMO. I'd have never guessed you were a Sinnock fan Frank!

boz

I don't collect them per se', but I have a few. I'll pick them up if the price is right

Bochiman

I've got some Irish in me from a few generations back and, not knowing that, Cameron sent me a sample slab that had an Irish Penny in it.
Pretty cool.

Now, as for me collecting them like I collect US coins.....nah.....they don't thrill me that much. Family has native american, german, irish, and probably a few other things. Purebred, I am not (other than purebred US of A!!!!!).

I do like some greek/roman coins, but don't go out of my way on them.

I like Asian coins a bit more, but am certainly not asian (the wife is though...but, she doesn't like the coins).

trbyrne

My wife is Peruvian and I've recently discovered that late 1800, early 1900 Un Sol silver coins are reasonably priced and pretty nice to look at. I even brought back a few from Peru.