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So why DON'T you collect foreign coins?
Shamika
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I only collect U.S. coinage, but there are so many beautiful and inexpensive dark side coins that it's hard to resist.
What's your reason for exclusively collecting U.S.?
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They're pretty!
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On second thought, better not.
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Excellent answer!
<< <i>I sometimes pick up coins minted in the Republik of Kalifornia (san francisco). >>
Okay, that was funny.
A friend of mine had an Australian Sheppard, which are dogs that were bread to heard sheep. And this dog loved to heard things - goats, sheep, bunnies, other dogs - but the thing these animals all had in common was that they were all mammals. One time we had the dog near a gaggle of domestic geese which we thought for sure this dog would love to heard - but to instead it was as if the birds did not exist. No interest whatsoever - it was as if the species simply did not trigger the dog's hearding reflex. For me, it really does feel sort of like that.
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On the whole, though, I find the darkside market to be thinner here, and as a consequence price spreads tend to be wider. As a collector of American coins I can pretty reliably get out of coins at least as well off as I got into them. While I certainly don't make much money as a coin collector, I am able to allocate what are for me fairly serious amounts of money to my hobby with a reasonable degree of confidence that I am not just throwing it away. the more esoteric an item is, this is harder to do. Things like foreign coins, CWT's, HTT's, SCD's, medals, and so on are harder to get reliable pricing data on, and in general harder to sell advantageously.
Whoops, forgot my reason....................................If I were to live in England, I guess I would be interested in the coinage of that country but since I was born in the US, then thats just my coinage of choice because it is so readily available. Every trip to a neighborhood merchant could yield a valuable treasure!
The name is LEE!
The reason I don't post on the DarkSide Board is because it's a boring place without the scandal & controversy that's constantly rocking this place.
Unless foreign issues have some tangible connection to things that are 'close to home', they just don't do it for me.
On the other hand, I do like those Chinese Auto Dollars, but only becuase they are utterly unexpected.
But otherwise, it's too risky from a financial return outlook. As mentioned, the market for foreign coins is very thin. VERY thin. For better exposure, there's international shipping to contend with. And the "corner shop" will simply weigh them rather than research them as most dealers are not exposed to much in the way of foreign other than "big and old or gold is good."
I do like some foreign coins though.
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The reason I used to only collect US coins was that I know nothing about darkside stuff. As well, most darkside stuff is not graded and I don't have the skills to grade those coins. Now that I am getting some in trade, I can appreciate the uniqueness of the coins and how much fun it is to just collect without worrying about the grade.
Jonathan
Keeper of the VAM Catalog • Professional Coin Imaging • Prime Number Set • World Coins in Early America • British Trade Dollars
<< <i>Familiarity is one thing. But history plays a big part. Americans don't care about what happened in Belgium in 1864, or Japan in 1912, etc. However, we care about the Civil War, the Pittman Act, Depression, WWI, WWII, etc. all of which U.S. coins in some minute way keeps alive the memory of. For the same reason, foreigners don't collect U.S. coins, and don't really seem to collect coins period to the extent Americans seem to. >>
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
<< <i>But history plays a big part. Americans don't care about what happened in Belgium in 1864, or Japan in 1912, etc. However, we care about the Civil War, the Pittman Act, Depression, WWI, WWII, etc. all of which U.S. coins in some minute way keeps alive the memory of. >>
This is true for me. Foreign coins fascinate me, but I feel no connection to them.
BTW, in selling them I found that even extremely rare ones have such a thin market that they don't command nearly the prices equivalent US ones do.
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I mean how often can you find an original skinned MS65 thru MS67 gold dated 1789 or 1811 for under $800??
I'm even slowly finishing a 20th century set Clapp started thru buying at Ebay--(they cost about $50/$100 each.
And of course proving that NAPLES is indeed the center of the earth.
Just hadda have it once I saw it.
Now in an NGC VF25 casket.
<< <i>obversity.... It's a 1791 "Zodiac" Piastre of Naples. I liked it because it debunks all that stuff about the earth NOT being the center of the universe.
And of course proving that NAPLES is indeed the center of the earth.
Just hadda have it once I saw it.
Now in an NGC VF25 casket. >>
Thanks for the info, topstuf. Very neat piece. One of these days I need to get to the center of the Earth. I hear good things
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as any coin that was ever made here. It was getting too easy to have a general un-
derstanding of US coins so I needed a wider horizon. The darkside provided that for
several years before I picked up farside as well.
There is a vast world of modern coins. All over people stopped collecting coins after
WW II and in many countries there were no mint sets or the coins were all destroyed
after circulating for decades (as will soon happen to our cents and nickels). It's almost
as if the term modern is a concept which applies to coins from nearly everywhere.
The older foreign coins are fascinating as well since they can have stunning designs
and have great attributes. They've been made for every imaginable purpose or usage
and date back more than 25 centuries. No one can possibly learn about all of them pro-
bably.
Rarity can be acquired for a pittance and while 291fifth is correct that margins are large,
you can get them cheaper if you know wholesale prices. Even if you have to pay the
whole mark-up they remain quite cheap.
Many of the modern world coins are on a tear that puts the pop-tops to shame.
They are sometimes beautiful but they just don't feel like real money to me.
I just don't feel it like I do with US coins.
Maybe one day I'll change and go to the dark side.
I bought some world gold coins from MrEureka and enjoyed them. But for me I am more interested in ancient coins (they are world coins, no?) than more recent foreign coins...
Tyler
Plus, when first starting out, few of us think about foreign coins. By the time you start to appriciate them your so involved with US coins there's no $$ left....at least not for me!
Collecting World coins is great
Experience the World through Numismatics...it's more than you can imagine.
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Being of Irish and Belgian decent I have a type set of gold from these countries. Nothing outrageous but just a few things to remind me of my heritage.
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Coin collecting is not a hobby, it's an obsession !
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<< <i>Plus, when first starting out, few of us think about foreign coins. By the time you start to appriciate them your so involved with US coins there's no $$ left. >>
Yet another excellent observation.
Frankly I have all that I can handle with one domestic series.
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The Chicage Int'l World Coin show in March had 85 dealers and the New York show probably does not have that much more. So the market is thin, but I agree with CoinKat that darkside is very underpriced and has a future waiting to be discovered! There are many original coins out there that have not been fooled with. As an idea for collectors, there were many Spanish, English and French coins that circulated in the colonies before our country was established. Take your pick!
I give away money. I collect money.
I don’t love money . I do love the Lord God.
Actually I really like Englinsh, Australian , Canadian , And New Zealand pre-decimal coins...and the cook islands too!