I'm writing a short article for the BNA newsletter
ajaan
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The Buffalo Numismatic Association puts out a short newsletter every month and I've decided to write a short article for it. I've copied it below and would like any comments, positive or negative. Thanks.
Take a Trip Around the World
by Don Rupp B.N.A. # 428
Did you ever want to visit Italy, Greece, China, Thailand, Egypt, along with 190 other interesting countries of the world? Unless you have a Bill Gates type income you may think this is impossible. Well, I can’t physically send you to each of these locations but, through coins, you can experience a little bit of the culture from these destinations.
A growing field of collecting in World Numismatic is the One From Every Country (OFEC) collector. This is an inexpensive way to ‘visit’ countries and a collector can ‘see’ as many as he wishes. The goal is to acquire one coin from every country in the world. This collection can be as basic or as extensive as one wishes.
A basic collection will consist of countries currently on the map. The majority of people can complete at least two countries with the change they have at home: the US, Canada and, possibly, Mexico. So, you already have a good start. Get a map of the world and start by collecting just one coin from every country. It’s as simple as that. Some numismatists like to collect coins that have approximately the same size (diameter) while others just try for any coin from that country. This OFEC collection is also excellent for Young Numismatists (YN). As a country is added the YN can cross off the country on a list or, better yet, on a map. Learning where a country is located is both an exciting and educational endeavor.
One of the most common ways to organize an OFEC collection is alphabetically. An equally effective way is by continents. North America would consist of a Canadian, US, and Mexican coin. If you want to get more in-depth, the Island Nations can be added. Finishing a continent can be a very reachable goal for a YN. The OFEC collection also leaves room for a lot of growth. Once the current countries are obtained, the collection can be expanded to add countries which no longer exist, such as coin issuing entities, like the German States of the 17th and 18th centuries. I know of a collector who is trying to obtain one coin from every country listed in the Krause catalogs. I believe he is up to 300+ coins. So your possibilities are almost unlimited.
You may be asking, “Where will I be able to find these coins and how much will it cost?” Excellent places to start are at the local coin shows we have in Western New York (WNY). Look through a dealer’s 3/$1.00, 4/$1.00 or 5/$1.00 bargain bins. You’ll be amazed as to how many different countries you can find for 20c – 33c each. So start searching, bring a YN along and travel the world through coins, learning a little at the same time.
Take a Trip Around the World
by Don Rupp B.N.A. # 428
Did you ever want to visit Italy, Greece, China, Thailand, Egypt, along with 190 other interesting countries of the world? Unless you have a Bill Gates type income you may think this is impossible. Well, I can’t physically send you to each of these locations but, through coins, you can experience a little bit of the culture from these destinations.
A growing field of collecting in World Numismatic is the One From Every Country (OFEC) collector. This is an inexpensive way to ‘visit’ countries and a collector can ‘see’ as many as he wishes. The goal is to acquire one coin from every country in the world. This collection can be as basic or as extensive as one wishes.
A basic collection will consist of countries currently on the map. The majority of people can complete at least two countries with the change they have at home: the US, Canada and, possibly, Mexico. So, you already have a good start. Get a map of the world and start by collecting just one coin from every country. It’s as simple as that. Some numismatists like to collect coins that have approximately the same size (diameter) while others just try for any coin from that country. This OFEC collection is also excellent for Young Numismatists (YN). As a country is added the YN can cross off the country on a list or, better yet, on a map. Learning where a country is located is both an exciting and educational endeavor.
One of the most common ways to organize an OFEC collection is alphabetically. An equally effective way is by continents. North America would consist of a Canadian, US, and Mexican coin. If you want to get more in-depth, the Island Nations can be added. Finishing a continent can be a very reachable goal for a YN. The OFEC collection also leaves room for a lot of growth. Once the current countries are obtained, the collection can be expanded to add countries which no longer exist, such as coin issuing entities, like the German States of the 17th and 18th centuries. I know of a collector who is trying to obtain one coin from every country listed in the Krause catalogs. I believe he is up to 300+ coins. So your possibilities are almost unlimited.
You may be asking, “Where will I be able to find these coins and how much will it cost?” Excellent places to start are at the local coin shows we have in Western New York (WNY). Look through a dealer’s 3/$1.00, 4/$1.00 or 5/$1.00 bargain bins. You’ll be amazed as to how many different countries you can find for 20c – 33c each. So start searching, bring a YN along and travel the world through coins, learning a little at the same time.
DPOTD-3
'Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery'
CU #3245 B.N.A. #428
Don
0
Comments
Experience the World through Numismatics...it's more than you can imagine.
Bob
One small correction, I believe that the (dollar sign) $ should precede 1.00 instead of the 4 in the bold part of this sentence:
Look through a dealer’s 3/$1.00, $4/1.00 or 5/$1.00 bargain bins. You’ll be amazed as to how many different countries you can find for 20c – 33c each.
I would even go further as to perhaps explain what 5/$1.00 means, but it becomes self explanatory in the next phrase.
myEbay
DPOTD 3
DPOTD-3
'Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery'
CU #3245 B.N.A. #428
Don
You might consider mentioning some helpful books --- e.g., give the full titles of the KM catalogs, etc. --- for further guidance.
Very nice!
Cathy