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My collecting interests: past present and future
OzzyAndy
Posts: 344
I've been collection coins probably about 6-7 years now. I'm just in the process of deciding where to go with my collection as I've realised that being married with 2 children doesn't allow for as much money for coins as I used to have. This is my collecting history:
1. I always liked German coins because my blood is 100% German (or Prussian, now Poland). On researching values, I decided to collect Third Reich coins because getting the full set was in my price range. I did manage to get every date and mintmark of all 21 coins, with the nickel 50pf and 1 mark coins being my favourite.
2. I was really taken by the Westfalen 1 billion mark coin and decided I had to collect the set. Although they didn't actually circulate, they are always a good talking point so are fantastic to show people. I got every coin except for one that is about $500 (I think).
3. I then decided to go for each 1 mark coin for the whole time they were issued (1873-2001). I've managed to complete the BRD and DDR sets (except for the Gold 2001 BRD pieces). I of course have the 3rd reich set, and have about 30 coins to go between the Empire and Weimar periods. The Gold BRD pieces I will wait until I next go to Germany (hopefully next year) because I'd be forced to pay customs duty otherwise because they're over $1000 between them. Taking them back in person would have a $10,000 limit (Australia). Since we already have some gold, I'd sell some to fund the purchase, since they are close to bullion value anyway.
As for the Empire/Weimar pieces I need, I've already had to cut a few because they are extremely rare and can run to many thousands of dollars. The rest I need range from about $20 to $1000. My issue is that with the money I have to spend on coins, it could take me a few years to complete most of it if that is all I focussed on. I'm starting to see that it would be boring to only get a couple types of coins for the next few year, especially since I already got heaps that look almost the same. I'm thinking of putting them on hold and just getting them every now and then.
4. I've also collected a bit of everything, I have various bits of cool world coins (most about $5-50 range), some proof DDR (East Germany) 1989 sets because thats when the wall fell, plus I've decided to never get rid of anything that is a unique date/mintmark and is German, because I've done that before and regretted it when I started the 1 mark collection. So I have a fair few pfennig coins sitting around. I also don't really sell much because ebay is a hassle, posting overseas is a hassle (I live in Australia) and for the cheap coins most go to fees or postage. I've been thinking of collecting a specific denomination but there are some that are too rare/expensive in each denomination, and I don't like to idea of only getting one type of coins (I'm easily bored)
Now to the future - What will I collect next? My ideas are the following:
1. A German type set, maybe since the Empire started (1873 ish). Issues with it would be weather to go for the modern commems, some would make it too expensive. Also the Wiemar 3 and 5 Mark coins would get very expensive. And I think there are extremely rare types of 20 pfennig coins and allied occupation pieces so they would just have to be excluded, so wouldn't feel complete.
2. A type set of 1 Mark/Franc/Pound etc coins from all over Europe. I'm starting to like this idea because most coins would be very cheap, so I could go for better conditions for some modern coins. And there are a wide range of varieties, always something new and some awsome designs.
Some issues I though would be: How far do I call Europe? I'd like to do Russia because of their Roubles so I'd have to go all of the Eastern European countries. Some wouldn't have 1 unit coins because of the inflation so their would be big gaps in places like Yugoslavia. How far back to I go? I was thinking it might get expensive to go back too far but where could I draw the line? I was thinking 1900 or something like that but would like stuff from 19th century too. Is there any good point to start? Maybe when countries went decimal? I was also thinking of a minor unit (pfennig, penny, centime, centisimo etc) set too. Could expand it beyond Europe if I wanted to (Maybe colonies too)? Are then any countries I may run into trouble with, especially rare and exensive pieces?
Anyway, thanks for reading, Any advice on where to from now would be much appreciated.
Andrew
1. I always liked German coins because my blood is 100% German (or Prussian, now Poland). On researching values, I decided to collect Third Reich coins because getting the full set was in my price range. I did manage to get every date and mintmark of all 21 coins, with the nickel 50pf and 1 mark coins being my favourite.
2. I was really taken by the Westfalen 1 billion mark coin and decided I had to collect the set. Although they didn't actually circulate, they are always a good talking point so are fantastic to show people. I got every coin except for one that is about $500 (I think).
3. I then decided to go for each 1 mark coin for the whole time they were issued (1873-2001). I've managed to complete the BRD and DDR sets (except for the Gold 2001 BRD pieces). I of course have the 3rd reich set, and have about 30 coins to go between the Empire and Weimar periods. The Gold BRD pieces I will wait until I next go to Germany (hopefully next year) because I'd be forced to pay customs duty otherwise because they're over $1000 between them. Taking them back in person would have a $10,000 limit (Australia). Since we already have some gold, I'd sell some to fund the purchase, since they are close to bullion value anyway.
As for the Empire/Weimar pieces I need, I've already had to cut a few because they are extremely rare and can run to many thousands of dollars. The rest I need range from about $20 to $1000. My issue is that with the money I have to spend on coins, it could take me a few years to complete most of it if that is all I focussed on. I'm starting to see that it would be boring to only get a couple types of coins for the next few year, especially since I already got heaps that look almost the same. I'm thinking of putting them on hold and just getting them every now and then.
4. I've also collected a bit of everything, I have various bits of cool world coins (most about $5-50 range), some proof DDR (East Germany) 1989 sets because thats when the wall fell, plus I've decided to never get rid of anything that is a unique date/mintmark and is German, because I've done that before and regretted it when I started the 1 mark collection. So I have a fair few pfennig coins sitting around. I also don't really sell much because ebay is a hassle, posting overseas is a hassle (I live in Australia) and for the cheap coins most go to fees or postage. I've been thinking of collecting a specific denomination but there are some that are too rare/expensive in each denomination, and I don't like to idea of only getting one type of coins (I'm easily bored)
Now to the future - What will I collect next? My ideas are the following:
1. A German type set, maybe since the Empire started (1873 ish). Issues with it would be weather to go for the modern commems, some would make it too expensive. Also the Wiemar 3 and 5 Mark coins would get very expensive. And I think there are extremely rare types of 20 pfennig coins and allied occupation pieces so they would just have to be excluded, so wouldn't feel complete.
2. A type set of 1 Mark/Franc/Pound etc coins from all over Europe. I'm starting to like this idea because most coins would be very cheap, so I could go for better conditions for some modern coins. And there are a wide range of varieties, always something new and some awsome designs.
Some issues I though would be: How far do I call Europe? I'd like to do Russia because of their Roubles so I'd have to go all of the Eastern European countries. Some wouldn't have 1 unit coins because of the inflation so their would be big gaps in places like Yugoslavia. How far back to I go? I was thinking it might get expensive to go back too far but where could I draw the line? I was thinking 1900 or something like that but would like stuff from 19th century too. Is there any good point to start? Maybe when countries went decimal? I was also thinking of a minor unit (pfennig, penny, centime, centisimo etc) set too. Could expand it beyond Europe if I wanted to (Maybe colonies too)? Are then any countries I may run into trouble with, especially rare and exensive pieces?
Anyway, thanks for reading, Any advice on where to from now would be much appreciated.
Andrew
Still thinking of what to put in my signature...
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Comments
I also focused on German coinage due to heritage (mostly German/Austrian). I gravitated to the 1 Mark denomination primarily because I like the designs and the size (~24mm).
At the outset of my German collecting, I focused on Empire coinage and just accumulated stuff from eBay and local shops. After a while I looked for a focus and decided to start a date set of Empire 1 Marks (1873-1916). That plan worked for a few months and then I got bored and decided to expand it to the Weimar Republic (1924-1927), Third Reich (1933-1939), and BRD (1950-2001). I haven't included the DDR yet, but that might happen eventually.
That's where I am now and it has been working for me so far. Focusing on dates rather than a complete set of dates/mints keeps the total number of coins in the collection at a manageable number which allows me to dabble in other areas. I do some type collecting of German 2, 3, and 5 Marks and I occasionally fall for a nice crown-size coin from other countries, but my German 1 Mark date set is the only one that I would say has any focus. The rest are just "stuff I like".
I'm closing in on completing the German date set and I'm giving serious consideration to doing the same thing (date set) with France. Lately I have been picking up a few 1 Franc coins from the late 1800s and early 1900s. After France I could move on to Britain, or Italy, or Switzerland, or ... this could keep me busy for years
-Jason
I have mostly concentrated on a French 19th century set, from the restoration to WWI, mostly out of interest in French history during this time period as well as the beautiful designs (I am not particularly French by ancestry...). This is quite a bear, so for the time being I have concentrated on the bronze 5 and 10 centime pieces from 1853 to 1920, as well as the 'Sower' 50 cent, 1 and 2 Franc pieces from 1897 to 1920, picking up any other denominations or dates whenever I see a particularly nice example for an affordable price. On the side, I have picked up a number of nineteenth and early twentieth century type coins, particularly German States and German Empire. I have dabbled with putting together an Empire minors set by date and mintmark of coins culled from junk boxes, but need a good storage solution before I move any further with this. So I guess you could say that I have mostly stuck with one collecting goal, but in the meantime have also developing a rather nice, if scattered, world type set for the nineteenth and early twentieth century.
As far as limiting your European type set, you could always stick with Europe as defined by the Mediterranean and Black Seas and the Ural Mountains. This would include most Russian coins, as well as Turkey. Later you could expand this to those regions ruled by the empires based in Europe - places like India, Morocco, Egypt, Palestine and so forth. As far as time line, you could always start with the post-WWII period... I don't think you would run into any real rarities (although this is not my area of specialization!). If you delve back into the nineteenth century you will find a lot of top grade stuff gets expensive, particularly Russian, Polish, some German, Italian and Portuguese.
Bjorn
Experience the World through Numismatics...it's more than you can imagine.