This klippe is one of the few nongold holeys I don't think I'll part with...

lordmarcovan

In selling off most of the holey collection, I'm basically just keeping the gold on my hat.

But this Nurnberg silver ducat klippe is staying, I think. I've always loved the little boy and the stick horse.

mudskippie

That's a nice piece, but I still don't get why do you like holed coins? I mean if the hole is part of the design then it's normal, but that's not what you like. You like coins that were holed or in other words, damaged. Is it possible you share your view to enlighten us?

lordmarcovan

There is really no rational explanation for it, except for some weird contrarian whim that struck me once upon a time.

I guess it has something to do with the old "one man's trash is another man's treasure" thing. Look at the popularity of "Lowball" collecting. I can understand my holey coin mania more than I can figure out why some people will spend good money submitting worn-out, slick coins to expensive TPGs, in hopes of getting that sought-after PO01 grade! To me, holeys have more eye appeal than slick lowball coins. And you can wear them. But it's a similar motivation. Just to be different, I guess.

Holey coins, particularly those in high grade, are often quite appealing, with the exception of that little hole. And the hole itself often speaks to a coin's history.

A holey collector can collect along the same lines as a mainstream collector, seeking beautiful, rare, and well-preserved pieces. But the fact that he's doing it with that strange twist of strategy can be advantageous. For one thing, the hole reduces the price. And lots of people overlook these coins. Sometimes people will even GIVE them to you.

Even I have overlooked their potential sometimes.

This is a prime example of that. Wow, huh?

So, in summary... I really don't know. I just saw a guy who had a shirt covered in holey coins, and thought it was a fun idea. I took his idea and ran with it, improving it with some technical and artistic tweaks of my own. And I've had a lot of fun with it.

If I hadn't done it, and worn it to shows, what do you suppose the chances of my collection being mentioned in Coin World (twice) and the center spread of Numismatic News would have been? Not much, on my low budget! Sometimes it's just fun to be an eccentric and slightly flamboyant individual, y'know? (Since I would tend to be the shy, "hermit-in-a-cave" type otherwise.)