Different perspective

csdot

I enjoy collecting US coins. Over the years I have explored various series and have learned the nuances of the types I enjoy. This week I was in London and stopped by two coin shops thinking I would check out some ancient coins. While I did not find any that I wanted in the shops, what surprised me was how unappealing the cases of foreign offerings were to me. They were just currency. Nothing more, nothing less. While they had unique designs, interesting shapes, and with some even being bimetallic, these coins did not have nearly the same allure to me as my home country US coins. While I did not expect to have the same passion to non US coins, I did not expect them to have zero appeal to me. Now I wonder, have I followed the US coin hobby so far down rabbit hole that I have lost any perspective of value. For example, I could look at a high grade Barber Half for $1,000 and not even bat an eye because in my mind it would hold that value, and if I wanted to get my money back, I could put it on eBay and get at least 80% back right away. However, I couldn't see spending more than $50 on a similar foreign coin, and even that may be overstating it for me.

Has anyone else had this experience?

DaveWcoins

I have that perspective when I look at stamps.

I can look at just about any coin and find something interesting or exciting about it.

Yet -- I can look at the finest and most desirable stamps in the world and get about as excited as I would when looking at a crumpled up gum wrapper. (That is how most non-collectors probably feel when I show them some really cool coins).

TwoSides2aCoin

Took my first trip to Australia 3 years ago. Went to a shop in Melbourne called Downies. It was kind of busy in there at the time. Picked up a Gold Kangaroo. Sent it to PCGS.
It graded MS 69. POP 3. The people are so nice, I want to head back Down Under.

BryceM

The cruel reality is that coins are nothing more than mined, smelted, minted hunks of metal, often with impurities, and with little intrinsic usefulness. The only reason they sell for anything above melt value is that there is a commonly held belief that they are somehow rare & desirable. There is no guarantee that this sentiment will persist beyond the next auction.

How's that for harsh?

SeattleSlammer

Indeed, I inherited a pretty impressive stamp collection and it's not blowing my skirt up...turning my crank...floating my boat....etc....

TwoSides2aCoin

<< <i>The cruel reality is that coins are nothing more than mined, smelted, minted hunks of metal, often with impurities, and with little intrinsic usefulness. The only reason they sell for anything above melt value is that there is a commonly held belief that they are somehow rare & desirable. There is no guarantee that this sentiment will persist beyond the next auction.

How's that for harsh? >>



People looking for guarantees in a hobby are guaranteed misery, in my opinion. That is , if they're not enjoying it.

Type2

I dont know when i see this stuff i go crazy... But i do loveUS as well.

ElmerFusterpuck

I collect mostly U.S., but I have bought foreign coins from places that I have visited or just catches my eye. My favorite non-U.S. coins are:

Mexican 20 centavos copper pieces from 1944-1973. Something about that pyramid design does it for me, especially on the uncirculated coins.
Old British large cents with the seated figure, reminds me of our seated liberty coinage.

rawteam1

<< <i>Took my first trip to Australia 3 years ago. Went to a shop in Melbourne called Downies. It was kind of busy in there at the time. Picked up a Gold Kangaroo. Sent it to PCGS.
It graded MS 69. POP 3. The people are so nice, I want to head back Down Under. >>


lol, see USM just reduced the number of silver Kennedy sets thread for your rarity, lol, no one wants em or grades em...

LogPotato

That's some great looking coins Type2.

roadrunner

I find most choice or gem uncirculated foreign silver coins in the 19th and early 20th century to be quite attractive and interesting. Some of them aren't so cheap. I'd probably buy more of them if I ran across them from time to time. As it is, I rarely see them. Seems more logical to me to pay say $75 for a gem unc Japanese 50c sized coin from 1910-1919 era vs. a similar Barber half for $2,000-$4,000.

WildIdea

Well, there's no place like home.

No surprise Americans are into our own coin issues. US coins being flipped and traded for so long....people bidding each other up just another dollar for so many decades that values are not only high but known and traceable. Hard for anybody to buy one that isn't maxed out. But we're all loaded right, so who cares.

The dragon coppers do it for me, but I suspect that if the US collectors put a real microscope on the dark side then we'll trash that market to. We have a joke around here that now that Americans are into Sushi that pretty much bugles the death rattle of the great tunas of the earth, lol. It's still fun now, so get em while you can folks. Conders are getting a huge base, what's next? Rant, over....

Variety is the spice for me....sounds like you have an open mind, maybe just take another look

Type2

<< <i>I find most choice or gem uncirculated foreign silver coins in the 19th and early 20th century to be quite attractive and interesting. Some of them aren't so cheap. I'd probably buy more of them if I ran across them from time to time. As it is, I rarely see them. Seems more logical to me to pay say $75 for a gem unc Japanese 50c sized coin from 1910-1919 era vs. a similar Barber half for $2,000-$4,000. >>

You bet the top cash coin i posted was picked for $60 buck and now in it's new holder it's worth $8 to $10K and i'll do that again if i can. I could buy a lot of nice US coins for that kind of $$$ and the bottom Dollar was picked for $150 and now worth $11k to $19k dont know why the big spred but it will sell for $11k now not at auction to any chinese dealer. It keeps you sharp to look at other coin then just US coins...... And Thanks LogPotato.

Type2

It may have been the shops you looked at. I find some very nice coins around here and i find some well let's just say not so nice one's. just need to keep looking. Found this not to long ago raw.









and a little spice from the south.

bigjpst

I primarily collect U.S. coins as well, but the designs on so many of the world coins are really amazing. Some great looking coins there Type2.

jayPem

My collecting energies seems to be fairly evenly divided these days between US and World coins...I like certain series on both the light and dark side.

Zero appeal....? That would have to be modern stuff, US and foreign...and, well all Barber denominations I'm sorry to say

MrEureka

I can look at the finest and most desirable stamps in the world and get about as excited as I would when looking at a crumpled up gum wrapper.


Exactly. And the reason why is that you don't know much about stamps. (Either that, or you know an awful lot about gum wrappers!) The more you know, the more you appreciate what you're looking at.

I collected lots of things as a kid. People ask me why I ended up settling on coins, and I tell them it had nothing to do with me loving coins more than the rest. I settled on coins because coin dealers and mints kept on sending promotional offerings and price lists to a ten year old kid, because there was lots to read, because there were shops to visit, and because you could sell what you didn't want anymore and buy something new, often at a profit. If not for all of that, I could easily have chosen seashells or fossils or comic books or antique bottles or any number of other things I collected back then. (Edited to add that I also collected stamps.)

TopographicOceans

<< <i>I collected lots of things as a kid. >>



I remember a kid from High School who collected funnels

CoinJunkie

<< <i>The cruel reality is that coins are nothing more than mined, smelted, minted hunks of metal, often with impurities, and with little intrinsic usefulness. The only reason they sell for anything above melt value is that there is a commonly held belief that they are somehow rare & desirable. There is no guarantee that this sentiment will persist beyond the next auction. >>


Coins are a form of currency. Currency is indeed very useful. See "barter" at merriam-webster.com for further details.
That aside, one could quibble that rarity isn't really a function of "commonly held beliefs", and that rarity is almost
universally a driver of value (except for items that are worthless to begin with).

As to guarantees, there is none that the sun will come up tomorrow. But, as the saying goes, that is the way to bet.

CoinJunkie

<< <i>I can look at the finest and most desirable stamps in the world and get about as excited as I would when looking at a crumpled up gum wrapper.

Exactly. And the reason why is that you don't know much about stamps. (Either that, or you know an awful lot about gum wrappers!) The more you know, the more you appreciate what you're looking at. >>


I think this hits the nail on the head. A lot of (modern) foreign coins leave me cold, but there is a tremendous
amount of artistry to be found if one delves into it. I also believe that foreign coins are a far safer investment
than US at the current time simply because of the relative price action over the last 15 years or so.

One can acquire 19th century British silver coins in gem for well under $1000, much less in some cases. Good
luck with that in the US coin market.

TwoSides2aCoin

I have a nephew ( adopted years ago by my brother along with 3 other children ) , who by now is in an institution again, and sort of a ward of the state because of some of the "mental and physical limitations" for a 30 something year old man which after his childhood and adolescence and even into his twenties he lived with my brother and his wife, until they just could not "keep up" ,he's been a very studious guy in some fields. The animal kingdom being one. (not so much homosapien) but other mammals and reptiles intrigue him immensely.

Nowadays when we get together (usually holidays) , he gets so excited about shark's teeth and dinosaurs. The guy can run circles around me with his knowledge, but he'll turn into a big GIANT SHARK and chase all my other nieces and nephews (the small children) around when we have get togethers. I gave him a kangaroo skin once, and have a couple shark's teeth from Lordmarcovan (in a capped bust quarter deal) Thanks Rob. … He always reminds me of his "skin" and the "teeth" he's got " in the game", as it were.

I watched this guy about 10 years ago make 8 out of 10 half court shots with a basketball, too. But when it comes to coins ? Most of my family (including the dozens of professionals) have a different view and perspective. Another nephew is a Star Wars aficionado and sells on ebay, I heard. I don't pay mind to that.
They (my family) doesn't see the industry, the market, the hobby, the coins, the gold, the silver, the grade , the plastic, the labels the infighting here, or the drama that seems to be so pervasive , the way it reads ONLINE on these boards. Each has their own life to live, individually.

This hobby taught me about the joys of other's perspectives on "things". And it's a good hobby wherever we are in life and in the world.

Coinstudy

For the time being I'm excited about the Panama un centesimo .The 1974,77,79,80 circulation/ business coins were minted at west point only.

Elcontador

The Mexican Eight Real coin to me is far more beautiful than the Morgan Dollar.

csdot

I gave this more thought today as I was looking at the English coins with my kids. There is some nice artistry on the reverse, with the more recent coinage fitting together to form a picture in a puzzle like manner. Then I realized that what I might find unattractive is the habit of putting real people on the obverse on so many modern coins, including the modern US coins.

I like the older US coins with Liberty on the obverse. I do not care for the modern tradition of putting dead presidents on US coinage. God for it one die in office, they get an automatic spot on our coinage. It is only a matter of time before we start "honoring" sitting presidents on our coinage, which will be a huge mistake.

originalisbest

I actually like stamps a lot. But yep -- foreign coins (there are always a few exceptions) mostly do nothing for me. To each their own.