I don't think it would be. By definition, a "collection" is a group of things.
However, if the right coin came along, I could see reducing my collection down to one.
We are like children who look at print and see a serpent in the last letter but one, and a sword in the last. --Severian the Lame
I have heard this question debated before, and there is always a bit of argument.
My initial answer used to be "No".
But I was convinced otherwise by these two arguments:
If a beginning collector is building his collection and has only made one purchase thus far, that one coin is his collection.
If a collector has sold off all but one of his coins, his collection is the one coin which remains.
Is a single person who lives alone considered to be a family? Can one coin be considered a hoard? The dictionary defines collection as "a group of things" so the answer would be no. I would call a single coin to be the beginning of a collection.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
I would call it my coin, not my collection, but that's just me, I am a collector so for that very reason it would have surely been a temporary description!
A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. So can a journey be a step?
Is it too much to ask folks to get a dictionary and look up two words (DEFINITION and COLLECTION) before leaving a cheap , drive-by, and misinformed "Disagree" to a perfectly correct post by an educated member?
If you have one coin, you call it simply a coin. It can be the start of a collection or what's left of a collection, but it's not a collection unless there is more than one.
An optimist would say the glass is half full.
A pessimist would say the glass is half empty.
An engineer would say the glass is twice a big as it needs to be.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
Is it too much to ask folks to get a dictionary and look up two words (DEFINITION and COLLECTION) before leaving a cheap , drive-by, and misinformed "Disagree" to a perfectly correct post by an educated member?
Are you new here? That is too much to ask anywhere in the internet age.
That said: a collection is defined as a "group of things". But, of course, a group is defined as "a number of things classified the same". One is a number. So by extension, a "group of things" could be "one thing".
Why don't you just grab a cent out of the "leave a penny, take a penny" tray at the supermarket, add it to your one-coin "collection", and then there is nothing more to argue about.
Now you're dragging uncountability into the fray. Since the amount of coinable matter in the universe is finite, we need to consider theoretical coins rather than physical ones, each denominated in a unique real number multiple of a unit of currency, and with each real number multiple represented. The number of coins in a completed collection of these would be uncountably infinite. Of course, the cost would as well. The cool thing, however, is that you could use some of the coins in this set to buy the countably infinite set of coins denominated in rational number fractions of said unit of currency and still have an uncountably infinite collection left.
So in this case, you have something that both can and cannot be counted.
At the PCGS Set Registry Luncheon at the ANA in Boston in 2010, I happened to be seated at a table with Q. David Bowers, his gradson and Chris Karstedt. Soon after David Hall sat down at the same table, not saying anything, but reviewing his notes for what he was going to say to the group. Dave Bowers' grandson asked me what I collected, and considering the recent coin industry news of the time, I answered, "Specimen Strike 1794 Dollars," and then talked a bit.
Well, David Hall stood up without saying a word, and walked to the podium. He started talking about the Registry and the enthusiastic collectors in attendance, and all the conversations among them. Then he said, he heard someone ask me the question, "what do you collect," and that I answered saying, "Specimen Strike 1794 Dollars!" and David said, "No, you can't collect specimen strike 1794 dollars, there's only one of them! You can't have a collection of just one piece!"
col·lec·tion
kəˈlekSH(ə)n/
noun
1.
the action or process of collecting someone or something.
I GUARANTEE if my collection was a single dirty nuclear bomb, I would get a lot of attention just for 1 of them, and not even worry about getting more of them.
Matthew 13:45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. 46 When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.
Hmmm.....would take a lot of the fun out of posting here. GTG threads? After about the 5th time I think everyone would be able to post the grade,. Picture threads? After the 10th picture folks would be saying 'what else ya got?'. Favorite coin threads? You know how that would go.
Comments
Your collection. Call it what you like. I would get 1 more.
Some coins are cool enough to be “a collection of one”
Latin American Collection
I don't think it would be. By definition, a "collection" is a group of things.
However, if the right coin came along, I could see reducing my collection down to one.
--Severian the Lame
By definition, no.
Check out my current listings: https://ebay.com/sch/khunt/m.html?_ipg=200&_sop=12&_rdc=1
Does the 1933 double eagle count as a collection?
1933 Double Eagle is probably someone's collection of one.
And, if you happened to have 10 of them?
I have heard this question debated before, and there is always a bit of argument.
My initial answer used to be "No".
But I was convinced otherwise by these two arguments:
If a beginning collector is building his collection and has only made one purchase thus far, that one coin is his collection.
If a collector has sold off all but one of his coins, his collection is the one coin which remains.
Is a single person who lives alone considered to be a family? Can one coin be considered a hoard? The dictionary defines collection as "a group of things" so the answer would be no. I would call a single coin to be the beginning of a collection.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
One coin is a possession, a group of coins is a collection that one possesses. Cheers, RickO
I would call it my coin, not my collection, but that's just me, I am a collector so for that very reason it would have surely been a temporary description!
A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. So can a journey be a step?
Half empty or half full.:)
Is it too much to ask folks to get a dictionary and look up two words (DEFINITION and COLLECTION) before leaving a cheap
, drive-by, and misinformed "Disagree" to a perfectly correct post by an educated member?
If you have one coin, you call it simply a coin. It can be the start of a collection or what's left of a collection, but it's not a collection unless there is more than one.
Keeper of the VAM Catalog • Professional Coin Imaging • Prime Number Set • World Coins in Early America • British Trade Dollars • Variety Attribution
An optimist would say the glass is half full.
A pessimist would say the glass is half empty.
An engineer would say the glass is twice a big as it needs to be.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
If I had a 1-coin coin collection I'd make sure someone I could trust tucks it in my pocket before they close the lid.
Great transactions with oih82w8, JasonGaming, Moose1913.
If a set is a collection then yes. Mathematically 0 coins is also a set. The empty set.
An empty set is still a set. So a collection with zero coins is still a collection. I'm waiting for just the right coin...
Are you new here? That is too much to ask anywhere in the internet age.
That said: a collection is defined as a "group of things". But, of course, a group is defined as "a number of things classified the same". One is a number. So by extension, a "group of things" could be "one thing".
Well I guess you can say you have a Coin Collection rather than a Collection of Coins
Steve
Let me ask my friend.....

Why don't you just grab a cent out of the "leave a penny, take a penny" tray at the supermarket, add it to your one-coin "collection", and then there is nothing more to argue about.
I'd say you can call it whatever you may please @aus3000tin
A complete date/denomination collection from Price Edward Island is one coin.
DPOTD-3
'Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery'
CU #3245 B.N.A. #428
Don
Good point. And I think if you focus on collecting any one denomination of Hawaiian coins it is also one...
Now you're dragging uncountability into the fray. Since the amount of coinable matter in the universe is finite, we need to consider theoretical coins rather than physical ones, each denominated in a unique real number multiple of a unit of currency, and with each real number multiple represented. The number of coins in a completed collection of these would be uncountably infinite. Of course, the cost would as well. The cool thing, however, is that you could use some of the coins in this set to buy the countably infinite set of coins denominated in rational number fractions of said unit of currency and still have an uncountably infinite collection left.
So in this case, you have something that both can and cannot be counted.
Edit:
Keeper of the VAM Catalog • Professional Coin Imaging • Prime Number Set • World Coins in Early America • British Trade Dollars • Variety Attribution
At the PCGS Set Registry Luncheon at the ANA in Boston in 2010, I happened to be seated at a table with Q. David Bowers, his gradson and Chris Karstedt. Soon after David Hall sat down at the same table, not saying anything, but reviewing his notes for what he was going to say to the group. Dave Bowers' grandson asked me what I collected, and considering the recent coin industry news of the time, I answered, "Specimen Strike 1794 Dollars," and then talked a bit.
Well, David Hall stood up without saying a word, and walked to the podium. He started talking about the Registry and the enthusiastic collectors in attendance, and all the conversations among them. Then he said, he heard someone ask me the question, "what do you collect," and that I answered saying, "Specimen Strike 1794 Dollars!" and David said, "No, you can't collect specimen strike 1794 dollars, there's only one of them! You can't have a collection of just one piece!"
No.
You can close the thread now.
OK, so if you have only one coin, but then cut it up in multiple pieces, is that a collection?
If you start with an 8 reales, I'll consider it.
Keeper of the VAM Catalog • Professional Coin Imaging • Prime Number Set • World Coins in Early America • British Trade Dollars • Variety Attribution
Found it.......this is my collection...............one coin...............pieces.

Successful transactions with : MICHAELDIXON, Manorcourtman, Bochiman, bolivarshagnasty, AUandAG, onlyroosies, chumley, Weiss, jdimmick, BAJJERFAN, gene1978, TJM965, Smittys, GRANDAM, JTHawaii, mainejoe, softparade, derryb, Ricko
Bad transactions with : nobody to date
col·lec·tion
kəˈlekSH(ə)n/
noun
1.
the action or process of collecting someone or something.
I GUARANTEE if my collection was a single dirty nuclear bomb, I would get a lot of attention just for 1 of them, and not even worry about getting more of them.
Matthew 13:45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. 46 When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.
Hmmm.....would take a lot of the fun out of posting here. GTG threads? After about the 5th time I think everyone would be able to post the grade,. Picture threads? After the 10th picture folks would be saying 'what else ya got?'. Favorite coin threads? You know how that would go.
Still....it would be a Libertas for me!
K
no. But you can be a collector who started with one coin and then came 2. I am around 350
Best place to buy !
Bronze Associate member