Although huge amounts of money can be invested in
collecting American coins, we really don't have much money invested in our
little coin collections. In my opinion it's really not necessary. We don't
do it as an investment or anything - its really a family activity. The kids
get a big kick out of it. When I was a kid, you could sort through change
and find coins minted in the teens and twenties. Now days you have to buy
bags of wheat cents. Not to worry, they are inexpensive. When I brought the
first bags of wheat backed Lincoln pennies home, I didn't know if the kids
would be interested, but they dove in and really had fun. It was like a
treasure hunt and the blue Whitman collection folders, like Becky is
holding, are almost exactly the same as when I was collecting coins as a
kid. We have also collected and sorted through old nickels, both Jefferson
and Indian Head or buffalo nickels. I especially like those Buffalo nickels
myself, but with all the Washington "statehood" quarters, there is a lot of
interest in Washington quarters as well.
Collecting coins that are a century or more old gives one a special feel
for the history of our nation. You wonder about the history these heavily
worn coins have seen. These old coins also say so much about our nation,
honoring Liberty and freedom above all. In the same way, today's politically
correct coins which exclusively promote the politicians of the past tell of
the foibles of our own modern USA (what subject could possibly be more dear
to our self-absorbed and narcissistic federal politicians when they are
trying to decide what should appear on our coins than the aggrandizement of
politicians like themselves).
There are many types of coins to collect - error coin collecting, ancient
coin collecting, international coin collecting, silver coin collecting -
there are just so many ways to approach it. There really is no right and
wrong way to collect coins, in spite of what many so called experts say. You
have to decide what your goal is. Do you want to have a family hobby? Well,
inexpensive wheat cents are an easy way to get started. Do you want to
invest significant money in coins hoping that they will go up in price?
Investment guides want you to buy the very highest grades of uncirculated
coins, but sometimes regular old circulated coins appreciate significantly
in price as well (circulated means the coin has some signs of wear). I have
certainly seen the prices of the circulated buffalo nickels I purchase go up
steeply in price over the last five years. In the end, its all up to you! I
recommend that you buy the coins you like.
