How do you collect world coins?

I seem to collect all over the place: several countries, series within countries, type coins or beautiful ones, silver coins, zinc, aluminum, pure nickel bullion ones, copper bullion, graded wonders, FAO, and I'm probably forgetting more. In addition to hearing about your collecting tastes, within world coins what is your broadest category of collecting. For me, it would seem to be 20th century coins. I have some older or more modern, but the large majority fall into the 20th century. This is just a fascinating period; we had world war 1 and 2, the end of silver coinage, increase in countries and designs, improvements (and some might argue the opposite) in minting, etc. Also, the number of coins are plentiful in many cases, and tons were saved. Lastly, 20th century coins are very affordable if tastes are broad like mine. I'm asking these questions because I wonder if it's normal to collect like me, or do world collectors focus more on a few countries or something. Thanks

 

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I pretty much collect 18th century up to 1950's, mainly silver, but some gold as well. Have some common metals too, but only for rare and/or exceptional pieces. Also some contemporary counterfeits.

 

Being in Europe and the euro area, I focus on pieces from around here. Mostly circulation and commemorative coins though, hardly any Ag/Au collector coins. Since the euro was "born" at the beginning of 1999, pretty much every coin in that collection is a 21st century piece.

But I do have quite a few "older modern" (20c/21c) coins, from Germany where I am, from the UK, the US or Switzerland for example. In my opinion one "gets lost" without some (at least vague) collection focus - too many coins to consider. Then there is the budget issue. I like traveling, and that needs to be paid for too ...

In case you may have to sell (parts of) your collection at some point - then do not collect "modern world" if you are in the US. Otherwise, collect what you want, but it would still make sense to concentrate on selected aspects such as certain countries, metals, designs, etc. Maybe having a look at your current collection and deciding what you enjoy most could help?

Christian

 

I collect mostly gold coinage from time first coin was minted in Sardis/Lydia in 650BC,to modern era 1960s. My latest coins are a 5 piece Biafra proof set 1969.
I am fussy about quality, so I tend to collect EF/Mintstate/FDC. My favorite are hammered Medieval/ Ancients. But...I really like Holy Roman Empire material.
Its really hard to pick, they are all nice and more fun to look at. The City coins from Basel/Regensburg/Salzburg are exceptionally beautifull. Here is a Regensburg AV Dukat to show this.
John

 

When I started I just liked what seemed "old". Anything pre-1900, if it was affordable, I bought it. Lots of history, and some countries were producing pretty nice coins. It was really fun. Eventually I did focus mostly on silver crown-sized coins, but I still buy other world, mostly silver, if it catches my eye. I really like the German States coinage. I have ancestry back in Prussia and Saxony. And my last purchase was a British 1797 two pence cartwheel from a small show. So... not too structured, I guess, but I guess I'm pretty much just buying what I like....

 

My focus has been mainly in two areas:

1) Coins of the British Empire (Victoria thru E2)

2) World silver crowns and 1/2 crowns

Lately I've been developing some interest in large (30mm and up) 19th century copper coins. Some very attractive examples in this category.

Lastly, there's an unfinished 20th century OFEC set that I started with my son, mainly for his entertainment. He's off to college and lost interest (at least for now) so it spends a lot of time sitting on the shelf collecting dust. I occasionally add to it if I happen across something cheap and interesting at a coin show, but it's not a focus for me and it remains to be seen if I'll ever get serious about finishing it.

 

Having been interested in world coins since childhood, I can speak with some experience in seconding what Chris says.

The world is a big and ever-changing place, with a huge amount of coinage to show for it. If you try to "do it all" you'll eventually become just an accumulator rather than a collector.

It's fun to explore everything, but at some point it helps to decide what part or parts of it interest you the most and concentrate on that.

 

much like you when I first started out I was all over the place. after collecting coins for about 18 years now I am much more focused now. for world coins I collect mostly topical/themed collections. "coins with insects", coins with certain stars, coins with hands, toned coins, coins with small coins on the coins as the design itself, and a large misc. section. I have found the older I get (54 years old) the more I am liking the older coins say 18th and 19th century. why is that you ask ? well I have noticed that they have much more interesting designs with rarity (yes they can get very expensive, but you never get bored looking at them). right now I focused on a toned Canadian caribou quarters and toned Canadian 50 cent pieces from dates 1937-1967. I find these designs very beautiful. after I get completion with those 2 goals I want to start collecting world gold coins. I am asuming you have Krauses world coin catalogs ? if you are serious about world coins you might want to get a set of 18th 19th and to date catalogs just to go page by page to see what coins you might be attracted to. I myself am attracted to world coins simply because of all the variety out there. having a current want list also helps me. good luck in your coin hunting. most important buy what you love...not what someone tells you to buy. trust me you will get way more satisfaction from it.

 

I would focus on where you feel the best value is on the coins you personally like. I have been gravitating more toward Mexican Libertads because of their lower mintages and eye appeal. Sometimes you can get them in very low mintages for not much of a premium over spot when they first come out. Hold them and demand drives up the price with lower supply in many cases. Just my two cents. Here is a good website to give you an idea of mintages for these.. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libertad_(coin)

 

Australian coins (shocker, I know). Followed by British, French and German coins. Anything from WW2. And then basically whenever a design catches my eye with its beauty (see below, I still think the obverse on this is amazing).

 

what country is that coin pictured ?

 

I like proof and uncirculated sets of world coins, original government packaging preferred. Of late, I have found some good deals for bulk lots of several years in a row for some countries, a nice group of San Marino sets being the latest score. My primary focus in European coinage are the annual sets of euro coins from one cent through two euro, when the price is right and silver commemorative collector coins from Ireland. Always on the lookout for sterling silver crowns at giveaway prices!

 

Greece 20 drachmae.

 

I'm on the lookout for foreign coins minted in the US. As a type collector, I'm generally all over the place, so I've only got a single Panama Pill, but I love it.

Also, I've been thinking about birth year coins.

 

@spirityoda Paul M. beat me to it.

 

I focus on certain countries. Many of them are British empire countries but there are others too. Usually it started with one coin that I liked and I just found myself buying other denominations too. Like I liked the British and Australian pennies, so that's how I got started on those. But I collect other nations too like Mexico, Brazil, Greece and Ireland. I'm the type who likes to complete an entire series of dates. At first I just focused on cheaper coins but I've gradually started to buy the more expensive silvers like shillings and florins. I also love coins from unusual countries and former colonies. Anything that says "history" to me. And a completely different focus is coins with certain animals on them or designs I like. Most of my coins are on the cheaper side because I can't spend all my money on coins, but I do have some better dates too. As time goes on I get interested in more things, not fewer.

 

I focus on Mexico because it's just down the road from here, and because the frequent changes in its coinage are so much a road map to its past - an interesting thing if you live in a country that's been making Lincoln cents for 107 years. I started with the 20th century and am starting to push my way backward into the 19th. This is attractive because it links back to the old Spanish reales and escudos and all the history that implies - but also a bit scary because the field is plagued with counterfeits, and even with controversy about what is counterfeit and what is not.

Still, I also think world coins should give you the chance to indulge a little sometimes. I've never been to Ireland but I love those coins with the animals and buy them sometimes in a state of happy ignorance.

 

There are probably as many ways to collect World coins as there are coins to collect.
I started out collecting US cents at the age of 12. I still have those coins in the original Whitman Folder. With the exception of the 1955 DDO and the 1909s VDB, it is complete. After filling all the Nickel, Dimes, and Quarters, ( also completed my Dansco 7070 US collection), I got the World coins bug. My goal was to collect at least one coin from every country. At one time I had amassed about 1500 different coins from over 140 countries. Had 4 large binders full. Sold off most of them

Next I started collecting World Silver crowns. Still do.
Completed my 20th Century Mexico Type set.
Completed an Uncirculated Mexico 20 and 50 Centavos Collection
Completed an Uncirculated Euro Nations set collection( some of those sets are down right costly)
Currently working on collecting as many World Mint and Proof set as I can. I found that this is the least expensive way to collect uncirculated and rare coins. Several of the sets have single coins which alone exceed the value of the entire set. Good way to collect Silver also.

Most of the individual coins I buy are focused around some type of theme. I tend to focus on Silver, but don't hesitate to pick up anything interesting. I just started a collection of 50 Centavos from every country that circulates them. So far I have identified 16 countries and I have captured 7, so I have a ways to go. I am also working on a pre 1962 Cuban Type set. That one is a challenge.

Spirityoda has the right idea. Get a copy of a Krause catalog and go through it page by page. I guarantee you will find a lot of exciting coins. Hiddendragon has mentioned some great countries to collect, and he has some great coins.

It's all about the history.

 

I collect world coins from the 1800s on up to today. My main countries are Canada, Mexico, Great Britain, France, the Scandinavian countries, Australia, and Japan. I also like coins from the World War II era.

 

My family is from Sicily and I mostly collect pre-1859 Sicilian and Italian coins, I prefer silver but I also have copper. Thankfully I can find them on American and Italian ebay, but it takes time and patience to find the right coin for a decent price.

Our strong USA dollar has been great for buying coins from European countries that use Euros. Just a few years ago the exchange rate for our dollars was terrible.