In a distant future without money: will numismatic hobby decline?

I don’t know if any has asked a similar question. – If so, then please provide me the link and close down this thread.

But otherwise I want to ask whether you think numismatic hobby will result into a decline in a distant future when monetary coins are replaced by electronic?

I think I have heard that stamp collecting went into decline after email was introduced. But Picasso’s, Dali’s or Rembrandt’s paintings or paintings generally I think did not go into decline when camera was invented.

So in a distant future about 30-50 years when monetary handholding coins will be replaced by electronic monetary system, do you think numismatic hobby will suffer a decline just as stamp collecting did?

 

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No.

Over 90% of the money in the world is already just bits in a computer.

 

No, I think it will make them all more valuable and collectable.

 

Even if 90% of the money is in a computer system, the metal coins still change hands and are extremely visible everywhere these days. – what if they are gone too, and none will ever touch a metal coin as currency?

Could that damage the numismatic hobby as email did with stamp collecting?

 

maybe 200-300 years from now. until then enjoy coins now.

 

Yes except for a few elite collectors.

Anybody collect political buttons? Bottle Caps? Match Books? Stamps?

 

Who can predict the future? You might as well ask what silver's gonna be at in fifty years. Advice given.......collect for the love of things (Beany Babies included), not for investment or future gain.

 

When cash stops changing hands, even clad coins will have collector value.

 

When cash vanishes -- if it truly does -- coins will have much more historical and therefore collector value. I don't foresee me being around, so I'll just enjoy collecting.

 

Everyone says electronic is the future, but I don't see it. I think it will take much longer than 50 years for coins to become obsolete. Not in our lifetimes.

Why? Because things go electronic and then they get tracked, traced and hacked. When digital just became a thing, everyone was like 'no more need for paper, everything will be digital and then it will be safer.' And now we know that once something is digital, it's not yours anymore, anyone can steal it. Look at the bitcoin exchange hacks.

Yeah I know most currency is digital already. But there is something to be said for the security and stability of holding money and making the transaction which digital doesn't provide.

 

I tend towards "yes", numismatics will decline.
The hobby will lose it's newcomers.
There won't be inexpensive coins to collect right out of circulation to catch the eyes of youngsters.
And the coins that exist will slowly increase in value.

 

I agree with you. Take cars for example. Young men are no longer interested in cars. So once boomers leave this planet, those 64 Mustangs will drop in price due to a "who cares" attitude of the millennials.

 

In 2100 the key date market probably won't exist. People will be able to make perfect copies of a certain issue down to the atomic level, thus being undetectable by grading services.

 

Yikes!

 

While I agree that many millenials fall under this stereotype, many also do not. I'm 26, so I'd say by definition I am a millenial (unfortunately). I love coin collecting, history, etc, etc. And I know many others in my age group that are interested in such things as well. I believe an interest in history is a part of human nature. Some don't care. But IMHO I think most people are fascinated by it regardless of age

 

Hope you are correct. I just passed on hiring a young lady who asked me in the interview if my office re-cycled.

 

Electronic will never become the norm...With some 50% of the population with little or no credit, I can,t see any changes happening at all. I,ve not had much use for cash or coins for several decades, as it,s mainly for donations to street people or maybe fast food, older vending machines, etc. I use cash for small items, and end up with a cup full change in a few months time, but it goes to the kids...they don,t even want it as they prefer larger notes. The other 50% of us still and will always need the coin and currency for every day expenses. I,ve heard talk about ending the penny, but that is also just talk and probably won,t ever happen. the cash register will probably never go away, at least not in my time.

 

I hope I'm correct too. Lot of people seem to be stuck in a fantasy world nowadays, fueled by what they see on the tube and the internet. Don't want to work for a living or educate themselves. But I also know a lot of bright people, and see some educated YNs on this site.
In the long run this hobby should be all right. But, to the OPs question, I think if hard money stopped circulating freely it would damage the hobby. Many, including myself, first entered the hobby by chance. With an interesting find out of circulation

 

I hope you're right about the cent not being abolished. I wouldn't be so sure that it won't though. Many countries, including our neighbor to the north, have already done away with it and are rounding to the nearest .05. They seem to be saving all important $$$ in the process as well