Why are American coins so overated?

I think that most people collect what they do because they like what they are collecting On a national level one of the reasons that American coins are more expensive is that there are more Americans willing to buy them than shall we say Germans who collect German coins or Brits who collect British coinage.
Do I agree with the pricing on American coins well no as I cant afford them LOL
There are a number of people who collect puerly for investment only, but I do think that most people do it for the enjoyment they get from the coins.

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

Simply nationalism - no other word to describe it. This is also the same reason why Russian, Polish and Korean coins are shooting up in insane value.

 

... as in >reminding us why we left Old Europe<? Well, yes, guess there is some truth to that. Another reason, especially with regard to Russian coins, is that (some) people in the country are now more interested in older pieces, and (a few) have enough money to buy them ...

Christian

 

i am just kidding

 

POLISH COINS ARE SHOOTING UP ?????? You mean all those Stefan Batory 3 groschens in VF I bought for £25 each last year are actually worth something more ?????

 

US coins = 200 years of history, 80 years of which there are still witnesses of.
Amount of different designs on US coins I would estimate as <75

British coins (as example, but I am not too interested in them)
1100 years of history
Amount of different designs on English, Scottish, Irish and UK coins: >500

No, American coins are not as historically important. There are no seige coins, no coins of upsurpers, hardly any other of the things which spice up a series, and even the patterns are somewhat dull. Although I respect some of the designs as praiseworthy, they are hardly the greatest done.

 

For me I like American coins becuase as someone else put it , i grew up with them, However i also like world coins and ancients as well. it is all about what you like . I collect alot of items that some collectors woul consider junk. But i like them for example wooden nickels, elongated cents, tax tokens etc.

 

Obviously you didn't bother to read or give any credence to my first post.

Your statement is a matter of opinion - one I do not share. Length of history does not determine historical importance to all people throughout the world and beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

What is your point of this thread? If you don't like American Coins and you think they are too expensive, then don't buy them!!! Your message seems to imply that Americans pay to much for their not so old/historic, boring, sometimes ugly, and poorly minted coins. If that's the case - then don't buy them and stop worrying about the rest of us. If you enter a discussion with a closed mind then you have nothing to learn. I really don't care to convince you that you should collect American Coins and while you may love ancients, they are not everyone's cup of tea. You should consider yourself lucky. If Americans as a whole decided to collect nothing but ancient coins the rest of the world would complain about how we forced many collectors out of the hobby and created a higher influx of fakes into a market already saturated by them.

 

I Can't Think Of Any Country Which Has Meaningfully Combined The Two Pillars Of A Free
Democratic Society: Liberty And Achievement = Freedom To Soar Like An Eagle To New
Heights. America Has Upheld So Many Of Our Innate Human Values Which Have Been
Crushed In Many Other Societies. I Particularly Like The Older Coins Which
Had Lady Liberty On The Obverse And An Eagle On The Reverse - Classic !!!

 

Morgans and Lincolns are probably pretty close to each other in collector popularity and yet some VAMs will sell for hundreds even thousands of dollars while a spiked head Lincoln or cracked skull Lincoln might go begging for $10. I never paid more than $10 for one.

IMO, there just doesn't seem to be much "rationale" in coin collecting tastes. If there was, there should be a rather long list by now of speculators applying their quantitative voodoo to clean up in coins. Where's the list?

 

Seems you started off with a siimple question, in your opinion and received many insightful answers and opinions in return. I believe my original post was one of them actually.

Some, apparently, responded in ways you did not like. Another started a "satirical" thread. That happens you know and YOU did start the thread.

Your last post seems more intent on bashing American coins than anything truly usefull.
Last time I checked CoinTalk was a place to share and exchange opinions not bash one another.

I know lots of collectors on a personal basis. Most don't collect what I do (although mainly American). Lots of Lincoln collectors actually and if they show me a nice set I appreciate and also the pride they have in what they have accomplished as a collector. They, in turn, comment on my type coins although it's not what they are into. We call it mutual respect.
Boorish snobs are not wanted in these circles.

This weekend I hope to send some of my duplicate Canadian Nickels to Twiggs in Canada (I like Canadian nickels by the way although they are certainly not ancient). Does Twiggs have a collection like mine? nope, but I DO know she likes Canadain coins and am willing to help her out.

Liberty has always been a big issue on our coins in our "short" history. Just doesn't mean much to you. I wonder if Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite means anything to the French?

We don't have coins about particular events? OK all you Commemorative collectors throw yours away as JeromeLS deems them unworthy.

Finally you start tossing out figures of how many coin designs the UK has put out. Why is that? Patriotism? - something you stated you did not want in this thread.

Shall I now go to the ancients forum and start a ripping? No, people collect what they collect and I respect that.

 

Well said clembo. And JeromeLS, there is a reason there is a world and ancient coin forum here. Feel free to use it. I do, even though I collect mostly American, I do like to pick up an ancient from time to time. Also, I know of forums that are ONLY for ancient collectors, where your distaste for American history and numismatics is probably shared. I certainly wouldn't go there and bash ancient, or non-American coins.

 

Because they ARE better than the the rest of the worlds, but I think the main reason is, like it or not people are still fascinated with America and its coinage.

 

I really don't understand how this thread has gone on for so long with no one apparently realizing that it is a dispute over the same principle as

• is chocolate ice cream better than strawberry?
• is modern art better than impressionist art?
• are roses better than petunias?
• etc., etc., etc., ad nauseum.

Hey guys, just live, let live, and recognize that people's tastes differ. Just be like the guy who said "I'm glad people don't agree on everything, 'cause if they did, everyone would be after my wife."

 

But people do like chocolate better...that is a fact.

I still believe it is just the fascination with America....nothing politital.

 

Got me LOL on that one Hontonai and you are correct even though I recently posted. THAT IS THE WHOLE POINT, we don't agree on everything. Actually I think a LOT of people have realized this but with every turn we just keep posting.

You put yourself as a "Registered Contrarian", while I put myself as "A Closed Mind is No Mind At All". We have had a few "skirmishes" ourselves but I do respect your opinion even if I don't agree with it.

....and for the record I'm still a fan of Neopolitan ice cream.

 

Britain was more relevant 1100 years ago.

America is more relevant today.

 

There is no point, except possibly illustrating that Americans aren't the only ones exhibiting jingoistic nationalism...

... we're just the only ones that get called out on it.

Another way to paraphrase this thread ... "We don't have jingoistic patriots over here ! We have perfect humility, and we're proud of it !"

 

Wow...you really don't know anything about US coins, apparently. 200 years of coins? Was that just an odd number or a guess, because it's not even close. And 75 designs...you must be kidding. There are over 500 different designs in just store cards and CW tokens alone, that are known.

Of course, to top the cake, the US dollar is still the standard in world monetary trade, not ancients, or the Euro, or anything else. So, the short span of currency has been without doubt the most influencial and significant of any currency, fueling a world economy. Hard to miss that fact.
Guy~

 

....and for the record I'm still a fan of Neopolitan ice cream.

Clembo
This just means that you are indecisive!!LOL

Ziggy