Im a history nut first and from that I love the "soul" of beautiful toned silver coin that makes you wounder the stories theyd be able to tell. Second is the sheer beauty they can hold. Third is also the thrill and challenge of the hunt and the challenges within.....cool thread!!!
Any other hobby requires you to spend money for your "objets d'art", but for numismatics, you get to spend money to buy money. Chris
I decided that I'm going to invest in common date wheat cents for a 200% profit and here I am JK I love it all, art, the chase, the history, the science
“Money rests on the axiom that every man is the owner of his mind and his effort.” From “Franciso’s Money Speech” from Atlas Shrugged
Well, I don't do a lot of collecting. I mostly just read coin books for entertainment. It's not that I don't enjoy collecting, it's just that I have other hobbies that I enjoy more which cost a lot of money. I probably will start buying more coins in the future; I just can't afford it at the moment.
To me, it is the history and wondering what person first touched a particular coin long ago. What it was spent on..... a bag of candy for a penny minted in the twenties perhaps?
Along with most of the rest, for me it's about holding a small piece of history in my hands. I like that the coins at least tend to hold their value in the long term, as well.
I mostly agree with all the other posts about history being a top reason why people or myself collect coins There's just something about a coin that might have been touched by somebody like Ben Franklin which really is very exciting within the realm of history But I believe the main reason is emotional, In the sense that when I get older and my mature grandchildren become intrested. I'm able to pass the coins down to them in person and begin sharing those feelings with them. So that is when it all becomes well worth it.