Why do American Collectors Refer to non-U.S numismatics as the "Darkside"?

well i will tell you what

world coins are more appealing, cheaper, have a longer history etc. so when collectors realize they can have more for less they dump us coinage and therefore its called the dark side

 

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Shhhhh! Don't blow the fun for the rest of us

 

Shhhhh! Don't give away the secret...

 

No need, all my ankle biters are out of school this week - off in Florida, out of town etc.

 

There not on Coin Talk?

Ruben

 

Me I find the term very funny and sugest that some of you try the PAPER SIDE :whistle:

 

I was trying to be diplomatic!

 

It's possible to do A, C, and D all at once. That's my pick!


edited to add: ...except that I might like the option E) Call out to ask her if she'd like to come over to see my coin collection.

 

well u guys havent been paying to the treasury so i am leaking secrets to make ends meet

 

BlueGill, thank you and everybody else for expressing your opinions on the origin of that curious term "Darkside".

What is was asking is, what is the meaning of the term, and NOT about peoples collecting preferences (U.S v.s non-U.S coins).

From all of the "relevant" comments (Ruben?) i gather that it seems to mean different things to different people, and may have either a positive, a humorous, or even a somewhat negative connotation. So be it.

Regards,

Eduard

 

I truly think the term is light-hearted. It doesn't even come close to bothering me.

I know I'm going to bother some people by saying this, but I feel it betrays some of the close-mindedness that I've noticed in many American collectors. Please don't take offense to this, if you're even in this section you're open minded! But I can't go against my experience and I've seen too many dealers and collectors shrugging of "foreign junk."

An example:
At the ANA banquet in 2007, I was seated next to an 'investor'. The guy lectured me on the glories of blast white MS slabbed Morgan dollars. I then attempted to explain to him that I didn't care about these and that they lacked any real history. I could not get it through his head. Not to say he wasn't a pleasant person, just had a vastly different world view.

 

lol thats how I found the hard rock cafe in paris

 

I started out collecting US coins for over 30 years. I have been collecting foreign coins now for 23 years. I do refer to this as being a collector of dark side coins and do not mean it to be derogatory in any aspect. It is just a way to say it. My dealer has called me a grey sider because I collect both US and foreign. What ever you want to call me, just don't call me late for supper.
Olmanjon
ps-started collecting in 1956

 

Well, it is a term coined by Americans and used by Americans to distinguish between their coinage on one side, and everybody else's on the other side. Except some apparently feel the need to differentiate a little. And that is how for them Canada became the Gray Side ...

Christian

 

As was said earlier the term "darkside" originated over at the darkside CU forum. It was started by a member named "Askari" which is a southern African warrior who could appear almost anywhere due to his startling endurance and stealth. It most assuredly was not intended to be a derogatory term but more to highlight how most US collectors view coins from other countries. My own handle is a very similar sort of thing since most people view modern coins as being a sort of joke that they don't get. Rather than modern coins being a naked king It's to assure them that he really does have clothes. Besides I am pretender to the throne of the modern coinage.

In addition to the darkside, greyside, and likeside there is also a term I started which hasn't caught on quite as well yet; farside. These are tokens and medals.

The darkside term is very fitting for this terra incognita which is foreign coins. It's easy for me to forget the term is local and use it in inappropriate places. But it is becoming widely understood especially among world coin collectors and dealers.

The term dates to 2001.