Ok, my 11 yr old son is taking a liking to this coin collecting idea. My plan was to get him interested in wheaties and build from there. Do you think he wants to mess with pennies, NO, he likes the bright and shiny Morgan Dollars. Now what?
Well, you don't want to spoil him, but you might want to consider getting him one for a special occasion. Explain to him how expensive some coins can be. See if he'd be interested in studying books on the subject. That might be a good indicator of whether or not he'll "stick around". Good luck, to you and your boy.
He has been looking thru the redbook and photograde. He already knows that condition = value. I did get him a 1993 proof set for his birthday. Now he wants all his coins in that kind of condition.
My 10 year old was amazed that penny ____ was worth _____. He loves looking through the Red Book and will always ask, what condition my coins are in? Then he loves to say, "You know Dad, if that coin was in ____ condition, it would be worth ____ dollars." This is what amazes him...that a penny can be worth many dollars and that is how he got interested. Matter of fact, a couple of posts back, he found a 1972 Double Die Cent which I sent off to PCGS and it came back AU55! Sold it and now he really is hooked...with money in his pocket! As for your Morgan issue. The best course of action is to take him to a coin show where he can see Morgans from $10 on up. He will have an appreciation for it better than what his Dad tells him because he will see the activity on the floor as others buy and sell their coins for way more than face value! My son likes Morgans, but he really likes thoose golden SAC dollars! (Sure beats the prices for Morgans). Have fun! Throw some old wheaties into loose change and let him "discover" it!
Well - I can tell you what I did with my son when he was 10 - I took him to a local coin show. Now mind you - prior to the show I set it up with a dealer friend of mine that there would be an old Whitman nickel album with a few coins it there waiting for him for the price of 25 cents. That was all it took ! Of course he got a Red Book and an ANA Grading Guide at other tables along with a wide assortment of nickels. For the next 3 days he was engrossed in going through my change jar. Just about everybody has a change jar - but mine was a bit unusal in that there was about $400 of change. But you get the idea. Now he has a Jefferson, Ike, and collection Kennedy going with the Jefferson set needing 3 coins I think. But in all honesty - it was that coin show that did it. And it also provided dad with a memory that will last a lifetime
I would suggest that you take your son to a show or large shop and let him find that coin that appeals to him. I have allowed my son to earn "coin" money to further his collection. When a child buys their own coins, it can boost their desires. Even a worn coin bought with their own money becomes a special collectible.
