which coin should I give to a friend to start their child's coin collection?

I picked up a medal of Ed White last week. The youth center at our church was named for him (until Ike flooded it). In 1975 the church raised funds for the center by selling the medal below. I think that was a great idea! Forty years later someone put this medal in a fund raising auction. I was outbid at the last moment, but the auction winner gave me the medal.


Now for the ancient coin part. I plan to give the couple two ancient coins to start a collection for their children, both preschool. I have about the same in the three coins below. Should I go for bigger & older or better grade?


Roman Imperial bronze follis
Tetricius II, Augustus 274 AD
Obv - radiate bust right
Rev - religious implements
2.2 grams, irregular flan - 17.8 to 18.5 mm, gVF
RIC 258
Son of Tetricius I, last emperor of the Gallic Empire. Made Caesar in 273 AD and elevated to Augustus (and granted first consulship) in Jan 274. His father surrendered to Aurelian in the fall of 274 and both were pardoned after being displayed as trophies in Rome and spending some time in prison. Not a bad end for a losing emperor at the time.


Roman Imperial bronze follis
Victorinus, emperor of Galic Empire 269 - 271 AD
Obv - radiate bust right
Rev - Providentia standing left holding baton & cornucopiae
2.69 grams, irregular flan - 17.8 to 18.6 mm, gVF, some doubling on obverse
Coen 101
Victorinus succeeded Postumus who was killed when he would not let his army sack a town after a victory. Victorinus was in turn killed by a general whose wife he seduced.

 

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I love that you are trying to get new collectors excited, but I have nothing to add about the ancients. I think that just about every collector in the U.S. got their start with a cheap Whitman folder of memorial cents that they could readily find in their pocket change. It worked for me thirty five years ago and I'm thirty nine (for only one more month ).

 

Oops, forgot to add this one.


Roman Republic
Anonymous AE As
Obv - Janus
Rev - prow
25 grams, 30 mm, 211 to 150 BC (I can not tell if it has any symbols)
This was 1/3 rd of a days pay for a Roman soldier in 211 BC.

 

I'd probably go with Victorinus ... although the Tetricus has a sweet obverse, the kid probably won't know or care about the pile of religious implements, but they may think the dude with the hat-and-cane is pretty neat?



... nice idea either way (good job spreading the word)

 

preschool?? hopefully the parents still have those 2 coins for the kids sometime in high school, cuz they wont understand or comprehend those coins till then..like kirk said, a whitman album for lincolns makes more sense as they can easily get the coins and work on it as they grow... i showed a couple of roman bronzes i got over the summer to a brother an sister, 9 an 10 years old, an tried to explain the coins to them, they had no clue an were totally disinterested, showed them some kennedy halves an sac dollars an explained those, they loved them an asked how they could save them an find more, those they were somewhat familiar with...the ancients are nice but these kids wont understand them for many years....

 

I'm with ken on this one. I show my son an ancient (he's 5) and he says "cool coin" and hands it back. Quarters I have an easier time with because he sees those more often. But if I were to pick, I pick the Republican bronze.

 

Same here. I got started with pocket change (french francs, not quarters though) and found that very cool. The first time I came across a really ancient one (roman) I was 18 and had to do some research by myself as no one around me would have a clue about it (pre internet era...)

If I were to do what you're going to do (and that's a wonderful idea) I would catch their attention on the fact there are so many different quarters (state, National parks, sometimes (rarely) silver) that would be cool to look for and collect.

Nearly costless, fun to play with, and if they loose one or even interest in them, what the heck, that's just quarters !

Just my two cents (large and EF if I may ask....)
Q

 

I feel that ancients in general would be mostly unexciting (like Steve said, they would not be too interested in stuff like religious implements) and the rulers too obscure for preschoolers (I doubt they are being taught about Alex III or Constantine). Plus they might not be very careful in handling them. Perhaps when they are older and have a better grasp on (and more interested in) history.

I suggest to have them start out with something more visually stimulating and more relevant to them, so I second the notion of having them begin with quarters or cents. And as has been mentioned, they get lost or damaged, not really a big deal.

 

One ancient coin will probably not enthuse a preschooler, but a pile of them... maybe, though probably for reasons that may escape us. Young children can get excited about and take an interest in just about anything, but they're just as likely to obsess over it for a few weeks or months, and then completely lose all interest in it... that's just them absorbing the world.

For a month or two now, my three year old has taken to flipping through the two hundred or so pictures of ancient coins that I have on my phone on a daily basis. He recognises and can name just about all the emperors, gods, animals and objects on them. It's like a memory game to him. And when he feels like it, he'll randomly give the emperors extra surnames, like "Postumous Mostumous", "Maximinus Thrax Bax" or "Antoninus Poot". He's starting to enjoy handling the coins too, but I'm careful not to let him get his hands on anything too small (or too large).

So I think give them a coin or two of you like, but if they take to it, be prepared for them wanting more (and more, and more, and more)... you may regret it then!

 

The medal would undoubtedly be viewed as cool (astronaut!), but I think you should also give them an ancient or two, emphasizing how old they are. To a child who views their 30 year old parents as "old", imagine their look of disbelief when they learn the age of the ancient coins.

The size of the Republican is nice but its lack of details probably makes it less interesting for a young child.

However, I agree with others that it may be best to give them Whitman albums which they can fill with coins they find. At that age, they can't acquire additional ancients on their own but they can set aside coins from their own allowance .

Give them the ancients as well-- maybe in clear plastic capsules (which can be opened) to emphasize just how precious they are. Maybe their parents or you can give them more ancient coins going forward (birthdays, Christmas), growing that part of their collection as they age. Perhaps when they are adults they will be interested in purchasing their own ancient coins.

 

Since you said the people go to church, the correct coin might be a Byzantine anonymous Christ follis. They are big, old and show someone that kids have heard of. Tetricus II is mostly notable for having coins but he was a kid and probably better than Victorinus who was something of the Bill Cosby of his day. If you must have an ancient, I might go for an Urbs Roma wolf and twins.

 

BTW, Christ folles are cheap if you get worn ones without facial details.

 

^^^ Yeah, that's a much better idea

 

Bigger is not always better. Bigger, Older, or Better. Does it really matter? Both children are preschool. That's young but what to the children this is for like? They may prefer plugging holes in an album from change. They make, as does a 4 year old I know, like Dinosaurs, in which case a copper round with a Dino on them grabs their interest. Your looking at Ancients. I've been collecting coins since I was old enough to know what a coin was and I started with the Whitman's penny album. I'm now in my 60's and I just discovered ancients. Go for what hold the child's interest.

 

I'm with JWT? The Republican only because size does seem to matter with kids.

 

On second thought, perhaps a ball or a Hot-Wheel might be a better choice?

 

I have to side with the posters that suggest a State Quarter album. Don't bother giving children ancient coins - they won't care, and you'll be disappointed. I have four kids of my own and I'm speaking from experience.

My oldest three are all teenagers and what they care most about is cars and members of the opposite sex, which is perfectly fine with me. My youngest is 9 and she does enjoy collecting, but more for social reasons - it's a little something we do together. She likes to feed dollar bills into the change machine at the laundromat and go through the quarters to put in her album, and she likes to go to the local coin shop with me. What interests her the most is anything big and shiny - she was delighted with a handful of 1 oz. copper rounds, but would have preferred silver or gold! Oh, and the jewelry of course.

If you're expecting toddlers to appreciate ants of Tetricus, I'm afraid you're in for a big letdown.

 

I did a collection for a local school. I had to be a bit careful about the emperors. The kids were old enough to know Mr Google and needed to be protected against the likes of Elagabalus. Whilst is was OK to tell them that Caracalla was "run through" whilst taking a pee, they were the wrong age to tell them that Victorinus was "done in" by a jealous husband.

 

I have a grandson who will be three next year. I have thought about starting him out collecting with going the basic route.
I would start him out at one cent. Combining addition with collecting would help him with simple math. Adding to the collection a little at a time and teaching him what numismatics is all about.
Again a penny is one cent, but there are different types of 'cents' thus, there would be the Large Cent, the small cent, the Indian Head, and Lincoln.
Simple, basic and making sure to keep it interesting. I believe he would enjoy it as I did. Most of all not boring him with too much information.
It's 'worth' a try since he already likes to have me sit with him and read, 'look at the pictures', books we have given him.

 

I have tons of ancients, but don't bother giving them to my kids yet. I buy my sons big silver coins, preferably with animals on them. Kids are not sophisticated collectors yet and lose things. Make them big, shiny, and with something they like on the design IMHO.