What do you do?

So, we are all collectors of coins and for me at least part of the fun is in the hunt!! But after you collect them, what do you do with your coins. Just look at them once in a while, show them to friends and family? Maybe buy, sell and trade? Just HOARD them? Just curious!!!

 

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My biblical coin and artifact collection is going to be displayed at my school over Fall semester of this year. I like showing them as often as I can. Several years ago, I gave a show and tell of American coinage at a private school. I love connecting people with history through them. Sometimes I just like looking at them too. My collection is not huge, so it doesn't take long to show off.

 

I have a process. First, I catalogue them on Numista, their respective grading registries (almost all coins I buy now are already certified) and mycollect. I use these tools to keep track of what I have.

Then, I take photos if the coins didn't have true views, photo vision, etc. Next up, I post them to my Instagram and write up a little blurb about one. Then I usually share them on discord and here on CT.

Lastly, if raw I put them in saflips in a D ring coin album or if certified I have two suitcase like holders that hold slabs. One for NGC one for PCGS. Each has 4 rows and row one has coins A-E, second row F-J, etc.

I take them out every so often and go through them. After all, I buy coins I like to LOOK at! It's one of my favorite rainy day activities.

I don't really share them with anyone off line because I don't have any fellow collectors near by!

 

I hoard them. It says so under my screen name.

 

A new coin sits on my desk for a while, until the thrill wears off. I examine it multiple times with a magnifying glass, looking for die cracks, clashes, anything unique. After a while it goes in a box. I photograph it and save off the seller images, plus an electronic invoice if there was one, put it all in a folder on the computer. Once in a while I'll pull one out and it becomes my desk coin again for a while. Sometimes I find something new on an old coin. Mostly they just sit in random boxes.

 

I just purchased a hastings triplet by recommendation from another thread someone posted. I'll be sure to put it to good use the next rainy day!

 

I share with friends and family the odd coin occasionally.

But recently my efforts have gone to preparing my collection for permanent gifting (to family). In the process I have looked at each denomination and removed many. I discovered that my collecting focus has changed and I have removed and am still removing, coins I never should have kept. The ones I am returning to circulation have excess wear, damage, corrosion, staining and any exhibiting unattractive or egregious die deterioration. I liken the effort to “getting rid of the evidence”.

Seriously. I don’t, and refuse to pass on any junk coins to my family that cannot be considered an heirloom. So lots are great condition but low value. But about 40% are valuable but have varying condition.

As I proceed I am disseminating my collection to various family members. Currently, I now only have 25% of my collection started 65 years ago.

But everyone in the family is getting something, and everybody oohs and ahhs when I show them. Then their jaws hit the floor when I announce that they now own them. Gold, silver, silver bar, bullion, proof sets, commemoratives….it all goes, I’m 75% finished.

I hope that answered your question. Thanks for asking…Spark

 

Can you adopt me...

 

Send some to certain relatives that are into the hobby. Keep the rest for me.

 

No, I've actually never shown any of my friends but I've shown family just not friends cause they don't collect and since I have gold I'd probably come off as a showoff, as I have priors for that!

 

What's the jail time for those? Just act crazy. You know, normal. At least in a "ward" they have round objects to play with. (Checkers).

 

Jail time you're kidding right, 'priors' is just the first word I thought of, I'll be more careful next time!

 

I treat them like I did bar girl back when I was playing rock star. I have a passionate 3-4 day affair with them and then deposit them in the dark recesses of my safe to be remembered.

 

And then post a graphic novel about them on a geriatric website, years later!








Edit: No offense intended to my esteemed fellow AARP members.

 

No offense taken.... Though you may have just sparked an idea for my forthcoming tell all novel!

 

My goal for more than 50 years as a collector has been to have fun.
I would pick a coin type, buy books and study as I built a set. Having complete sets was never part of my goal. After a while I moved on to a different coin type. Having really nice examples of each type was my direction. Along the way I cherry picked a lot of valuable varieties.

At age 65 I retired and started selling off my collection. My type set and varieties were the first to go and I made a killing in the process. I have saved all the funds I have raised up to this point. Those funds are going to be used on buying only a few coins that will be easy to pass on. My wife and son have a good understanding of the hobby.
They will be able to sell when they wish and do something fun of their choice.

I made one big mistake over the years. I bought way too much US Mint product over the years and have no idea what to do with it.

 

My circulated US coins that I accumulated between the late 60's and early aughts I divided up for myself (to later pass on to my daughter) and my nieces and nephews. I slowed down after 2010 to focus on my career and prepare for retirement which is soon to begin and have gotten more involved in the hobby the last 18 months.

I have been upgrading the collection and migrating it from older Whitman folders to Dansco albums and the completed ones are on shelves at my desk where I spend the majority of my time. I photograph them as I go, and plan to enjoy both the photos (on the computer) and pulling the albums down to look through often in the future. Along with that I plan to educate myself better on what I have to better enjoy and appreciate them.

 

I collect assorted themes of Ancient coins and put them on webpages

Carthage and the Quinquegentiani
https://constantinethegreatcoins.com/Carthage/

A Usurper in Alexandria
https://constantinethegreatcoins.com/Alexandria/

campgates
https://constantinethegreatcoins.com/campgates/

Maximianus as Hercules
https://constantinethegreatcoins.com/Hercules/

CONSERVATOR AVGG...secret coded coins from Siscia
https://constantinethegreatcoins.com/CONSERVATOR/

Ancient Error Coins
https://constantinethegreatcoins.com/Errors/

A countermarked Constantine and Gallienus coin
https://constantinethegreatcoins.com/Countermarked/

Christian Symbolism on Constantine I bronze coins
https://constantinethegreatcoins.com/symbols/

CONSTANTINIANA DAFNE Constantinian Victory
https://constantinethegreatcoins.com/DAFNE/

"Barbarous" Coinage of the Fourth Century
https://constantinethegreatcoins.com/barb2/

Constantinople coinage
https://constantinethegreatcoins.com/Constantinople/

Roman coins from the mint of London
https://constantinethegreatcoins.com/London/


and many more--
https://constantinethegreatcoins.com/index.html