Gifting Coins

I am so heartened to see that many people are gifting coins with much more frequency. Last winter I gifted one per week for a while before Christmas (dont remember how many weeks). There are of course pitfalls to doing so. As it was pointed out last year a number of the coins I gifted ended up on Ebay almost immediately, and that is just sad. And I gifted some coins which were extremely rare or very scarce. I'd like for them not to end up on Ebay, but to go to someone who will appreciate them and/or at least keep with them for a while. After all, the whole reason we do this is to promote the hobby and the history behind the coins, not to sell and get $5 or $100 for a coin you got for free.

So, I am now presenting a new concept. My gifted coins will not go to a random entry but to a person who is nominated! You wont be entering for yourself but will be doing so on behalf of someone else. I realize there will be many issues with this idea but I will do the best I can and here is the basic idea:

The coins I gift will be done so in similar fashion to the past:

They will be unattributed. It will be up to the receiver to try and figure out what they are. This promotes both research and (I hope) some history behind the coin itself.

I will have sole discretion as to who I gift these coins to. No favoritism. Honestly, as I really dont favor anyone now or ever and hopefully everyone can be happy with the winners.

Anyone entering this will nominate someone other than themselves (preferably a young numismatist or someone new to collecting ancients), giving their reasons for doing so.

The nominee must acknowledge that they are willing the receive the coin.

At the end I will pick the winner and send off the coin free of charge, worldwide.

I think pretty simple, last year I had a couple times where I couldn't do one per week, so I will just do as many as I can time permitting.

So the question now before I get started, what does everyone think? Any suggestions of how to make it work better? I would love to get started again gifting coins.

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

Ken, I think this is a GREAT idea/method!! And it is disheartening to hear that they immediately ended up on eBay. I myself was bidding on some silvers a little over a week ago with the intent of donating one to a lucky someone on here... but I don't want to overlap with your gifting. Are you interested in sharing the pool of possible contenders you gather at some point in the near future?

 

I still have the little Diadumenian provincial you gave me, Ken
Was confusing at first as to who it was but with the help of a couple of exact matches online I'm pretty certain he's on my coin.

 

I'm sorry to hear that your gifted coins ended up on ebay... but great new method for giving them out. Really admirable.

 

If you knew which coins went to whom and ended up on ebay, then don't send to them again.

 

Cool concept. I can say, even though I am an ebay seller, I have never sold a coin given to me. If the person wanted me to have cash, they would have given me cash, not a coin. I nominate @jtlee321. I don't remember him ever having an ancient, and I would like to see what kind of pictures he can get of one!

 

I remember only one of the ones that ended up on eBay...not saying other's didn't but I only remember the one. Bad form. The person who sold it was not an ancient collector and I don't think was anyone that participates in the forum. Maybe on the U.S./world/bullion side but I think even then they're one of the people who come out of the woodwork when there is a give away and like to throw their name in. I would like to nominate @furryfrog02 . He is not an ancient collector but maybe if the right coin found him he would be.

 

By the way, very generous of you @Ken Dorney !

 

This is a GREAT way of doing a giveaway.

 

I nominate @green18 . He's nothing but an all-around positive guy, who hasn't fully committed himself yet to collecting ancients but does appreciates it and also ancient history, and this is apparent by his usual participation here in the ancients forum. Hopefully this could wet his feet a little if he wins

 

Then, isn't it better to give them to the museums? so that everybody can see. After all, their final desination of ancient coins is the museum, isn't it? If they are not given to promote the hobby and to learn the history behind them, they can be good gifts to the close people such as close relatives, to close friends, etc, even if they are not collectors, they won't see these gifts as "business". (Anyway, this is about the "ancient" coins which are personal properties. If this thread was opened in CoinChat forum, maybe, it would be better and I'd contribute.)

 

Wow!! Thank you for the nomination. I have been gifted a few coins and have never sold them. I respect the sentiment of geasture too much. They become a permanent part of my collection and will not be sold.

I have only owned 1 ancient coin in my life. My grandmother gave it to me when I was a kid. Unfortunately, I have no idea what happened to it, but I do remember being very curious about it.

I have had some interest in owning ancients, but have felt overwhelmed with knowing what to get, knowing if the coin was authentic and attributing it. Also the opportunity to photograph one would certainly be fun.

So thank you again John for the nomination.

Also, I see there is a member here who's screen name is also my name @Justin Lee. We are not the same person with different screen names. Lol.

 

Awesome idea, Ken. I love it! There

It's horrible to think that there were winners would enter the contest just to make a few extra bucks on eBay. Where's the respect for the hobby and the history that it holds? Super lame.

Erin

 

Considering what was mentioned above, I nominate @GerardV .....since he has been posting and trying very hard to attribute and research his coins

EDIT: I'd also nominate @Kentucky....

 

@Ken Dorney

Very cool idea Ken! I also think it's great around here with all the gifting and generosity on the forum.

My policy is if I am gifted a coin I will have a giveaway of my own to pay it forward (plus gifting is fun).

Is this thread about info gathering or would you like to have nominations here? If so I nominate @panzerman because he has a great love of coins of all types and I think every collector should have at least one "budget" example

 

I have a list a mile long of people to nominate. lol Each contest I'll nominate somebody different.

For this one, I'll nominate @Deacon Ray. This dude has been incredibly generous, not only to people on this forum, but, also through his ministry. I hope that I can be even a fraction of the person he is.

Erin

 

Great giveaway idea!!!

I would like to nominate @lordmarcovan for this one. He has been so generous in his many giveaways that he deserves to win something.

 

OK. OK. I'm not looking for nominations just yet. Wait until I post a coin (that may change things). But keep in mind I want people to give clean and concise reasons why they are nominating.

 

Very nice of you! Hopefully we wont see them end up on ebay.

 

Haha, yes! Different. People assumed i was a great photographer! Not so... yet. Different people, same love of coins!