What is the difference between a Beginner and an Advanced Numismatist?

I feel the exact same way Lead! The stuff I deal with every day I am very proficient with... but there are some coins like Ancients... That I am definitely a massive beginner when it comes to them.

I have just recently begun to try to get a working knowledge of them... it's not easy at all and I have a new found respect for those that are proficient in ancients.

 

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I am reminded of the Samuel Clemons quote "We're all ignorant, only on different subjects"

Not much more than an intermediate collector with the given definations. On most US coin series I have only the most basic knowledge, but at local coin shows it's nice to be asked by dealers to attribute a two cent piece they have.

 

Based on the parameters in the opening post, I would be an intermediate collector in US Coinage. Except for the fact that I've chosen not to limit myself to one series, that about describes me.

For world coinage, well, the only countries I would say I am also an intermediate collector of is Canada and Germany. (with a higher knowledge of Canada)

For all other countries, I would be at the high level of beginner. Also for US currency I would put myself at the cusp of moving from beginning collector to intermediate collector. England, France and Austrian coinages I know more about then most others.

For Ancient coins, I would put me as a novice. I love to see them, and I have aquired a few myself, but I have diffaculty decifering them as of yet.

 

Jason,

We are very much alike. We both have a broad range of knowledge, good grading skills, and are highly specialized in a few areas. Your specialty being Franklins, mine being Jeffersons with a common love of toning. We also are very active on the coin forums and we both take the presentation of our registry sets very seriously. I also think we are in the same age group.

Your registry set is very cool BTW.

Paul

 

As much as I would "like to think" I'm at least intermediate in the world gold areas.... I'm a beginner all the way !! Just a collector actually :crying:

To advance to the immediate level and higher I need many more years of study and collection. All I can say is I'm working real hard at it hya:

 

What is the difference between a Beginner and an Advanced Numismatist?
A beginner is just starting out in coin collecting. Advanced Numismatist stops collecting, sells all the coins and writes books on coins, makes lots of money doing that, then retires and just sits around on the computer reading this stuff.

 

I used to think of myself as intermediate in US Types , but after joining this site I think I'm an advanced beginner . But learning a lot faster thanks to the people here .
rzage

 

Kevin, I thank you for the compliment but I am not an expert either. Like some others here I am advanced in certain fields, but in many others I am intermediate at best and a complete novice in others. My only advantage is having a broad range of interests which has given me exposure to many different areas. Lets me know something about almost anything. Sometimes just enough to get myself in over my head.

If he makes lots of money it's from selling off his coins, not from writing the books.

 

I would think the majority of books written on coins would never make enough to pay the mortgage.

 

voted for Intermediate.. there are still stuff that I don't know but I am more than proactive enough to ask more deeper questions that I used to ask when i was starting in this hobby.

 

I think the difference in a beginner and advanced collector , is the more advanced you become , the more you realize how little you really know .
rzage

 

A true statement, that says more each time you read it. :thumb:

 

I put myself down as a novice, since I have only recently acquired an interest in coins. Since about april.

Listening in on a conversation the other day, I heard one dealer bemoaning the experts that come into his shop, he said that he has been selling coins since 63. So I suppose that the jump from novice to beginner would probably be about a year or so, depending on if the person retains knowledge, probably if a person works at it, they can advance to intermediate after three years and advanced must take about ten years if they really really work at it, the true expert would in my opinion only be the few advanced that press and push at the understanding and break through to a clarity that would be as ambiguous and as exact as reality.

If I stick to it, I should become a beginner in about 6 or 7 more months.

 

True, and worthy of repeating

 

<---- it was this guy and messed up the 0% expert vote...

I say he needs caned where's taiwan when we need it?

 

Don't feed the troll. :eat:

 

Back on topic, I am really not surprised by the distribution of the poll - it is actually pretty much what I expected. I'm guessing the distribution generally would be the same for most groupings of people interested in a topic, no matter what the topic might be. If the population were stable, I would expect over time for the distribution to shift to the higher end. However, an appropriate steady inflow of new collectors ensures a fairly normal distribution. If the growth becomes too high, however, the distribution will shift lower, and the quality of the boards will suffer.

 

Now I regret my vote of who cares.

This place is making me better!

At first I knew this was US Half.
Now I think of this coin as MORE than = 50 pennies (cents?)

Wait a minute. I'm confused again:goofer:.

The more I read here the more I know I don't know.
Is this a novice coin or an advanced coin?

Or do I just like it? Should I care?

 

Naw , just borrowing :whistle: and when you borrow you borrow from the best .
rzage:bow::thumb: