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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;dougsmit, post: 964460, member: 19463&quot;]In my collecting life, whether coins or other things, I have always prefered items that had a purpose when created other than being collected.&nbsp; For example, when collecting bells, I prefer things made to be rung rather than being a limited edition collectable that happens to include a bell in its fabric.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Today, this is definitely a minority viewpoint among coin collectors with much interest devoted to commemoratives, special proofs unlike anything that was actually spent and dates that should not exist.&nbsp; If the king of coins is a 1933 $20 we can ask if the king is even a coin.&nbsp; I was happy to see the state quarters and Jefferson nickel variations since these were made to be spent and sold by the mint for face value.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Can someone give a brief history of the idea of coins made to be collected?&nbsp; If there is a good URL or book, I would also appreciate that reference.&nbsp; The earliest, I believe, might fall in this category is the Restoration series under the Roman Emperor Trajan but these are so rare today that there really is not much known about them let alone the &#039;why&#039; they were issued.&nbsp; There are several other restoration and commemoratives from Roman times but these seemed to be full service coins circulating at face value.&nbsp; Are there other very old examples of &#039;made to be collected&#039; coins?</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The Columbian half dollars were made to be sold at $1 at the Exposition making them &#039;made to be collected&#039; but a good number of them were dumped into circulation at face by creditors that got stuck with them as collateral against bad loans.&nbsp; When I was a kid, I found Washington/Carver halves in circulation on ocassion but I think most of these were the result of people who bought them for over face tiring of them and cashing them in for the 50 cents.&nbsp; Are any US commemoratives also full service circulating issues or were all sold as fund raisers?[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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