I have many questions, sorry. I cannot think of all right now. What’s the best way to get started collecting? Where should I get rolls to search?
The best way to start collecting is by searching pocket change for interesting coins. Things to look for (in the US) include: Wheat cents Silver coinage older nickels (buffalos etc.) war nickels (1942-45) (you should also try to become familiar with mint errors once you get more advanced) Another way to start a collection is to ask relatives and friends if they have anything interesting. I was given some foreign coins as a kid and that sparked my interest.
I'm not really sure that anyone does start collecting. I think that, like many things, you find you have been doing something without realizing it. If you have an interest in coins then you are probably looking at them and maybe buying a few without really considering yourself to be collecting. After some time, and it could be a few weeks or a few years, you find you are much more aware of those you have and you actively seek out others from various sources. At that point you have become a collector. As with many endeavors, to say "I am going to start collecting XXX" does not often result in a long term commitment.
Many of your questions can probably be answered in some of the most popular books on numismatics. You might want to start by purchasing the two below. The Red Book lists every coin that has ever been produced or used in the US since colonial times. (Note: The Red Book is published annually and this is an old photo.) The ability to grade coins for yourself can save you a lot of money as you grow in the hobby.
Find a local small dealer. They always have some inexpensive really cool and interesting pieces laying around to halo fan your flame. And most shopkeepers have a vested interest in turning your spark into a burning flame. One of my guys keeps no-date buffalos in a box for me because I like handing them out to kids. He gives them to me for five cents each! I love seeing the marvel in the kids faces. He gets a potential future customer. Win-win..... Go visit your local shop. Nose around and see what sparks your interest.
Unfortunately that is not alway true. The two nearest dealers to me are curmudgeonly and have little of interest. Most of their inventory is US and if you mention world coins they make you feel very unwelcome.
I used to go through rolls of cents from my local bank. $25 boxes. I'd pick out the 1981 and earlier coins, and refund the rest at the bank's coin machine. Find a bank that has one of those "fast" coin machines that can devour an entire bucket of coins and sort and count them out in 30 seconds. Doing this for just under 10 months, I had found countless wheat cents, some in high grade(!), 1940s and 1950s Canadian cents, and even three pre-1909 cents (Indians). I also had a huge bin full of copper (pre-1981) Lincolns. The upside to bank-derived rolls of coins is that you pay exactly face-value for the coins.
I went through 8 rolls today and changed $4 worth back in. But I found 3 wheats. And about $4 in copper coins
