What kinds of coins are you not interested in?

What if a non-US coin was significantly in use by Americans despite being a non-US coinage, or if a non-US coin was counter-stamped by the US Mint (not sure that I can find any examples for the latter)?

 

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That I'm well aware of during colonial times many things circulated here And tho I don't collect what was circulating here then I appreciate it. As I do early Spanish colonial Canadian and British isles coins. Was referring more to world coins post 1800. I like pretty much anything 18th c and back. Not just coins either

 

Much later than that, as I'm sure you know. Spanish and Spanish colonial silver was legal tender up until 1857 and probably circulated longer than that in the western states.

 

Coins I'm not interested in...proofs (I have a few in my 20th century type set but I don't actively collect them), error coins, and modern US commemorative coins.

 

The ones that are outside of my budget.

 

I'm also not into ancients either.

 

My problem is that I find every aspect of the hobby interesting. True, serious collectors specialize, but after over 30 years in the hobby I am still a generalist.

I tend to pursue date / mint mark sets of business strike US coins, and have completed a fair number of them (especially more recent ones like Franklin halves, Ike dollars, "mercury" dimes, etc.).

That said, if I see a coin I like, I'll gobble it up even if it has nothing to do with my established interests. As a result, I have a few odds and ends that are just cool -- a smattering of ancients including one from Alexander the Great, a large cent with a neat die crack, the occasional error, a few Confederate bills, etc. A 14th century Chinese coin even found its way into my collection.

I've never gotten into VAMs or collecting all the die pairs in a series; I usually stick to date and mint mark sets (my mercury dime collection includes the overdates, too, however). That is probably because these varieties aren't readily visible and don't stand out to me as being something unique. However, I assume that if I grab a VAM book, I would immediately start noticing all the varieties, and WHAM, there goes my collecting budget.

So, all that said, I am not usually attracted to proofs of commemorative coins not intended for circulation. I tend to like working money, something that has been used by real people for real, everyday business. On the other hand, I do own two of the Boy Scout commemorative coins from 2010, mostly because of my past involvement in the program as a boy (I got started coin collecting for a Cub Scout project!), and now as an adult leader with kids in the program.

 

Oh, and as to foreign coins, I do not go out of my way to pursue them. However, I've been in the military for 22 years and have traveled a lot. I always keep a few coins and small bills from the places I've been. I even had a layover in Ireland once before they were on the Euro, and still have a few Irish bills. My dad once gave me some coins he kept from Vietnam, and they are still in my collection.

For foreign coins, I have some from Iraq, including bills with Saddam Hussein's portrait on them, Kuwait, Iran, Egypt, England, Qatar, Ireland, and Euros. There are probably a few more, I don't remember.

None of these are worth much, other than the sentimental value.

 

The new penny!

 

There is only one type of coin I NEVER care about or stop to look at in any dealer's case, no matter what - Morgan dollars. Can't stand them. Other than that, anything else has a chance to catch my eye - ancient, classical, or modern; foreign or domestic.

 

I'm not a real big Morgan fan either and never imagined I'd collect them. But back in 1977 they were very cheap and I did anyway.

I just collect almost everything that's round, metal, and struck by dies. It doesn't even really need to be round or metal but most are.

It's a fascinating hobby and I'm a generalist, too.

 

Most modern things, with a slight exception granted to Lincoln Cents. The relief seems too low. Holding a Morgan, on the other hand, feels like holding the whole late 19th century in your hand at once.

 

Try holding one of these sometime.



Nothing like a fairly heavy 2400 year old coin to get the feeling of "history in your hand."

 

Chinese, Japanese, etc. coins with the square hole have never held any interest for me.

 

Actually, the real history of so many Morgan dollars is why I avoid them. It feels like holding seven or eight decades of being totally unwanted in your hand. History doesn't repeat, but it does rhyme. Sacagaweas and Presidentials are this generation's Morgan dollars.

 

I sort of like the reverse of them, but the Anna Williams obverse is ugly IMHO. As ugly as the coin is I have one on my keychain. My favourite dollars are the Bust Dollars of Anne Willing Bingham.

 

Any world coins before the 1930's

 

My favorite design too. Followed closely by the trade dollar and the St Gaudens $20 if the trade dollar had a better looking reverse I'd probably pick that

 

I only like the trade dollars if they have been converted to Potty dollars!

 

American Gold Eagles 1/4 and 1/2 ounce.