What will happen to your collection when you...

My father-in-law gave his small collection to my son instead of his other grandsons. I think he did it because he knew my son was a history buff and would appreciate them more. It revived my interest in collecting and gave my son and I another way to bond. So when I pass I know he'll take good care of them.

 

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A lot depends on how much of my net worth is represented by the coins, whether I see the end coming and if feel my family does not need the money represented by the coins. The current state of the market makes that last a question that it was not a short time ago. I would prefer that I could give certain coins to a friend who would understand why I liked them and who would see them the way I did as something more than cash resale value. The last place I would like to see them go is to a museum but a close second is to someone who thinks of them as just money. I have had to change more than once my instructions to family as to who to contact for help upon my death due to status changes of my previous choices (retirement, death etc.). Of course I hope to live long enough to ask FFIVN to help me but realistically I prefer someone between 18 and 80. There will remain the unlikely hope that my daughter/grandson/generation yet unborn will develop an interest in the coins. A guy can dream.

My ancients collection weighs over 18kg and would melt into a billon pot of sufficient size to hold my ashes and the ashes from all my books that no one will want either. I trust there will be a better answer.

 

Probably/eventually end up in your collection, someones collection here on the forum or sold for scrap!

 

I gave instructions to my wife to work with a predetermined and trusted dealer to sell off some pieces and the dealer will also handle the arrangements ( for a commission) for the key pieces to be auctioned through a auction house ( to be determined).

 

I never think about morbid stuff, too much fun being alive and well
God's guardian angel was working overtime five years ago, on a very late Winter night. Me and my buddies where heading home from a 600km mile snowmobile adventure. We where doing around 160 kmph, I could not negotiate a sharp curve on the groomed trail, I ended up going thru a barbwire fence Luckily, I was able to get my helmeted head under steering column, preventing me being decapitated. End result, my windshield got mangled, no other damage to me or machine I am a bit more sane now, when I get out to play in the snow.
John

 

Snowmobiles can go 96 mph?

 

Better make them two drachms. Don't want the boatman to refuse use for being short of silver.

 

My 3 cats get everything. lol. If and when I get to old I will probably sell most of the collection, but keep a few favorites. I do not like thinking that far a head, but it is a good idea to get things ready for that possibility.

 

Actually, my Arctic Cat/ Thundercat has 1000cc Engine/ 192 HP/ my speedometer goes to 130mph. I have my needle buried beyond 130, many times. We where on the Nation River, I was doing 100mph., I then put the throttle down, and lifted the skis off the ice. They can beat any car out of the hole (standing take off)....

 

You are a big tipper!

- Broucheion

 

If you have a catalog of your collection print it as a PDF and upload it somewhere. Post a link here.

 

If I somehow manage to survive the next few months here in New York City (given my vulnerable status due to pre-existing health issues, wholly apart from being 65), I hope to be around for at least a couple of decades. That said, I have only one child, my son, and my coins -- like my antiquities and all my other worldly goods -- will go to him. He is obviously free to do with them as he wishes, and I'm sure a lot will depend on his financial situation at the time. (As he's a PhD student in Art History, and hopes to go into academia, neither of us anticipates that he'll ever be wealthy!)

However, assuming that he doesn't have to sell everything immediately, I think he's far more likely to want to keep the antiquities -- which he's always loved looking at ever since he was a small child -- than the coins, in which he hasn't shown quite the same interest. So I suspect that he may end up keeping a few of the ancient coins that he particularly likes, and selling the rest along with all of what remains of my old collection of British coins and historical medals, and other world coins and medals. To assist him in whatever he decides to do with the coins, I've been very careful to keep a detailed inventory of all my ancient coins on my computer, along with photos, as well as keeping all invoices and printed-out sellers' descriptions (with photos) in a 3-ring binder, plus coin tags underneath each coin in its tray, with sufficient information on them to find the fuller descriptions in the inventory and find the invoice/seller's description/photo in the binder. I've done pretty much the same with the antiquities. In speaking to dealers of both coins and antiquities, I've heard them talk about how often they're faced with reviewing and appraising disorganized and uncatalogued collections at the request of heirs who have no idea what's there. I don't want my son to be in that situation.

I haven't thought of recommending any particular dealer(s), because of the continual need to make sure that any such recommendations are up to date, but maybe I should. (I also really need to update my inventory of non-ancient coins, medals, etc., to cross out all the ones I sold a number of years ago. Otherwise, my son is going to be very disappointed when he's unable to find all those British gold coins going back to James I that I used to have!)

 

I made it there last year for the first time for the BANS congress, so a weekend of coins.
A wonderful place, in many ways a step back in time and it's almost on my doorstep (half hour flight from Dublin, not sure if there's a ferry any more).

ATB,
Aidan

 

When I die I want my son to post on CT that I buried my collection in another CT members backyard (not saying who the person is). Let the fun begin!

 

If nothing else, get a copy of this. Some common sense about dealing with inherited coins. I got mine used on Amazon and it turned out to be autographed!

 

Thanks, @Kentucky , I read the info. Pretty much for US coins. Not sure if this is what I would give my progeny for my Ancients Collection.

 

Sorry, I just realized this is in the Ancients forum. Unique problem!

 

Sort of like the Forrest Fenn treasure? That would be cool - leave some cryptic clues and let the hunt begin
https://www.denverpost.com/2020/03/24/forrest-fenns-treasure-dinosaur-national-monument-death/

 

The majority of coins in my collection are documented and priced. As we have no children my wife and I decided, and put in our wills, that when we go everything will be sold and the proceeds donated to our local animal rescue shelters. When I tell people this many shake their heads, others understand completely.