World "sets"

This question is directed primarily at Spock and Gxseries and others whom we recognize as resident experts on this subject. Even if you can collect every coin in the world that has ever been minted, if you slack off for a year, you're behind. So...let's just take world gold, for example. At least, that narrows it down. How do you collect anything other than just a handful of specimens, not to mention keep that current and updated? So...are you just focusing on specific countries; specific mints? Give me some examples of world "sets" you're currently hard at work on...

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

I have a practically-complete set of coinage from the US-Philippines by date, mint mark, and basic variety. Really, collecting world sets is the same as collecting US sets. (if I'm understanding your question.) You choose a series that interests you, and go for it.

 

Something as simple as gold sovereigns, by specfic country, design type, etc. would be a great "set".

 

Can’t imagine collecting one of every coin. :goofer:

I’ve been working on North American type sets. Just 3 countries dating back to the 1700’s are 1000’s of coins to gather.

Focus your energy in a few areas.
Keep lists of what you have or what you need.
Become an expert in what you’re looking for. You don’t want to make my mistakes and walk out of a store with the same verities of a coin just because the dealer doesn’t know the difference ether.

 

or something as hard (and $$$$$$) as a set of gold coins - Belgium (Flanders) minted under Lodewijk "Louis" De Male (1346-1384). Only 11 coins !!!!:bow::bow:

You have so many options in world coins.

 

I know, that's why I'm wondering.

So, thus far, I have type (you--gold sovereigns) and region (Ardatirion--country/territory; Oftenwrong--continent). Three replies, and already three different organizing ideas. Keep 'em comin'... :thumb:

 

The definition of a "set" can be a challenge as there are no rules in what you want to create. I agree this can be an absurd idea to collect whatever there is out there and hence boundaries should be set.

I first started off by finding coins in circulation and tried to find coins by different years and different mintmarks if any. If you happened to have a family heritage that came abroad, you can always collect that too. Or even countries that you visited and you really liked.

This then evolved to collect coins of different metals as I'm a metal head. This may seem to be easy but surprisingly difficult if you wish to collect coins not struck in different alloys but in single element. I'm sure aluminum, copper, silver and gold are quite easy. Nickel, iron, tin are up on the list but most coins I know are struck as alloys. Italy's 1960-70s 100 lira coins were struck in iron (or maybe stainless steel?), Japan's 1960s 50 yen were struck in nickel and Thailand used tin for their coins in the 40s. Well you get my idea - there aren't that many combinations of metals that can be used for coinages. Recently there are a few countries that are experimenting with fantasy metal such as niobium, tantalum. I'm sure that's definately a lot more doable except the prices of precious metals can be a bit painful.

This page can be quite interesting if you like to collect coins in various metals: http://www.tclayton.demon.co.uk/metal.html I'm still looking for the Chinese antimony coin - it's probably the hardest element related coin to look for.

And then you can ALWAYS collect coins of different themes such as animal related, Chinese zodiac year - if you are born in the year of dragon, why not collect all dragon related coins that you were born in? Only 1 out of 12 different designs you have to choose from. Or you can go by astrology. I admit giving my ex a theme related coin and she really liked it.

Now I'm hunting for various overstruck world coins which is another insane idea of mine but can be quite interesting and intriguing. There is no single catalog that details all overstruck coins known in the world. What interests me the most are overstruck coins using different countries coinages. For instance, the Chinese used Korean 5 fun for their 10 cash coinage, Russians using Swedish 1 ores, Belgium using Dutch's and the list goes on. Oh did I forget to mention that one of the 1804 US dollar coin was overstruck on a Swiss thaler?

In conclusion: it's you who set the rules of what you want the set to be.

 

Sets by Rulers (Kings, Queens, Dukes, Duchesses, Emperor, Count, etc)

 

Thanks, GX. Now let me ask you (as a confirmed "metal head") something I always wondered at. Why is it they don't mint coins in iron pyrite? Copper, silver, and gold have "hardnesses" of about 2.5-3, and pyrite is 6-6.5. But zinc is 5.5. Might it be it's just hard to mine/refine the ore? Or is this just a "foolish" question?

 

Oddly enough, pyrite is usually extracted for it's sulfur, not iron although with the higher iron prices these days, I'm sure iron is also throughly refined out from the process.

The only reason I can think of why coins aren't struck in pyrite is due to sulfur content - sulfur in most processes is a no-no as the usual result from sulfur reacting with water and oxygen creates a nasty sulfuric reaction. I'm sure there are chemists around this forum to confirm if this is right or not.

This does not mean that metals of such hardness aren't attempted for coin striking. Kazakhstan has successfully struck coins in tantalum which has a hardness of 6.5 or 7? (can't remember off the top of my head), only to be exceeded by rhenium and tungsten. Niobium, osmium and iridium might be in the list as well but I'm not too sure.

 

well i collect animal coins of the world it only requires an animal on it to get sucked in even if its small. I will also collect the same image as long as its a different denomination or pose.

 

Then you have to have some Greek coins in your collection. BTW...did you know that exact orientation of the owl has been on their coinage since 5th Century B.C. Athens? That'd be like one orientation of Liberty or the American Eagle on our coins for the next 2300 years...

 

Yes, that's exactly right, I forgot about that. And out of sulfur, of course, we make sulfuric acid and fireworks. Maybe that has some bearing...

 

I love gold coins. One of my collections is a the 20 franc series from the Napoleons to the roosters with alot of dead royals inbetween. This series is a passion of mine.

 

this is how i used to collect my world gold sets. one gold coin from every continent then that got expanded to one coin from every country then one from every government in that country and so on. 2 things buy the best your money can buy and buy what you like and look at pcgs slabs and ngc slabs when buying them most of the time those guys dont know what they are doing. yes they are not experts at world coinage no individual can be thats like claiming to be an expert on every coin minted in the us times 100. if you do you homework you will catch them napping all the time

 

tsk tsk you are the only real expert i know. if there ever was a real expert on coins you are it and i am serious for reasons that i have have told you tens of times before. However most of the knowledge is lost in translation

 

So if I can summarize you collect what you basically think is cool. I guess I just want to hear some of your "organizing principles"...for some ideas. In other words, thus far, I've got collecting by region, type, series, composition, and...uh...animals. Don't get me wrong, I think the latter (which, if I can identify it, is by the subject on the coin?) is a cool idea. Any others, this is the place for it...don't be bashful...let's hear 'em!