Collecting Coins – A Fun Hobby and Investment

Have you ever thought about keeping some of those interesting coins you’ve come across? Well you should start, as coin collecting can be great fun as well as a profitable hobby! Coins as we use them in everyday life represent the monetary values they’re supposed to, but older, rarer coins which aren’t now in circulation are more valued by coin collectors, and so can often fetch prices several hundred times that of the value it was intended to represent at the time it was minted.A good way to get started collecting coins is to put aside any interesting, old, or unique coins you may have come across. If you have an old coin and you’re not sure what it is you can take it to your local antique coins/bills store. If you don’t have a store in your area, a good place to find out about your unique coin is the internet. There are a multitude of forums and websites dedicated to coin collectors, and you’ll definitely find someone to help you out.The next step might be to get a blank or partially completed antique coins set, which will need you to acquire or purchase some antique coins to complete the set. These sets, when complete, can be much more valuable than if you sold the coins by themselves. It’s a good idea to invest in one of these sets and the coins you’ll need to complete it if you’d like to invest in some coins that will appreciate in value over the years.As antique coins become older and subsequently rarer, they gain in value. Coins in good condition are always valued higher than damaged or blemished coins, and are graded on 11 levels, ranging from mint state, which means the coin appears as if it has never circulated, to poor, which means heavy damage or blemishes. Many types of coins that are rated as being in mint state are exceedingly rare, and subsequently very valuable. In general, the rule is that the rarer the coin is, and the better its condition, the more it is worth.If you’ve decided to get into coin collecting, it’ll be a good idea to get to know antique coins you may come across in your area. For example, a penny many wouldn’t take a second glance at may be worth thousands. An 1856 flying eagle penny can fetch as much as $20,000 among collectors! Getting to know what antique coins look like and which ones are valuable will be very handy when dealing with others who don’t know its real value!Collecting coins can become addictive. Coins are themselves very alluring and beautiful pieces of precious metals, even without taking their value in mind. When you add this to the coins story and history, its rarity, and its value, it’s easy to see why, for many people, collecting coins becomes a passion.