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The history of coin collecting dates back further than
your mind can go. The wonderful thing about it is that anyone - old or
young - can pursue this hobby. It is fascinating how diverse collections
can be. You can either focus on collecting ancient coins belonging to
one country or collect coins belonging to different countries. Going one
step further, the collection can even be based on a particular series, a
particular type set, a particular dye or even a particular grade of
coin. Collecting coins that have errors due to the dies used, uneven
designs, double strikes, and re-punched mints sometimes turn out to be
worth their weight in gold.
Coin collectors can be casual in nature in the sense that they regard
coin collecting as fun. Hence they collect coins in a random manner.
There is the curious collector who starts off in a random manner but
develops an interest as he goes along. The advanced coin collector goes
one step further and treats his collection as a competitive sport.
National coin collectors focus on collecting coins belonging to their
own country, while historical coin collectors focus on coins belonging
to a particular era or period.
Punch coins which were in vogue in early India have avid collectors.
These coins do not have any inscription but only have symbols, sometimes
only on one side. These punch coins, especially those minted by Taxila
in Southern India are some of the earliest coins and are sought not only
for the symbols but also for the shapes that they came in. Some like to
focus on collecting coins which have errors or abnormalities. Strange as
it may seem, the stranger the abnormality, the more expensive it is to
buy.
Coin collecting and stamp collecting are often referred to as the “twin
hobbies”. Both these hobbies are very popular, partly because you do not
require any special skill to start the hobby and also because it gives
you great pleasure and an immense feeling of satisfaction. You can start
coin collecting anywhere and at any time and with the coins that you
actually have. As you add to your collection, you can relive the history
of the country through the coins. Of course once you gain interest, coin
collecting is bound to pinch your pockets, but that of course may be
true of any hobby.
Numismatics is the terminology used for the study of coin, notes,
medals, but all coin collectors are not necessarily numismatists. Coin
collecting in India is pretty lucrative as people are willing to part
with coins to those who are willing to buy them. It is a form of
investment for many Indians. The kind of coins you collect and the
number of coins you collect depends on how well off you are financially.
It can be quite an expensive hobby because rare coins could cost a lot.
In fact the coin collecting market can be likened to the stock market
where the share prices plummet one day and shoot up the next. The
factors that influence this could be the ordinary forces of demand and
supply.
Pursuing this hobby requires a long standing interest, tremendous
patience and most importantly “a passion”. No hobby can sustain itself
without this factor. It is essential to get your basics right and gather
as much information you can about coin collecting. While you must know
how coins are graded and what their likely value would be, making a
profit should not be the sole governing factor. In the long run,
collecting coins for the wrong reasons could boomerang. Use your common
sense, and never let your eagerness get the better of you. Be judicious
and prudent and over a period of time you will excel in the art of coin
collecting.
Author Mini Swami. copyright
data 2007. Indianchild.com
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