Which Country's Coins are the Most Collectable?
Coin collecting is a worldwide interest. Numismatists, or coin collectors, seek out coins of varying denominations and dates, and many pieces possess great historical value. Others are monuments to past cultures and commemorate rulers and heroes. Still others are prized as oddities, with defects in workmanship making them rare and collectible. Coin collectors tend to favor issues from their own nations, and more coin collectors live in the United States than anywhere else.
History
The American fascination with coin collecting first reached something like its modern form in the second half of the 19th century. The founding of the American Numismatic Society and the American Numismatic Association gave ordinary people an opportunity to share in a hobby once reserved for noble and royal connoisseurs. Reforms of the American monetary system gave impetus to collectors desirous of preserving the nation's original coinage. Among the first coins collected by the American Numismatic Society was an 1825 Liberty Head half-dime--an appropriate symbol of the nation's heritage.
Types
Coins popular with American collectors include early issues, like the half-dime. America's first coins often had names that differ from those we know today. Others, such as the Morgan Silver Dollar, represent prized issues of familiar denominations. Morgan Silver Dollars were minted from 1878 to 1921 and include a variety of slightly variant issues. Most valued by collectors are the rare 1878 and 1879 versions that bear images of eagles with seven or eight tail feathers.
Features
Collectible American coins can be gold, silver or base metal. Coins made of precious metal naturally possess a high intrinsic value. Gold and silver bullion trades daily on major commodities markets, but coins of less valuable metal can be important for historical or sentimental reasons. In recent years, Lincoln cents have become especially collectible. Issued in dozens of versions from the early 1900s to the present, they portray one of the nation's most celebrated presidents in a variety of poses and scenes.
Considerations
Numismatists may look for coins that recall specific episodes in American history. Images and text often record events, but the coins themselves can tell their own stories. Wartime shortages of material have resulted in steel and aluminum pennies. The 1943 Steel Penny is America's only magnetic coin. The pennies are solid steel with a thin coating of zinc, are silver in color and are often mistaken for dimes. Many were withdrawn from circulation after World War II. Surviving examples are worth $10 or more.
Benefits
The benefits of collecting American coins include the vast array of resources available to both amateur and professional numismatists. Information is abundant, even on extremely rare issues, like the 1913 Liberty V Nickel and the 1793 Chain Type Large Cent. Only five of the 1913 nickels were ever minted, and these were given out illegally prior to their official release. On the other hand, the 1793 Chain Type Large Cent was released in an issue of barely 36,000 because of its unpopular depiction of chains symbolizing slavery.
Related posts
The U.S. Mint now produces silver coins only for proof sets and for bullion.That old coin you found in your grandfather's dresser drawer could be worth hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Most...
The Peace Dollar, minted by the U.S. government from 1921 to 1935, initially started out as a high relief coin, meaning the edge was thicker than the interior of the coin. This was changed to a no...
George T. Morgan designed the dollar coin that was named after him.The silver dollar coin struck by the U.S. Mint from 1878 to 1921 was known as the Morgan dollar after its designer, George T. Mor...
Know the History and CompositionMorgan silver dollars were designed by George T. Morgan and were minted from 1878 to 1904, and again in 1921. This coin was named after the designer according to th...
History of the Indian Head PennyThe Indian Head one-cent coin is a legal tender penny produced by the U.S. mint in the second half of the 19th Century through the early part of the 20th Century. D...
