Coin Collecting Club

There are some rigid rules that were put in place regarding how we care for the coins in our collection. There are a lot of things that can be done wrong, or that can go wrong, so I guess it only makes sense. There are some people who guard their coin collections with their life, and will not let a soul touch them, let alone get near them. They barely get to enjoy their coins. Ok, I’ll give them that if they are really, really old its fine. There are those others who have just average coins and won’t let you touch them.

When you have a coin collection, you want to be able to enjoy it. You want to be able to touch your coins, run your fingers over the ridges and in a way; these are your toys to play with. Caring for coins sometimes means you wear gloves, that you should be in such and such controlled environment, and that you wear a mask and loads of other things that in a way take the fun out of your coin collecting hobby.
I am not suggesting that you go and break out all your coins in protest, no. I am saying that once in a while, enjoy your coins. Share your collection; teach someone something about coins using yours as an example. Let them feel the coins. You never know, you just might convince someone to pick up coin collecting,

More seriously though, how you handle your coins will also teach you what not to do, and what to do. It’s all about learning new things about your coins.

In coin collecting, all that matters is the condition of that coin. In the coin collecting world, the coins are the most valuable things, and that is why they are in so much demand, and they are protected from any sort of damage. Having the right kind of supplies is important for the collector to preserve the coin. Even a small damage can decrease the value of the coin to a great extent.

Following are a few supplies that will help you handling the coins:

Gloves

Be sure you don’t end up scratching a coin when you are handling it. Using gloves will surely keep you away from scratching the coins, and will not inflict any sort of damage to the coin. The glove must be made of plastic, or cotton.

Coin tweezers

In case you find it uncomfortable using the gloves, then, the coin tweezers can help. These are special tweezers whose tips are made of plastic, and prevent the tweezers from scratching your coin.

Magnifying glass
It is important that you get a closer look of the coins. Magnifying glasses can be used to examine the coins. Most of the magnifying glasses of today are having special stands attached to them. This will let the collector use both his hands while examining the coin, and prevent any sort of damage.

Cleaning materials

It is necessary that every collector uses a very soft cloth, and some soap water to clean their coins.

Mats

It is very important to put a cloth that is very soft or a mat before he starts working. This will save the coin from getting damaged, in case the collector accidentally drops the coin, and decreases the value of the coin. The mat will play a shock absorber, and save the coin from getting damaged.

Boards

Most of the coin collectors use special boards when they are exhibiting their proud coin collection.

Envelopes

It is important that a collector uses an envelope when he is transporting his coins. The envelope lets the collector rest in peace, and does divert his mind off the coin, as it is very safe to transport it using the envelope. Information about the coins can also be written on the envelope.

Holders, boxes, folders are other supplies that would facilitate the collector to preserve his coins in the best possible way. And, the right type of supply will play a big role in deciding the value of a coin.

I received an extra gift this Christmas. In addition to the usual jumper, multi pack of socks and underwear, I received a car washing kit. You know the kind of thing, wash- leather, sponge, shampoo and polish. I think someone was trying to tell me something. Never mind, it was a handy present and I put in one of the kitchen cupboards for safekeeping, I was sure to find it there.

The Thursday after Christmas my wife and daughter had gone to the sales for the day so I decided to tidy up the garden. When I got outside I looked around wondering what to do and decided to clear the sweet peas and save the seeds for next year. On the way to the garage, to get some gloves and a rubbish bag, I picked up the watering can meaning to put it inside.

Then I remembered the keys for the garage were hanging up in the kitchen, so I put the watering can down and went indoors. As I took down the keys I heard the letterbox rattle and the thud of post hitting the floor. Placing the garage keys on the table, I went through, collected the post and returned with a pile of junk mail plus one late Christmas card. Opening the pedal bin to dispose of the junk mail, I found my missing glasses. Placing the junk on the table, I put on my glasses and read the card; it was from my brother in Spain, bragging about listening to Christmas carols and drinking mulled wine while wearing a tee shirt.

The thought of him out there in the sun made me feel cold so I decided to make hot drink to warm me up. I switched on the kettle, opened the cupboard and low and behold, there was the car washing kit. Now where were did I put the garage keys? Just then the kettle boiled, so I made a cup coffee, took a sip, looked out of the window and saw the watering can standing outside the door, right where someone could trip over it. Placing my cup on the table, I went out, picked up the can and since I didn’t have the keys, left it at the side of the garage door.

Back inside I took another sip of coffee and saw the junk mail still lying there, as I reached out to pick it up I saw the garage keys lying on the table and picked them up instead. Back outside I opened the garage door; the hosepipe was next to the waste paper box, which reminded me that the junk mail was still on the table. Returning to the house I picked up the junk mail put it on top of yesterday’s papers ready to carry out to the garage and spotted the car washing kit. I might as well unpack that, I thought and take the box out as well.

I had no sooner unpacked the kit and placed the box on the pile, than the front door bell rang. It was The Mormons, I told them I didn’t want any and walked back into the kitchen desperately trying to remember what I had been doing. The back door was open and I could see that the garage door was too, so I wandered out connected the hose to the tap and ran it out to the driveway. After turning on the tap I began to hose down the driveway and was halfway through that when I remembered I was supposed to be washing the car.

At this point the phone rang, I ignored it and continued to hose the drive, the ringing stopped and began again, I ignored it once more, but when it began to ring for the third time, I dropped the hose and went to answer it. It was a foreign gentleman with a singsong accent, who said his name was James and he was carrying out a survey. It took me ten minutes to convince him that I didn’t want a new phone and then I remembered I’d left the hose running.

Nipping into the garage, I turned off the tap and to be on the safe side, in case someone tripped over it, I coiled the hose, put it back into the garage and went to get my car keys. I searched everywhere and eventually found them in my coat pocket, where I had left them. Putting the keys into my trouser pocket I took a bucket from under the sink a placed the cleaning kit inside. Outside I stood for a moment to get my bearings and then went into the garage, hung the bucket on a hook, closed the garage door and went back into the house to have a lie down.

It’s true what they say; since I retired my days are so busy that I cannot imagine how I ever found time to go to work.

Copyright Fred Watson 2004

In the world of coin collecting, the coins themselves are considered as gold, this is why there is a need to protect them from damage. The condition of the coin means everything in coin collecting. Having the right supplies will allow a collector to preserve the integrity of his coin collection. The slightest hint of damage can diminish the value of a coin significantly.

Below some of the supplies which are used in properly handling coin collections:

Gloves

In handling coins, you must be careful not to scratch the coins. The use of gloves (preferably white) will prevent scratches and other kinds of damage to the coin’s surface. Gloves should be made of cotton or plastic.

Coin tweezers

If you not comfortable using gloves, you can use coin tweezers. These are not your ordinary tweezers because their tips are protected with plastic that prevents the tweezers from scratching the coins.

Magnifying glass

While examining coins, you must be able to take a closer look at them. This is where the magnifying glass is most useful. You must be careful in using a magnifying glass when examining the coins. There are magnifying glasses available today that have stands attached to them and the stands allow the collector to use both hands in coin examination to avoid accidents.

Cleaning materials

A mild soap and a soft high-integrity fiber cloth can be used in cleaning coins.

Mats

When examining or cleaning coins, you must remember to put a soft cloth or a mat on the table where you are working. An accidental dropping of the coin can damage it significantly and reduce its value to literally nothing. A mat or a cloth will absorb the impact of the drop and will prevent the coin from being damaged.

Boards

You must be extra careful in displaying your coin collection. Coin boards are used by many to display their coin collections. In the U.S., the map of the United States of America is very popular among coin collectors to display the different quarters of the different states.

Envelopes

When transporting coins, the use of coin envelopes is very practical. The use of these paper envelopes allows a collector to safely transport his coin and put some information about it in or on the envelope itself.

There are other coin collecting supplies such as boxes, holders, folders, but everything points to the preservation of the coins’ condition.Whether a coin is priceless or price-less the right kind of supplies will be the determinant

Wondering what to give your child on his next birthday? Give him a gatefold spread that can accommodate up to 50 coins. He may not appreciate the coins, but telling him stories about the coin and how it was made can spark his interest. For each birthday give him the coins minted that year. His collection will grow and so will his interest and by that time, he will be an accomplished numismatist.

History Lessons and Saving Money

The ideal age to start a child on a coin collecting hobby is at six years old. Imagine the number of coins he can amass when he reaches adulthood! But there’s more than just introducing him to coin collecting. You can use this exercise to teach him how to save his pennies in a coin bank plus pique his interest in the country’s history when you start with local coins.

Since you may not have those very old and valuable coins dating back to the 1800s, get a book on coin collecting and show him the pictures of the coins. Add a story or two depicting the era that’ll make any child sit up and listen. Stories add value to the coin collecting hobby and expect your child to be an expert in historical epochs.

If someone gives your child a bag of coins, take out each coin and sort them. Teach your child how to do the sorting. As you go along, tell him a little history on each coin. Probably the bag of coins will yield recent mints so it won’t be hard for you to tell the coin’s story.

If you have saved all the coins circulating in the year of your child’s birth, that would be the best introduction to a lifelong of coin collecting for your child. Help him along with the collection. Learn the tricks yourself so you can teach your child how to collect, clean, and store the coins.

Starting the Hobby

For starters, get magazines on coin collecting, a pair of white gloves, magnifying glasses, and coin albums or folders. Start scouting for coins and learn all about the discontinued coins like the 1965 quarters, dimes, and half-dollars. Subscribe to coin collecting magazines and check out the websites on coin collecting. You’ll be amazed at the wealth of information you can collect and pass on to your child.

Using a magnifying glass to see the fine lines and the details of a coin is an exciting experience for a child. Make sure you are ready to give the information your child may need. Or if you don’t know the answer, you can make it your project to find out online.

Because this is just a starting point for you and your child, don’t buy expensive coins and if you find some dirty old coins, don’t attempt to clean it. Find out its composition and the appropriate way to clean it. You can get help from several websites specializing in coin collection.

Tips for Coin Hunting

This is not referring to a treasure hunt. You can do your hunting online. However, coin collecting is an expensive hobby if you want the rarer and more prized coins. In the meantime, make do with what is available and always get your hands on new mints. Tell your friends you’re helping your child start a coin collecting hobby but be prepared for the avalanche of coins that will start pouring in.

In the future, when he coin collecting bug bites you real hard, you’ll be running after a metal detector to clean out your yard and your grandfather’s house. The hobby meant for your child will be yours too.