Your philosophy on coin collecting

The first thing I think about regarding coin collecting is that I am critic of coins. As an extension, we do not create the things we judge, we evaluate them. We judge and reject them based on our preferences. That is the first point of my take on coin collecting.

The second thing is that we have preference, or choice. We can choose between what we like, and what we dislike. What designs we like, what is appealing and beautiful to us as collectors. Not that it is true; it is just what we like. However, if enough collectors agree on the beauty of a coin, then it must be closer to the truth. I guess that's true of any human pursuit.

And the third thing I find is the beauty and preservation of the strike, is the coin as close to pristine condition as possible, both in terms of strike and preservation; and finally does it have a beautiful design. Rarity is a much more secondary matter to me. I'll take a beautiful, common coin, any time, over a rare one I find unattractive or boring.

In my short term as a collector, that is what matters to me.

Interesting topic.

In my case, my interest is in creating some sort of a composite work of art by assembling objects (coins and tokens) that tell a story, or more precisely the history of a country or region. This is different from the "geographical" concerns of the (ex-)300 club members.

So, I organize my collection in a way that is historically relevant. This means that colonial coinages (including private and semi-official tokens) are grouped primarily by provinces (Newfoundland / PEI / Nova Scotia / etc.) whether they fall under the imperial (£/s/d) or decimal system. So, all the Newfoundland issues, private tokens and then decimal coinages to 1947, are together because they're telling the story of Newfoundland's circulating currency through the years: colonial tokens / Victorian decimals / Edwardian decimals / etc.

In the Canadian Confederation period (1867-now), coins are, likewise, organized primarily by reigns, not denominations as they always are in catalogues and albums. All the Victoria coinage is assembled together and subdivided by denominations (1¢ / 5¢ / 10¢ / 25¢ / 50¢ 1870-1901) then, likewise, Edward VII's coinage, etc. I divide Elizabeth's long reign by portraits (so far, 1 to 4). So, one sees the evolution of the coinage, from private to bank and semi-regal tokens, to provincial decimal coinages, then to dominion/confederation decimals, with the important milestones: transition from reign to reign, introduction of pictorial reverses 1935-1937, passage from silver to nickel, introduction of the "loony" and "toony", end of the 1¢, etc.

From this perspective, there are some coins which I am happy to get in low grade at a good price because that's the kind of coins that actually circulated here in colonial times. I'm thinking for example of the old French silver coins, the British ½d, etc. which nobody ever saw in high grade. I do not systematically look for low grade, of course, but if it is part of the story, then I'll consider such coins.

Hello,

For me, coins are fascinating witnesses of human history, with h or H. With all their good and bad sides. Witnesses of greediness, killing parents and neighbours for hoarding gold and then forgetting it in wooden boxes or amphoras. Proud humans putting their image on supposedly everlasting objects, or poor guys and girls sewing their little savings in their clothes. Belly dancers with rows of kreuzer or shining dirhams, coins turned into jewels spending time between the breasts of a woman. Witnesses of human migrations, colonial coins telling about old Europe in the new world, coins minted in the Netherlands for Cape Town or Batavia, and still now euros moving all across Europe depending on where tourists spend their holiday. I wish those coins could tell us a bit of their lives.
And we, collectors, are part of that, we give movement to coins that don't move any more through swaps and sales, and that's fun !
One of my favourites as illustration,
,
a 6 kreuzer Rudolf II of Habsbourg, 1606.

I only collect for the fun of it.

e.g i check all 2 Euro coins there is something 'precious' before i spend them or i rarely buy what fancies my eye. I dont care about mintage numbers.

I use my collection more in a tutorial way.
When I first start collecting many years ago, I just put the coins I obtained into an album, but after a few years realised that I was puting the same coin in two or more times. Sorting was definitely needed.
So, I took all of my coins and sorted them first by continent, then by country.
Then decided to place them back into albums by country, so, started with Jersey, then continued around the world until I ended at New Zealand.
My first tutorial lesson was that I actually found out where some of the smaller nations and islands were on the map of the world.
History was my second tutorial as this was greatly shown on many coins and other tutorials followed.
So, in conclusion, I get lessons and a collection at the same time.

I think you're right. In a way we're all critics. But humans love being critics so I think it's inevitable, especially since this is a personal hobby based on personal taste.

Personally I collect for the stories. For touching a piece of history. Maybe for being part of that history, at least in preserving it for the next guy who comes along.

I'm also often in awe of the ingenuity of people, in making the physical coin and the meanings attached to them. And I love studying the sociological aspects of the currency.

I guess my philosophy, in a nutshell, is "what's the story?".

penny's and 1cent coins. Really collecting them is the only one that makes any cents. But really iam collect low value coins because they are being removed the first. At one time the low value coins were the common peoples coins. Most of daily life depended on them. Now they are no longer even made. So collecting is what you like and don't like. Or what you find interesting in history.

For me, the philopsophy of collecting coins is mainly what we find interesting or coins which are eye-catching to us for history, culture, etc.

For me,it is the pleasure to get a coin from every country,and to learn something about the country itself when i get a coin from it.
Or,also,as i can't go all around the world,at least to obtain an object that somewhen used to be there; that's why i prefer circulation coins.

Quote: "i_getsov"​For me,it is the pleasure to get a coin from every country,and to learn something about the country itself when i get a coin from it.
​Or,also,as i can't go all around the world,at least to obtain an object that somewhen used to be there; that's why i prefer circulation coins.

​I prefer circulation coins myself

"Holding an old coin to your hand,automatically you become a time traveller to the past"