Ive labelled coins into different categories by age. What do you prefer?
2000-Now: Nordic gold, copper-nickel and also "modern coinage" like for example the bimetal coins and coins that have a "hologram".
1960-2000: Almost none silver coins minted for circulation anymore. Mostly aluminium, coppernickel, copper (many more) and some bimetal coins.
(1939-45) War Coinage: Included mostly copper, iron, zinc coins. These are not usually worth a lot.
1900-1939: The last age of silver coins until LMU and the gold/silver/copper/bronze system collapses, the coins are not worth anything anymore in metal.
1850-1900: Probably the best age for silver and gold coins. The money is worth alot, but also even the workers have money. Banknotes are worth fortunes.
1780-1850: More countries start using coins with numerical values.
1500-1700's: Most coins have text but the numerical values are not told. A lot of silver coins that later became worth a lot.
Medieval times: Small coins made out of copper, silver and gold.
500bc-700: Ancient coins.
About 2000BC-500BC: early coinage, tool coinage and forI example sea shells. Not usually circular.
I collect: 1800-Now, but I also have one coin from the 1600's. I try to get more "medieval and ancient coins" and maybe one or two of the "early coinage"
Pre-Victorian age: Islamic coins as close to when Muhammad lived as possible. (I'm not a Muslim but I like religious coins)
1800 to 1939: Coins with beautiful designs on them. Like the Frankfurt thalers, some patternized circulation coins and others. Silver, not gold. Also Napoleon I coins.
1939 to 1945: Axis, communist or neutral coins (I do not know why)
1945 to now: Any circulation coins, best 1 face value if possible.
So my range that I can afford would be 1939-present
I collect usually from around 1750 to 1945 for me, although i've made exceptions for things like the North Vietnamese insurgent coinage (1946), or early French CFP/CFA Franc issues in Aluminium (1948-).
It also works the other way, I have bought coins from as far back as 1568 and even a couple of Romans.
Please don‘t call 1600 medieval, medieval period ended rougly in 1450.
My vacourite period that I collect is 1618 to 1648 during the time of the thirty years war.
a war of religion that covered almost all of Europe but which was fought mostly on German soil with 1/3 of the whole German population that dies during these 30 years.
If you like coins, medals and tokens with ship motives follow my new instagram account with regular updates @numisnautiker
From time to time I sell some coins on Ebay make sure to follow me @apuking on Ebay.
Quote: "apuking"Please don‘t call 1600 medieval, medieval period ended rougly in 1450.
My vacourite period that I collect is 1618 to 1648 during the time of the thirty years war.
a war of religion that covered almost all of Europe but which was fought mostly on German soil with 1/3 of the whole German population that dies during these 30 years.
You cover some very nice topics in your collection - Thirty Years war, Swiss cantons, Liberia trial strike... It's so interesting to see how different collectors have different areas of interest. This hobby is so versatile.
Quote: "apuking"Please don‘t call 1600 medieval, medieval period ended rougly in 1450.
My vacourite period that I collect is 1618 to 1648 during the time of the thirty years war.
a war of religion that covered almost all of Europe but which was fought mostly on German soil with 1/3 of the whole German population that dies during these 30 years.
Medieval ended in 1518 in Lithuania, with the wedding of Grand Duke Lithuanian and King of Poland Sigismund the Old and Italian princess Bona Sforza. Renaissance came to Lithuania with the nobles of Queens court.
My only interests – Lithuanian half-groats of 1495-1529.
Quote: "Monninen1"Ive labelled coins into different categories by age. What do you prefer?
2000-Now: Nordic gold, copper-nickel and also "modern coinage" like for example the bimetal coins and coins that have a "hologram".
1960-2000: Almost none silver coins minted for circulation anymore. Mostly aluminium, coppernickel, copper (many more) and some bimetal coins.
(1939-45) War Coinage: Included mostly copper, iron, zinc coins. These are not usually worth a lot.
1900-1939: The last age of silver coins until LMU and the gold/silver/copper/bronze system collapses, the coins are not worth anything anymore in metal.
1850-1900: Probably the best age for silver and gold coins. The money is worth alot, but also even the workers have money. Banknotes are worth fortunes.
I think that 1900 is an arbitrary date to end on; 1815-1918 seems like a better replacement date (historically), and 1918-1939/45.
1850-1939 - this period offers a good combination of historical value, interesting designs, better metal compositions, reasonably modern minting techniques, availability of higher grade examples, and relatively affordable pricing.
Historical periods are very regional you can say the 15th century is the cut off but that's rather eurocentric (so you will have to specify for region). Some say medieval times still exist in some corners of the world
I personally don't care much for the time period more about my specific regions Japan and its influence as well as greater German territories and some vassals.
Maybe in the case of Austria time plays a role, stuff after the abolishment of the HRE is not as interesting to me and after the fall of the empire even less.
Quote: "Houseofham"1850-1939 - this period offers a good combination of historical value, interesting designs, better metal compositions, reasonably modern minting techniques, availability of higher grade examples, and relatively affordable pricing.
Thats true. The number one reason I collect coinage from that time. And also for countries like russia, older 1700's coins (silver) cost much more. I also changed the medieval times to about 900-1500, its very hard to estimate because there is no clear ending. Those were just some amounts of years that I put there, because also coinage is very regional as in the 1700's countries had very different coin types. USA already had more modern minting techniques at the end of the 1700's but Russia and sweden for example still minted with the old equipment until about the start of the 1800's and some countries far away still did not have coins at all.
1992-present: End of the Cold War. Rise of the Euro. Dollarization in Latin America. Copper and nickel phased out. Plated steel becomes more common. Bimetallic coins and polymer banknotes introduced. Transit systems and casinos go cashless.
1965-1991: African, Caribbean, and Pacific colonies gain independence. Europe remains divided. Silver dies. Many revaluations in Latin America. Electronic banking grows. Exchange rates float.
1945-1964: Europe is divided. Africa remains colonized. End of Asian colonies, and the rise of Asian modern economies. Cash is commonly used everywhere for nearly everything. Silver in limited circulation.
1914-1945: Frequent wars. Widespread adoption of aluminium, steel and zinc for coinage. Notgeld and emergency coinage produced. Gold dies. Banknotes are more commonly used than ever before. The first modern hyperinflation occurs. Traditional coinage in Asia is modernized.
1860-1914: Nationalism sweeps Europe as Germany and Italy unify. Copper-nickel alloys are introduced. Latin Monetary Union standardizes coinage and stabilizes exchange rates. End of corporate rule in colonial lands.
1815-1860: Post-Napoleon era in Europe. Europe is peaceful, but its map doesn't resemble today's. Latin America gains independence. Africa and Asia become more colonized, often with their own currency.
1789-1815: Revolution and war engulfs Europe. Industrial coin production begins. Banknote usage grows. Introduction of the metric system.
Pre-1789: Coin production is not industrial or accurate. Banknotes are rare. Most colonies do not have their own coinage. Weights, measures, and exchange rates are not standardized and vary by local regions. Pre-federal currencies are common. The map of the Earth is incomplete. Steel and aluminium are incredibly scarce, but gold and silver are everywhere.
Personally, I collect World War II coins - everything minted between 1939-46. Well, I guess technically I hoard them. ¯_(ツ)_/¯
They're cheap and common enough to buy for a dime a piece, but they're distinctive enough to be special - to me, anyway. Whether it's the flimsy French coins made of aluminum or the US nickels made with 35% silver between 1942-45, they all have their stories. It's also interesting to consider just what was going on when those coins were minted. Were the Nazis on the doorstep? Were they in retreat? Those coins were all made in the time of chaos and war and uncertainty - they witnessed the history and predated the atomic bomb, and that makes them all the more special in my book.
I have several reasons to avoid coins that are too old: unclear provenance (I do not want to support looting of antiquities), price, and my inability to distinguish genuine coins from counterfeits. Now what is "too old"? Perhaps it is before 1800, and for some countries even before 1900.
I avoid any silver coins for similar reasons.
For me it is quite interesting to collect coins from circulation (both local ones and coins from travels), but unfortunately this way of collecting restricts the diversity.
Quote: "Cerulean"1992-present: End of the Cold War. Rise of the Euro. Dollarization in Latin America. Copper and nickel phased out. Plated steel becomes more common. Bimetallic coins and polymer banknotes introduced. Transit systems and casinos go cashless.
1965-1991: African, Caribbean, and Pacific colonies gain independence. Europe remains divided. Silver dies. Many revaluations in Latin America. Electronic banking grows. Exchange rates float.
1945-1964: Europe is divided. Africa remains colonized. End of Asian colonies, and the rise of Asian modern economies. Cash is commonly used everywhere for nearly everything. Silver in limited circulation.
1914-1945: Frequent wars. Widespread adoption of aluminium, steel and zinc for coinage. Notgeld and emergency coinage produced. Gold dies. Banknotes are more commonly used than ever before. The first modern hyperinflation occurs. Traditional coinage in Asia is modernized.
1860-1914: Nationalism sweeps Europe as Germany and Italy unify. Copper-nickel alloys are introduced. Latin Monetary Union standardizes coinage and stabilizes exchange rates. End of corporate rule in colonial lands.
1815-1860: Post-Napoleon era in Europe. Europe is peaceful, but its map doesn't resemble today's. Latin America gains independence. Africa and Asia become more colonized, often with their own currency.
1789-1815: Revolution and war engulfs Europe. Industrial coin production begins. Banknote usage grows. Introduction of the metric system.
Pre-1789: Coin production is not industrial or accurate. Banknotes are rare. Most colonies do not have their own coinage. Weights, measures, and exchange rates are not standardized and vary by local regions. Pre-federal currencies are common. The map of the Earth is incomplete. Steel and aluminium are incredibly scarce, but gold and silver are everywhere.
I like this!
Taking a break from swapping for a while, but still interested in pre 1799 Spanish coins, I will make time for that!
Quote: "Platypus"Personally, I collect World War II coins - everything minted between 1939-46. Well, I guess technically I hoard them. ¯_(ツ)_/¯
They're cheap and common enough to buy for a dime a piece, but they're distinctive enough to be special - to me, anyway. Whether it's the flimsy French coins made of aluminum or the US nickels made with 35% silver between 1942-45, they all have their stories. It's also interesting to consider just what was going on when those coins were minted. Were the Nazis on the doorstep? Were they in retreat? Those coins were all made in the time of chaos and war and uncertainty - they witnessed the history and predated the atomic bomb, and that makes them all the more special in my book.
The World War II coinages also are fascinating for the "alternate mints" used for various locations--U. S. minted coins for parts of the British Commonwealth that had trouble getting coinage from London; in fact the U. S. minted coins for many countries during that period.
Add the planchets that the U. S. supplied for international coinages, using "abnormal alloys", or the shell-case recovered copper, and you have many conversation pieces.
I expand "World War II", particularly in the Pacific Theater, to start from the Manchurian Incident in 1931, so you can also pick up the Manchukuo issues, which demonstrate how Japan used that area's coinage as a "mine" for critical war metals--finally debasing it down to compressed red fiber!!
Some people start "World War II" in the European Theater with the start of the Spanish Civil War--most of the European belligerents had forces in that war--so all of the Spanish Civil War issues could be added.
You also have all the concentration and POW camp moneys--although most of the WWII camps used paper or cardboard. I hunted the German Army coins, with the central hole and the swastika, for years; then was able to acquire six in one year!
You also get to include the occupation pieces for various nations.
Quote: "apuking"
My vacourite period that I collect is 1618 to 1648 during the time of the thirty years war.
a war of religion that covered almost all of Europe but which was fought mostly on German soil with 1/3 of the whole German population that dies during these 30 years.
You would probably have a fascinating conversation with Don Dool of the Chicago Coin Club. He specializes in copper coins of the world, and has done several exhibits of Kipper and Wipper coinage of the Thirty Years' War for the ANA Worlds Fair of Money.
