Beginner Coin Collecting – Part 2

Part 2 – Which Coins to collect?

In order to keep these blog posts to a reasonable size, “Part 2 – Which Coins to collect?” may need to become it’s own 5 or 6 part series in the future. For now it will be an overview of US collectible coins and how to get started.

Certainly personal taste, budget, the age of the collector, and time will be a factor for the soon to be serious collector. Here is an example: For my son’s 8th birthday we had a “Treasure Hunt” party and rented a pavilion at a nearby park and hid puzzle pieces around the park; each piece leading to the next clue in the treasure hunt. Each child received a beginner coin collecting kit and some US coins as their share of the Treasure.

From that introduction to coin collecting my son has taken a liking to Lincoln Cents and has a growing collection 2 years later. Each Coin Show we attend he searches for the missing Cents to complete his collection, and he looks to find a better grade of Cent for the ones he has collected. For the young collector, The Whitman Coin Expo has a “Kids Korner” and interested boys & girls can search jars of Lincoln Cents to add to their collection. Each participant is also given a Whitman Lincoln Cent Coin Folder to help them get started with their own Collection!

If Lincoln Cents don’t catch your attention, perhaps the older Indian Head Cents, or Buffalo Nickels will be to your liking. When I started collecting, around the same time as my son, I decided to collect dimes. It has been a lot of fun trying to get every year of Mercury and Roosevelt dime. There are also older Barber Dimes which can be fairly easy to collect in the lower grades. Franklin Half Dollars, Kennedy Half Dollars, and Liberty Half dollars are popular with several of the Bel Mar Coin Club members. For the serious Collector, with a bigger budget, you might want to collect Silver Dollars.

Whatever your tastes, Coin Shows are a great place to find the coins you are looking for. If you cannot find a show near you, or it is too far out on the Calendar, check our Links Page or search for a reputable Coin Dealer near you. Whitman is a great place for Coin Albums, books and other supplies. Our Links Page also lists other resources we have found reliable.

Watch for Part 3 or future Posts on Collecting for more detailed information.