Coin Collecting

HISTORY

In 1652, the Massachusetts Bay Colony became the first American colony to make coins. Congress authorized the first United States coinage in 1787. The first offical U.S. coin was copper and was called the Fugio cent. In 1792, with the backing of Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson, Congress authorized the establishment of a mint in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Coinage for general circulation began there in 1793. In 1857, Congress passed a law removing all foreign coins from circulation. Gold was eliminated from common coinage in 1933, while silver was taken away in 1965. Today, the only American coins that contain gold or silver are special collector's editions, bullion coins, and commemorative coins.

COIN COLLECTING

The collecting or study of coins and related forms of money is properly known as numismatics. This comes from the Greek word "nomisma" and from the Latin word "numisma" -- both meaning "a piece of money" or "a coin"

REASONS

There are many different ways and reasons for collecting coins. As a matter of fact, there are almost as many reasons for collecting as there are collectors! Some people collect coins because of their beauty, while many others collect them because of their value. Others may collect certain coins that have a special memory or story attached to them. If you were to ask, many people probably don't even have a reason for collecting besides the simple fact that they just enjoy it!

WAYS

There are also many different ways to collect coins. People everywhere enjoy the thrill and possibility of finding a rare and/or valuable coin. Many people just start with a handful of pocket change. Some go to the bank and buy coins by the roll in hopes of making a find. Others buy direct from dealers. It doesn't matter how big or how small your collection is. That's one of the great things about coins... there are no rules, and you set your own goals and limits!!

COINS TO LOOK FOR

There are thousands of different coins to look for. Some people like to collect odd looking coins or error coins. Some like to collect old coins. Some like to try and get a coin from every year and mint in a certain series. Some like to go after key dates, which are the years that a coin had extremely low mintage. Some people like to collect foreign coins, while others like to collect American coins. Currently, my main interests are in American coins.

WHO TO TALK TO

Many cities have a local coin club. If you are interested, all you need to do is call your local library or coin dealer, and you should be able to locate one. Founded in 1891, the American Numismatics Association (ANA) is the largest organization of coin collectors in the world. If you want to know more about the ANA, just call 1-800-367-9723. You can click below for a listing of additional information.

ENTER THE COIN LIBRARY...

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People To Contact
Half Cent Pieces
One Cent Pieces
Two Cent Pieces
Three Cent Pieces
Five Cent Pieces
Ten Cent Pieces
Twenty Cent Pieces
Twenty-Five Cent Pieces
Fifty Cent Pieces
One Dollar Pieces