Coin Collector

Coin Collector | 21 | www.allaboutcoins.co.uk COIN PROJECTS Display it Like all collectables, coins need to be handled and stored carefully. Metal reacts to the environment and is easily tarnished: the less you handle your coins, the better. If you collect medium-to-high-grade coins then you’ll need storage media that not only protects them from knocks but excessive humidity and temperature. However, with lower-grade coins, this is less of an issue and gives you the opportunity to display and share your collection with others. Dansco-style albums are a cheap, easy option, as they have deep holes for the coins to sit securely in, and room to affix protective sheets between. Collections that are of interest rather than monetary value, can be sealed in picture frames, displayed in themed rows or dynamic arrangements. Display cases can be created from old jewellery boxes and charity-shop furniture drawers. Interiors should be padded and lined with material that doesn’t shed. Decoupage exteriors can even be clipped from Coin Collector magazine. Working on a coin display like this with children in lockdown is especially fun. Start them in the hob-by with pocket-change collections and add an educational element by challenging them to display coins by date, size, metal, country, or theme. Get connected For some, the thrill of buying something special and beautiful is sharing it. For others, collection-building is a personal passion which is both self-fuelling and self-fulfilling. How you respond to imposed-isolation depends entirely on which camp you fall into but, whether you’re a sharer or a solitary soul, the collecting community has much to offer—and there’s never been a better time to join. Coin-themed magazines, such as Coin Collector , are a great source of information, with newsletters and forums, to help you feel more connected in these trying times. The Coin Community (www. coincommunity.com) is a friendly group where collectors share finds, swap, and learn. The NG Coin Forum (www.ngcoin. com) is especially good for beginners, but be aware that some chat boards are sponsored, and not all advice is impartial. Normally, numismatic clubs are very active, holding regular meet-ups, lectures, and competitions. Luckily, in the digital age, lockdown is no barrier to socialising. The Royal Numismatic Society is the UK’s foremost society for the study of coins and related items (numismatics.org.uk ) and runs digital events via zoom. Check Facebook and Twitter for similar local/national groups and events. Plan it On top of the day-to-day pressures of lockdown, there’s a feeling abroad that if we don’t use our staying-in time to write that great novel, we’re somehow failing. Yet returning to a neglected hobby can offer the same sense of achievement without the stress of taking up something new when our attentions are focussed elsewhere. Curating and connecting with fellow numismatists are helpful first-steps towards getting a collection back on track, but these are nothing without a plan. The excitement of bidding and buying needs to be balanced with practicality. It’s easy to over-spend and end up with unwanted purchases stashed in the back of a drawer. With money potentially tight during lockdown, set a budget and a must-have list, but allow room for ‘treats’. Splashing out can offer a real mental boost in times of anxiety. Space out your purchases, too, so you have something to look forward in the coming weeks. Psychologists say that small, achievable projects are good for moral, because you see results quickly but, with lockdown potentially spreading into the summer, be bold. This could be the chance to build the collection you’ve always wanted. Expand it We’re all creatures of habit, and tend to stick with what we know, from ordering the same meal in the restaurant to sitting on the same seat on the train. Many of us are rigid in our collecting habits too, investing in just one type of coin, from one just era or one country. Now that lockdown has shaken up our routines, maybe we need to shake up our collecting too? Some online sites have temporarily closed but others are ramping up their service and this gives us the opportunity to explore new collecting areas cheaply and with little risk, and there’s tons of choice. Numismatic books are a great panacea and the perfect way to tune up your collecting brain. Tokens have backstories that turn even a small purchase into a treasure hunt. Banknotes make colourful dis-plays. Novelty coins will thrill your children. And medals have a poignancy that seems all the more immediate in a time when heroes walk amongst us. Numismatics is the name given to the collecting of coins, tokens, medals, paper money, and other currency related objects. So, why not take a walk on the wild side and explore a new aspect of this fascinating hobby?