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As a child I began coin collecting, and today, as an adult, I still treasure my Mercury dimes, Wheatback cents (pennies), Buffalo nickels, Standing Liberty quarters and my many other coins and bills from around the world.

You too can easily introduce your child to the joys of starting a coin collection. By Preschool age, a child can begin his collection just by saving coins from change and learning their names and values.

By First Grade, a child can understand how to keep their coins organized based on year of mintage.

Once your child has some money of his own to spend, he can learn how to make responsible decisions about which old coins to buy at a coin shop to enhance his collection.

First Steps to Start a Child’s Coin Collection

Since 1999, when the Fifty State Quarters were introduced, many children have enjoyed collecting these coins and saving them in a Commemorative Quarter Map or Coin Folder. These are fun, cheap, and easy to get started with, since we all get quarters in our pocket change every day.

Nickels and Cents

When I helped my three youngest children (ages 3, 5 and 7) start their coin collections this past year, we began by purchasing inexpensive coin folders ($2.99 each) to collect Lincoln Memorial Cents and Jefferson Nickels from the 1940′s to the present.

Why nickels and cents? Well, first they are easy for little children to find in their own pocket change and are cheap to get in in coin rolls from the bank. When my six-year-old son finds an old Wheatback cent (from 1959 and earlier), he reacts like he just found a pot of gold! It’s like finding a treasure each time he finds an old coin to fill an empty year in his coin folders.

What Math Skills Can Your Child Learn from Coin Collecting?

Addition and Subtraction: Start by counting numbers of coins, then once your child understands coin values, you can ask them to calculate the value of “2 pennies plus 4 nickels” or “5 dimes minus 1 quarter”. For children in Third Grade or older, you might ask, for example, “How many years are there between an 1990 dime and a 2001 dime?”

• Place Values: Learning to read the mintage dates on the coins, and putting their coins into chronological order in a coin folder is a great way to place values to the thousands and also teach how we measure years on a calendar.




• Multiplication: Begin by teaching your child there are 100 cents in a dollar. “That means that 100 pennies, 20 nickels, 10 dimes and 4 quarters each make up 100 cents or $1.” Work on multiplying each of the coin values by 2′s, 5′s and 10′s first and then try the harder numbers in the times tables. Coin rolls also lend themselves easily to multiplication. Ask your child, “If there are 25 quarters in a roll, what is the value of the whole roll of quarters?”




• Fine Motor: For children working on their pre-writing skills, stacking coins and rolling them in coin wrappers is great for working on the pincer grip. For example, you can help your child make 5 stacks of ten pennies each and fit them correctly into their wrapper.

More Coin Collecting Resources

Once your child gets bitten by the coin collecting bug, she will be hungry for more information. She will want to learn about the value and history of her coins, and generally learn more about how coins are made.

The U.S. Mint has a wonderful website for child coin collectors with lots of activities and history of all U.S. coinage.

To learn about the values of our old coins (as if we would ever want to sell them!) my family uses The Official Red Book: A Guide Book of United States Coins, because it’s easy to read and the information is very nicely organized. Coin books also teach about coin values so that before you go on a coin shopping trip, you will know what you should spend on a 1922 Buffalo nickel or some other treasure for your collection.

Coin collecting is a wonderful, inexpensive family activity that you and your child can enjoy together for years. The math learned along the way is just a wonderful side benefit.

Happy Collecting!

Etan Savir is the editor of http://www-sensible-math-education.com a web site devoted to helping parents understand the fundamental math skills their children should master in each grade and math course.

He is a 15-year math educator, math curriculum consultant, math textbook contributor, and currently the math department chairman at a K-12 college prep school in suburban Baltimore, Maryland.

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Coin collecting is an activity that is enjoyed many, including individuals of all ages. In fact, it is more than just a fun and enjoyable activity; it is considered a hobby. This hobby is one that many people wish to enjoy and learn more about. Please continue reading on for a general overview of this great hobby.

The history of coin collecting can date back to when coins were originally issued. Coin collecting was commonly referred to in the past as the “Hobby of Kings.” This is due in part to the expense of coin collecting back in the older days. Many of the individuals able to coin collect were royalty, literally. As for more modern coin collecting, it took off in the early 1900s in the United States. Although it was enjoyed well before this point in time, its popularity increased drastically when it was clear coin collecting could be profitable.

Collecting coins is considered a popular activity, as it is one that anyone can enjoy, including children. In fact, it is a hobby that many parents and professionals in the field of education encourage children to enjoy. In this sense, coin collecting can not only be profitable, but it can be educational as well. Also, coin collecting is a hobby that is relatively easy do. For many collectors, especially children, the startup costs are low or are non-existent.

The purpose of collecting coins is another reason for its success and increase in popularity. There are five main types of collectors. These individuals include investors, hoarders, hobbyists, dealers, and inheritors. Those who collect them for a hobby do so for personal fulfillment, not necessarily profits. Those who are considered inheritors often inherit coin collections from hobbyists. As for investors, they are in it for the money. Hoarders usually examine their coin collections for value, but many tend to just collect as many types of coins as possible.

Another likable aspect surrounding collecting coins is that of the supplies needed. Often times, little or no supplies are needed, especially for children or hobbyists. With that in mind, there are many benefits to using professional supplies. The good news is that many supplies, including coin folders, coin albums, coin holders, and magnifying glasses, are affordably priced.

The options that coin collectors have, when looking to expand their coin collections, are another reason for its popularity. Coin collectors have a number of different options when looking to expand their collections. Many hobbyists stay on the lookout for rare, limited edition, or older coins that they or those that they know may receive on a daily basis. Other collectors, especially those looking for rare or other valuable coins, often turn to professional coin dealers or the Internet.

In keeping with the acquisition of coins, coin collectors have freedom to collect whatever they want. While they are looking to make a profits, also commonly referred to as investors, tend to stick to rare, outdated, limited edition coins, and other coins of value, there are no requirements to do so. Hobbyists, as well as children, tend to collect any coins that catch their interest, either in date, value, condition, or size. No specialty requirements are necessary; however, it may add to the excitement of coin collecting.

Find Out More on Coin Collecting at http://www.GoldCoinCollection.net.

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Coin collecting is the act of collecting and trading coins or any form of legally minted currency from any country. Coin collectors frequently focus on coins which were circulated for a brief period, commemorative coins of historical dates or places or landmarks, and coins minted with errors. Modern Coin collecting is believed to have started in the 14th century with the Italian poet and scholar poet, Petrach. It started as hoarding and later developed into an art that we know of with experts and people making it their lifelong career. The most famous coin collection has to be the Berlin Coin Cabinet part of a larger museum complex in the Museuminsel (Island of Museums) in Berlin. Like most coin cabinets the Berlin Coin Cabinet’s roots can be traced to a monarch Joachim II Brandenburg of (1535-1571). Other great coin collectors were Pope Boniface VIII, Emperor Maximillian of the Holy Roman Empire, Louis XIV of France, and Henry IV of France. Coin Collection Values are always determined by its condition just like any other type of collection.

Since coin collection values are so deeply rooted on the condition of a coin, a scale was developed and primarily used by the American Numistmatic Association. This scale primarily focuses on the physical details of the coin. It uses 1-70 scale that determines descriptions and grades. Here is the Sheldon Scale:

* Mint State (MS) 60 – 70: Uncirculated
* About/Almost Uncirculated (AU) 50, 53, 55, 58
* Extremely Fine (XF or EF) 40, 45
* Very Fine (VF) 20, 25, 30, 35
* Fine (F) 12, 15
* Very Good (VG) 8, 10
* Good (G) 4, 6
* About Good (AG) 3
* Fair (FA, FR) 2
* Poor (PR, PO) 1

The most known and respected coin grading service is Numismatic Guaranty Corporation and the Professional Coin Grading Services. For a fee this coin grading service will encapsulate and grade a coin but their service doesn’t come without certain controversy. Although there is a standard scale one coin can be graded and appraised at a certain value differently depending on the coin grading service to be used by a coin collector or coin dealer. A coin collection value can differ over slight variations and slight matters. A small bump or dent in a coin can matter when time comes for it to be graded. The good thing about professional grading services is its ability to get rid of the counterfeit coins that are being passed of as the real thing especially with websites like Ebay where bidding from anything and everything is possible. These grading services apart from being useful from determining the real thing from fake ones also help a collector determine which among the collection of coins is the most valuable. These services are needed since coin collecting has become another form of investment apart from the traditional forms of investment. Collectors, whether inheritors, investors, or hoarders can determine which ones to hold on to the most among the coins their collection.

Learn how to safely make money investing in a Coin Collection Album by visiting http://www.sellgoldcoinsinfo.com – A popular coin collecting website that teaches you how to make money in buying and selling coins without taking unnecessary risks.

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Wondering what to give your child on his next birthday? Give him a gatefold spread that can accommodate up to 50 coins. He may not appreciate the coins, but telling him stories about the coin and how it was made can spark his interest. For each birthday give him the coins minted that year. His collection will grow and so will his interest and by that time, he will be an accomplished numismatist.

History Lessons and Saving Money

The ideal age to start a child on a coin collecting hobby is at six years old. Imagine the number of coins he can amass when he reaches adulthood! But there’s more than just introducing him to coin collecting. You can use this exercise to teach him how to save his pennies in a coin bank plus pique his interest in the country’s history when you start with local coins.

Since you may not have those very old and valuable coins dating back to the 1800s, get a book on coin collecting and show him the pictures of the coins. Add a story or two depicting the era that’ll make any child sit up and listen. Stories add value to the coin collecting hobby and expect your child to be an expert in historical epochs.

If someone gives your child a bag of coins, take out each coin and sort them. Teach your child how to do the sorting. As you go along, tell him a little history on each coin. Probably the bag of coins will yield recent mints so it won’t be hard for you to tell the coin’s story.

If you have saved all the coins circulating in the year of your child’s birth, that would be the best introduction to a lifelong of coin collecting for your child. Help him along with the collection. Learn the tricks yourself so you can teach your child how to collect, clean, and store the coins.

Starting the Hobby

For starters, get magazines on coin collecting, a pair of white gloves, magnifying glasses, and coin albums or folders. Start scouting for coins and learn all about the discontinued coins like the 1965 quarters, dimes, and half-dollars. Subscribe to coin collecting magazines and check out the websites on coin collecting. You’ll be amazed at the wealth of information you can collect and pass on to your child.

Using a magnifying glass to see the fine lines and the details of a coin is an exciting experience for a child. Make sure you are ready to give the information your child may need. Or if you don’t know the answer, you can make it your project to find out online.

Because this is just a starting point for you and your child, don’t buy expensive coins and if you find some dirty old coins, don’t attempt to clean it. Find out its composition and the appropriate way to clean it. You can get help from several websites specializing in coin collection.

Tips for Coin Hunting

This is not referring to a treasure hunt. You can do your hunting online. However, coin collecting is an expensive hobby if you want the rarer and more prized coins. In the meantime, make do with what is available and always get your hands on new mints. Tell your friends you’re helping your child start a coin collecting hobby but be prepared for the avalanche of coins that will start pouring in.

In the future, when he coin collecting bug bites you real hard, you’ll be running after a metal detector to clean out your yard and your grandfather’s house. The hobby meant for your child will be yours too.

It’s never too early or too late to start a new hobby. Consider crafting unique gift baskets or groomsmen gifts, or restoring and designing Zippo lighters. Visit http://www.ExecutiveGiftShoppe.com today.

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Coin collecting has been one hobby that has stood the test of time. People from all walks of life and ages enjoy collecting their favorite coins. From displaying to talking about their coin collection numismatics love their hobby. Numismatics is the name given to people who talk about and collect currency. Coin collecting dates back to the Roman Empire as gold coins had special meaning and that continues today. Coin Collecting means many things to many different people. Coins can trace a country’s history or even learn about people that you have never met. This is just one of the things that coins do for people. Others collect coins as investments for their future or their children’s future. Coin investments in recent years have seen a big growth with the price of silver and gold increasing.

Coin collecting can be broken down into several different arenas. Most people collect coins two ways. One is a series. This means they try to get every coin that was minted in a series. One of the most collected series is the Morgan Dollar. These coins were issued in the 1800′s and are still highly prized today and sought after the world over. The other big collecting arena is collecting a president or a certain denomination. Collecting coins have lasted through the years for many reasons, but the thrill of the hunt is always mentioned. Coin holders are still given as gifts for kids which let them put coins in a holder and see what they need yet to finish their collection. Just like a long time ago when they viewed coin collecting as a part of our American history

The Internet has been a real boon for coin collecting. Where it used to be hard to find information about coins and coin collecting the Internet has changed all that. From price guides to forums the Internet has made collecting coins a lot easier. If you have a coin collecting question the odds of you getting an answer has increased a lot and you don’t get so discouraged about it. Many times when people can’t find an answer, they give up. Since we have the Internet these questions now can be answered and keep more people in the hobby. This helps coin collecting grow even more. With limited edition coins and collectors series being introduced now more often it’s a great time to be a coin collector. The future looks bright and coin collecting looks to grow at an even faster rate thanks to the Internet and collectors.

Jeffrey Meier at Jam727 Enterprises at http://www.thearticlehome.com blog offers even more detailed information on a wide variety of topics.

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