It seems counterintuitive to collect coins instead of saving them, but the work of the numismatist requires excellent skill and knowledge. The title Numismatist comes from a late Latin word that translates as “of coins,” It is a catch-all description for a group of people that include not only collectors but also specialist dealers that service the collectors and academics that use coins to date and base their research on. A field study derivative of this is the work of the archaeologist.
The Royal Mint offers little starter sets for children to collect 50 pence and one pound coins, as they usually feature different designs on the back or tails. For example, the 50-pence piece depicting the pagoda at Kew Gardens is now worth from £45 up to £230 as only 250,000 were minted. The other item that the Mint produces is commemoration packs sealed in Perspex presentation cases for the birth or birth/death/marriage of a significant Royal family member. This is usually a coin of all denominations plus a special large £5 one.
Numismatists themselves fall into one of two camps. Some enjoy having the coins and making a study of them. This includes how and when they were minted, the design process, and the thinking behind using the images. This can date back to the first time civilisations began to use coins for commerce and purchase and the fledgling monetisation of society. A numismatist does not necessarily collect coins per se, and they may enjoy the field of study in them and the academic knowledge that they can bring to us about the time.
The second type is the dealers in coins. They are viewed as professional numismatists as they will be able to ascertain the authenticity of a coin or cash set and give them a value to what they would make on the open market. They need to know the background and history of the coin, but for them, there are other driving desires to own one. For details on Coin Dealers UK, go to www.gmcoins.co.uk/ They would contact an academic numismatist to give them some information about how the two camps help and complement each other. However, there are occasions when professionals, such as the curator of a museum or even a field archaeologist, may need the services of the numismatist to help them.
Collecting or dealing in coins is an intriguing and engaging hobby that has many lucrative aspects.
