In ancient times, numismatic coin collecting was limited to the upper classes. As such, the hobby garnered the nickname "the hobby of kings." Today, coin collecting is open to anyone of any background, age or educational level.
One of the first mentions of coin collecting has to do with Augustus Caesar, Emperor of Rome. He became very well known for passing out coins of all kinds to rank-and-file Roman citizens during the festival of Saturnalia. The man considered the very first "official" coin collector was Petrarch. Petrarch was an Italian scholar who gave Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor, a collection of coins.
Other well-known collectors include Pope Boniface VIII, Holy Roman Emperor Maximillian, King Louis XIV of France and Ferdinand I. The very first book about coins, De Asse et Partibus, was written in 1514 by Guillaume Bude.
Not until the mid-1800s did organized coin collecting societies begin to organize. In 1836, the Royal Numismatic Society, still in existence today, publishes Numismatic Chronicle. Another 20 years would pass before the American Numismatic Society (ANS) was organized in 1858; 1866 marks the year when the ANS began publishing American Journal of Numismatics. The ANS owns an 800,000 collection of coins, which is the largest collection in America.
Children and adults from all walks of life enjoy numismatics. The great majority of coin collectors are simply involved in the hobby because they like the history, the look and the feel of coins. The professional numismaticians have a much more complex relationship with the coins, including grading and consulting with numismatic societies.
Collecting coins is an easy hobby to begin and is enjoyed by people of all ages and walks of life. It does not cost a lot of money and most of the supplies to get started are already in most homes. If you are beginning a collection with little to no budget, all a person needs to start a coin collection is a box, coins and an interest in them.
As the collection and the collector grows more involved with the hobby, will need to spend some money on a 5-8x magnifying glass, folders in which to keep the coins and a reference book to aide identification of coins.
Some advanced coin collectors have developed collections based on a specific coin, collecting one coin for each year it was minted. Other collectors collect coins from specific countries or specific time periods. Most advanced coin collectors eventually learn to grade coins themselves.
From simple to complex, coin collecting makes a fine hobby for people from all different background and all different ages and ability levels. This is one hobby that adapts itself to even those with a cognitive impairment. Numismatic coin collecting is a fun family hobby that will last years and years.
Author: John E Stone
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Electric Pressure Cooker
