Collecting coins has been called the hobby of kings because in the early days of coin collecting kings were the only ones wealthy enough to be able to save coins as most people spent any coins they received to stay alive.

Luckily for us collecting coins, or numismatics as it formally called, is a fascinating hobby that is open to anyone today. You can literally begin as a casual collector right now with the change in your pocket or purse and grow from there as you gain more knowledge and experience.

What makes coin collecting so unique is the fact that there are so many areas to consider specializing in. Some of the possible areas of collecting include collecting coins of your country, foreign coins, paper money, antique coins and coins with minting errors.

You can even focus on specific historical periods such as coins of the 1900s or coins of the Roman Empire. The possibilities are endless and it can be somewhat difficult to decide just where to begin.

Many beginning coin collectors start collecting coins from their country as they are most well-known to them. I would advise going to your local library and taking out a couple of books on coin collecting to give you some ideas on the various types of coins available and they are graded and valued. This will also help you to make a decision on any particular types of coins you want to start collecting and give you a solid background on the history of the coins.

I can assure you that will find coins that were produced in the past that you never knew existed. For example, did you know that at one time the United States minted a twenty cent piece or a two cent piece?

A local coin club can help you grow your skills and is a great way to meet other collectors in your area. They are also a good source for local coin show information and can give you the low down on local coin dealers. The Internet is also home to some great collecting resources.

A key point to remember when first starting out in coin collecting is to control your excitement if you can. That way you will not go out and start buying coins without first gaining the proper knowledge and this can save you a lot of money in the long run.

I can tell you there were some coins I wouldn’t have bought had I been a little savvier in subjects like coin grading when I was just beginning.

The good news is coin collecting has grown so popular that there are very strict grading standards in use today to protect collectors and with the abundance of coin collecting information available it is simple to determine a coin’s value.

Many hobbies can be costly to participate in but you can start collecting coins for next to nothing and as your collecting skills develop you will have the confidence to buy or trade coins of higher value. By starting slowly you can avoid making bad purchases that could diminish your enthusiasm for one of the most satisfying and rewarding hobbies there is.