Roman nobles fascinated by Greek culture collected ancient Greek coins and antiquities during the reign of Augustus Caesar, when the art and science of numismatics began. There is no record of collecting ancient coins during the Dark Ages, but Renaissance magnates beginning with Petrarch collected portraits of emperors on Roman coins. Their willingness to pay high prices for fine portrait specimens led to the first numismatic imitations, Paduan medals struck by Cavino and other medalists of the time.

Different coin types attract different personalities. Ancient Greek coins fascinate collectors drawn to their artistic merit, while among ancient Roman coins, early Imperial issues attract those prizing realistic and imposing portraits of emperors and their families. Ancient Persian coins have special meaning to collectors interested in the history, culture and religion of Iran. Further East, the successors of Alexander struck unusual and attractive Indo-Greek coins in Southwest Asia. Ancient coins were issued in many metals: gold, silver, electrum (a natural gold-silver alloy), brass, bronze, billon (debased silver), potin, lead and even nickel. Ancient gold can be expensive, although some issues (notably those of the Byzantine Empire) are very reasonably priced. Ancient silver coins are normally well preserved, on the other hand bronze coins often circulated for long periods and many examples show considerable wear, as well as the effects of chemical changes.

Biblical coins attract those interested in early Christianity and ancient Jewish culture. Such collectors may desire to find a “Tribute Penny” denarius of the emperor Tiberius, a “Widow’s Mite” lepton, a “Thirty Pieces of Silver” shekel or coins of historic personalities such as Herod and Pontius Pilate that they can buy online. All of these biblical coins may best be appreciated when presented in their historical context — the special theme of Classical Coins.

Numismatic literature, in addition to its informative content, is also a significant collecting subject. Elegant engraved illustrations of Greek and Roman coins in early numismatic books are treasured today by collectors. Catalogues offering ancient coins for sale, either at fixed prices or at auction, are also an important source of reference information and die study illustrations for ancient Greek coins, Roman coins, Biblical coins and Persian coins. Such catalogues sometimes become primary references, for example the Pozzi and Shore sale catalogues.

Classical Coins offers a wide selection of numismatic books, monographs, sale catalogues and other references that you can buy online through our website. These can be good investments, since they recently have been appreciating even faster than the coins they describe.

There are few specifically Philippine coins from the Spanish era. This is so, because during most of the Spanish rule of the islands, the Philippines, like all Spanish colonies, used the same Spanish coins as legal tender. The world-famous “peice of eight” (8 reales) was one of the world’s leading currencies during most of this time. It was accepted nearly anywhere, from North and South America to many parts of Asia and Europe, even outside the Spanish realm.

The first Philippine coins came into existance around 1830. At that time many South American Spanish colonies became independent republics. However, they continued to trade with their former trade partners the Philippines being one of them but using their new coinage. The Spanish authorities were wary that these new coins, which did not bear the profile of the Spanish monarch but carried words like “LIBERTAD” (liberty), would incite a rebellion in the Philippines. To make them “Spanish” issues, they added the seal of the king or queen of Spain at the time: King Ferdinand VII and Queen Isabella II (hence, F7 and YII). These counterstamps were used to legitimize the coins that arrived (as Spain did not recognize those country’s independence until several years after). Growing from the Philippines practise of punching holes in coins (so as to attach them to money belts), coins which bear counterstamps on the holes are extremely rare and desireable.

Silver and Gold Series

This coin was minted for the Philippines which was a Spanish colony until 1898. The obverse has a laureated bust of Queen Isabella II (b1830-d1904) with the Spanish legend ISABELLA II FOR THE GRACE OF GOD AND THE CONSTITUTION. The reverse has the Spanish coat of arms with the denomination at the sides. The top legend reads QUEEN OF THE SPAINS and the bottom is the colony’s name.

In 1857, Queen Isabella II issued a degree, ordering the founding of the Casa de Moneda de Manila in the Philippines with the solepurpose of coining gold. It was established in 1861. Issues here ran from 1861 to 1868 in the denominations of 1, 2, and 4 pesos (rare years are 1867 and 1866). These are the very first coins that ever bore the name of the colony: FILIPINAS. In 1864 the operations of the mint were expanded to cover silver. All silver coins with the exception of the 1897 Un Peso were struck here (the latter was struck at the Madrid mint).

Silver coins bearing Isabella’s image were struck from 1864 to 1868, and then again from a few years after using the 1868 dies (hence the reason 1868 is the most common year for this series). Coins in this issue are very similar to their Spanishcounterparts. The only difference was the denomination they had: centimos de peso instead of pesetas.

Old coins

New 5000 peso coin obverse

New 5000 peso coin reverse

In the Philippines, coins of 1, 5, 10, and 25 centavos (officially called sentimo), and 1, 5 and 10 pesos (officially piso) are in use. All older coins have been demonetized, and cannot be used anymore.

You will probably never see the one centavo coin for real, as they are very difficult to find, and also pretty useless, due to their low value. The five-centavo coin is exactly the same size as the one-centavo coin, but actually has less metal, due to the hole. This coin is also not very useful, and sometimes seen as decoration on key-rings, or used as emergency washers. The smallest coin you’ll actually find in common use is the twenty-five centavo coin. The one peso coin, most common of all, depicts the national hero José Rizal, and the five peso coin freedom fighter Emilio Aguinaldo. The bimetallic ten peso coin was introduced in 2000, and is not yet (in 2005) in wide circulation, although it is getting more common, and I have seen the first vending machines accepting it. This coin shows the freedom fighters Apolinario Mabini and Andres Bonifacio. Note that the same heroes also appeared on the (former) bank notes of the same value.

Mr. Charles A. Conant had been brought from the United States to make a report on the feasibility of providing an American coinage for the islands. He recommended that the unit of value should be a peso, equivalent to fifty cents United States currency. Congress, by an act passed July 1, 1902, vested general authority over the coinage in the Philippine government, but the commission decided not to take action until more specific authority could be obtained from Congress, as the proposed reform was radical, and it was very important that the new currency should at the outset command the confidence so essential to its success.

After long discussion, Congress authorized, by an act passed March 2, 1903, a new currency system based on a theoretical peso of 12.9 grains of gold 900 fine, equivalent to one-half of a United States gold dollar. The circulating medium was to be the Philippine silver peso, which was to be legal tender for all debts, public and private, and its value was to be maintained on a parity with the theoretical gold peso. For this purpose the creation of a gold standard, or gold reserve fund, was provided for, and this fund was to be maintained and could be used for no other purpose.

Collecting coins is a lot of fun, and it can be profitable, too. Learn how to get started with your own coin collection, whether it is for yourself or for a youngster. Get ideas on what to collect, how to organize a coin collection, the best way to store and display your coins, how to find honest and ethical coin dealers, and some thoughts about coin investing and selling your coin collection. You can also learn how to grade coins, whether you should clean your coins, and get information about the best places to buy, sell, and trade your coins with other coin collectors and dealers.

Begin a Coin Collection

There are many different ways to begin collecting coins. You can start your collection right from your pocket change, or you can build a collection of classic coins or bullion by buying from dealers. Learn how to get started with a coin collection for yourself or for your children with these easy to follow articles and suggestions.

Find a Coin Dealer

Learn how to find honest coin dealers who will help you appraise and sell your current collection, or start a new one. Not all coin dealers subscribe to industry standard codes of ethics. Find out which qualifications to look for in a coin dealer, and what red flags you should avoid in the mostly unregulated coin dealing profession.

Learn About Coin Grading

Grading coins is an essential skill to have if you want to make the best use of your limited coin collecting funds. Grading systems are based on simple concepts that are easy to learn, especially for circulated coins. Although grading services do some of the work for you, having a basic understanding of the criteria used by these services will empower you to make better coin buying decisions.

How Do I Start a Coin Collection For My Children?

Many people like to start a coin collection for their children, or grandchildren, as a sort of investment for them. These collections are typically held by the parent or grandparent on the child’s behalf, with the intention of giving them to the child at a certain age, or as an inheritance, although sometimes the coins are given directly to the children.

Before you start collecting coins on behalf of your kids, you should take a moment to consider a couple of points. First of all, like all investments, collecting coins costs money, so you need to determine how much you can afford to spend each year for this. Secondly, you must decide what the ultimate goal of this collection is. Are these coins meant to help put the child through college, or are they just meant to be a nice gift that hopefully has some greater future value? Is this coin collection meant as a monetary investment to be cashed in someday, or do you mean for the coins to become family heirlooms which will be passed down through the years? Or perhaps your hope is that the child will take up the coin collecting hobby someday. Depending on what your collecting goals are, and what your budget is, you’ll want to buy different types of coins.

Starting a Coin Collection on a Tiny Budget

For the sake of this discussion, we’ll consider a tiny budget to be between $50 and $100 a year. This is the type of collection where you buy something at Christmas and for the child’s birthday, and usually not at any other time. The typical coin gifts of this type are the national Mint Sets, such as the U.S. Mint’s annual Uncirculated Coins set, or the annual Proof set. These sets typically cost less than $25 for the Uncirculated sets and less than $40 for Proof. Fancier Silver Proof Sets run $50 and up.

Collecting, or numismatics is a hobby as old as time. As a hobby, it has been around for more than 2,500 years. This is surprising since the use of coins has been around for pretty much that same amount of time too. Man has always had a fixation for small, round, shiny things. And throughout the ages, coin collectors have always been on the prowl for the oldest, rarest, most attractive coins around.

Numismatics comes from the Greek word nomisma, meaning ‘currency,’ or coin. It is also related to the study of banknotes, tokens, and other early forms of money.

Coins and other forms of money are issued by governments and other monetary agencies. Billions of these flood the market yearly. But as time goes by, the number of these coins go down. Some get lost and some are damaged beyond recognition.

This goes to show that the older the coin, the rarer it must be. And for coin collectors, this is prime stuff.

Coin collectors and hobbyists number millions around the world. This hobby is taken so seriously that there are even professional dealers and investors who ply their trade in this fashion.

The lure of coins lies in its power to draw people into the era it belonged to. These coins show many aspects of everyday life during those times. By examining a coin, one comes to know the geography, philosophy, sociology, artistry and other aspects of the culture they existed in.

Ancient kings (and even today’s leaders) had a telling habit of having their faces imprinted on their currency. Some historians have been able to put together clues regarding the ancient civilizations using these coins. Sometimes, coins would tell of a leader or prominent figure that would have been forgotten by time if it were not for these coins.

Hobbyists usually start collecting coins from their own locality. This makes sense because they are the easiest to collect. These hobbyists then expand their collection to coins from increasingly farther and earlier origins.

Coin collectors regard every single coin as a unique specimen. They take note of the date, the mint marks, and even the abnormalities in its design. Ironically, some of the most expensive coins are those with the strangest abnormalities. This is because this type of coin is hard to come by.

For example, there could be a coin in existence that differs from other coins in its batch. For some unknown reason, it lacks some of the required markings. Such coins are deemed more valuable than the normal coins of its type.

A good number of coin collectors collect coins according to themes. The coins they collect all have a common topic. Some collect coins related to kings and queens. Some collect those related to plants and animals.

The price for a coin is determined by the demand for this coin. Many factors affect this demand. If a coin is rare, chances are, it is in great demand. However, there are some coins that are rare, or exotic, yet the demand for them remains low. If this is the case, then its market value will remain in the low end.

Before purchasing coins, one must do much research about that coin. He must assess its current market value and make sure that the coin is genuine. He should also consider how much he could earn if he resells the coin.

The American Numismatic Association is the largest numismatic organization in the world. It was founded in 1891 and was chartered by the Congress of the United States 21 years later. This group has the largest library of coins available. Collectors would love to visit their headquarters, the World Money Museum, which is one of the largest coin museums in the world.

Another organization, the American Numismatic Society, is the most active and respected nonprofit numismatic publisher in the world. They maintain a museum that contains more than a million objects. They also have a library that has one of the most comprehensive in coin collecting knowledge.

Whether you are a hobbyist or a serious collector, coin collecting will always bring a sense of fulfillment and history to your life. It is never too late to start collecting today. You can’t lose! Your collection can only grow in value as the time passes by!

Author Resource:-      For more great coin collecting info and advice check out:

http://www.just-coins.com

Article From Article-4-You

Coin Collecting Opens The Door To The Past
By : Susan Jan

collecting or numismatics is probably one of the most popular hobbies in the world and also one of the oldest. Many individuals at some point in time have collected coins. If you want to start a coin collection, a lot of research and study should be devoted to the hobby of coin collecting.

Coins have often been regarded as ‘mirrors of history’. Other than the monetary value and worth of antique coins, they also possess historical value. Coins belonging to different ages have different stories to tell of empires and emperors.

Amateur coin collectors generally start their coin collection by collecting coins that belong to their own country, as this is the easiest and the most cost effective way to start a coin collection. With time this may give way to specializing in collecting coins that belong to a particular type. Coin collectors may specialize in coins of a particular country or of a particular period or metal. Commemorative coins, such as those released during sporting events or those that mark the independence day of a country, can also make an appealing collection. Coins with faults or defects are also popular among serious collectors.

As with any other hobby, the coin collection market is flooded with fakes and if you are not an expert in this field it is very difficult to separate the original genuine coins from the counterfeit coins. Before buying expensive coins it is a good idea to get the coin authenticated by reputable coin grading and coin authentication services. The condition of a coin is denoted by a coin grade. For a detailed study on coin grades, read Photograde by James Ruddy. Currently, the more reputable coin grading services are Professional Coin Grading Service, Numismatic

The best places to buy coins are reputable coin dealers, auctions, coin shows or from other collectors, though you should avoid buying from the internet as it is hard to judge online whether the coin you are interested in is genuine or counterfeit. Coins may be stored in coin cases, coin trays and coin albums. However, you should avoid storing coins in jars, as keeping them in a jar may scratch the coins.

Amateur coin collectors may mistakenly think that cleaning coins is an important part of caring for the coin collection. However, the opposite is true; it is best that coins are not cleaned at all. Collectors prefer the original look of coins and cleaning coins may bring down their value. If your coins need any cleaning, you should first consult a professional or an expert. Olive oil or soapy water may be used for cleaning coins. Harsh cloths should never be used to clean, and tap water is a strict no-no as they contain minerals that may harm the coins.    Guarantee Corporation of America, ANACS and Independent Coin Grading Co.
Author Resource:-

For more on Coin Collecting visit coin-collecting-vault.info. Susan also writes at home-and-family-hub.info.

Article From Article-4-You