A helpful guide on how to start a coin collecting hobby for children. Learn why collecting coins is good for kids.
There seem to be countless things that make your child so busy nowadays. Much of their time is spent watching TV, movies on DVD or theaters, play video games and the list could go on.
While it is encouraged that children play and have fun, too much of these activities may not be helpful in enriching their knowledge and values.
As a parent you would wish your child to be involved in other pastime activities – more fruitful, wholesome, and still enjoyable at that.
Coin collecting for kids
Coin collecting for kids is not only fun, it is also a very educational hobby. Here are some good reasons why becoming a coin collector is beneficial for your kids.
– Through counting and determining the worth of the coins, he is studying math.
– By identifying the people, places, or events engraved on the coins, he is exploring history, geography, and culture.
– By examining coin designs he may also develop appreciation for the arts. After all, during the olden times, coins were considered transportable pieces of art.
– Maintaining a coin collection teaches your child to be responsible.
– The coin collecting hobby is not difficult and expensive to start.
In this article, you will learn why the coin collecting hobby is ideal for your children. You will also learn some steps in helping your child start his own collection of coins.
How to start coin collecting for children
1. Introduce interesting coins to your child
Ignite the interest of your child by showing him an interesting coin. For example, you have an ancient coin that was minted in 5th century BC. Show this to your child and tell him a story about it. He could be amazed at how you own a coin that old.
Error coins may also be appealing to him. A fascinating error coin is a type of Mule error coin which bears the same design on its two sides. For instance a Lincoln cent that has Abraham Lincoln’s bust on both the obverse and reverse sides (in layman’s term, the head and tail side of the coin respectively). The reverse side of the Lincoln cent is supposed to have the Lincoln Memorial (1959-2008 design).
2. Buy him a nice and comprehensible book on coin collecting for kids.
When he already knows about collectible coins, keep the interest up by getting him a book about coins and currencies. Here, he will learn about the brief history of coin collecting – how were coins minted in ancient times, who were the first coin collectors, and other important information.
Since children are generally visual learners, get a book suitable for kids – those that contain illustrations, pictures, or colorful images. Some books can be interactive featuring puzzles, coin quizzes, and games.
There are also coin collecting magazines available for subscription or for individual buys from newsstands. Magazines can be more dynamic and updated for a read.
Try being with him in his first few days of reading the book, especially if your child is not very fond of reading. Short conversations between reads make it lighter for the child and this will keep him from getting bored.
3. Let him learn about coin making.
Aside from knowing coin history and stories, it is also important to let the child understand how the coins – ancient or modern – are minted.
The steps in making a coin are actually quite interesting – how small discs to be called planchets (coin blanks) are cut from a long sheet of metal to how the blanks are stamped with intricate designs by using coin dies.
Find time visiting a mint house and see how coins are actually produced. The United States Mint in Philadelphia, for example, is open for public tours during weekdays and no reservation is necessary.
However, the mint has policies which are strictly implemented, so it is best to know what these policies are before going to the mint.
The mint also has a gift shop. In there you can buy coin sets, commemorative coins, and other collectible coins and coin collecting supplies.
4. Start the coin collection
It is time for the real thing – help him start his own collection of coins. As said earlier, starting a collection of coins does not have to be expensive. Collecting old coins can be a hobby for children. You can begin coin hunting at the attic, or inside the storage room where you could have kept some old stuff, including antique coins.
You can also bring him to a day-long coin store hopping and shopping. Buy some cheap Jefferson nickels with mint dates 1950, 1960 and so on. They could cost less than $5.
The ideal way for beginners in coin collecting like your child is to start first with a coin collecting starter set. Coin starter kits usually contain a coin collecting guide handbook, a magnifier or numismatist loupe, coin tubes, and coin folders – these are necessary to begin a coin collection.
5. Get him more coin collecting supplies
When his collection is growing, he would need more coin collecting supplies necessary to protect, store, or display the collectible coins. Cotton gloves, cleaners, coin albums, slab coin holders, coin folders, coin boxes, coin magnifiers, coin display cases are just few of the things he might need.
It would be best if you ask him to save money so he could buy these things on his own. This way, he will feel more responsible for his coin collection. It is also a good way to teach him how to save and spend money wisely.
6. Let him join coin collecting club for kids
Always make coin collecting fun for kids by making them join coin clubs. Your child will be much happier to meet and make friends with children who are also fond of collecting coins. They can show their collectible coins to one another and share some interesting facts about each piece.
