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Famous Coin Collections

Some of the Finest Collections in the World

If you want to start a new coin collector, you may be overwhelmed by the sheer number of coins that are available for collection. After all, coins have been used in every society since ancient times.

Ancient coins were not necessarily standardized, meaning that entirely different coins could have been used in neighboring areas.

Depending on the culture, coins could picture the then-current leader or to commemorate noteworthy world events. Some societies - such as ancient Israel - forbade people to be depicted on art, so their coins carried depictions of wheat, etc

Clearly, it would be impossible for a single person to amass even a significant portion of the available coins in a lifetime of collecting. Consequently, most collectors focus their search on a particular style or time period.

Your choices will be based on your own interests, access to coins and budget, and will likely be significantly different from anyone else's. However, if you need some inspiration to help you get started or just to be awed by the beauty of coins, take a look at these famous coin collections.

The State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia

The museum's collection contains 63,360 coins of Ancient Greece. Ancient Greek coins are favored by many collectors due to their beauty and historical nature. The collection includes the earliest example of commemorative coins, the Syracusan Dekadrachms.

While many of the museum's pieces are extremely rare and quite valuable, you can get started in Ancient Greek coin collecting for a far lower investment by starting with the more common examples that still abound.

The Numismatic Museum in Athens, Greece

If your interest lies primarily in ancient coins, it would be difficult to find a more inspirational collection than that of the Numismatic Museum. The museum is filled with stunning examples of coins from across the ancient world.

One of the more unusual exhibits is a die that was found Egypt. Dies were used to strike Athenian tetradrachms, but is believed that this die may have been used in counterfeiting. Apparently counterfeit coins were a real problem in the ancient world, just as it is today.

This museum is set to reopen shortly.

Private Collections

Coin collecting is an ancient tradition. It is believed that even the ancient Romans were fascinated by Greek coins.

Some collectors focus on the coins of early America. Some prefer to focus on British coins. Some collect the recently issued state quarters. Some focus on pennies.

The internet has become a great boon to collectors, as it has expanded communication between far-flung collectors.

Self-publishing has become extremely easy and common, and many collectors are now putting up websites dedicated to their collections.

Looking at the collections of other private collectors can be inspirational to new collectors. Your budget is probably much more limited than that of a museum, and trying to decide what to purchase can be daunting.

Most collectors are willing to talk frankly about their pieces, including prices. Collectors can also help you decide whether that new piece you have been eyeing is worth the investment.

A simple internet search for "coin collection" turns up hundreds of collections that are available for your perusal.

Taking the time to research the collections of others can help you focus your search and develop the collection that is right for you.

Ancient Coins at eBay

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