Collecting coins can be a fascinating hobby. Millions of hobbyists have collected coins for centuries, some collecting from your interest while others collect as an investment. Whatever your motive is beginning a coin collection such as collecting gold or silver coins can be a fun and rewarding pastime.

All you really need to begin is to have an interest in coins, a discerning eye, a willingness to learn and someplace to store your collection. The type of coins you collect is entirely up to you. That goes for the value of the coins as well. Some people will only look for high valued proof coins while others searched for those elusive rarities. But your collection could simply be collecting gold or silver coins of a particular country or of a particular era. It doesn't matter if they are not high-value coins as long as you enjoy collecting. Besides, you are probably far better off starting off your collection with lower valued coins until you begin to really know what you are doing. Like everything else in this world, there is always somebody tried to separate you from your money. And they're not interested in giving you anything in value in return. Go to the library or buy yourself some coin books and begin to learn all about the specific area that you are interested in. You may change your mind along the way on what you want to collect but at least you have a start on your education.

You may simply begin collecting by looking through your own pocket change. This is how many people started. Or you may go to a bank and purchase some rolls of dimes, nickels or quarters and see what you can find. Sometimes something will turn up that might surprise you. Some people buy mint bags, these are bags of coins that come straight from the mint and people go through them looking for coins of interest like errors, double strikes or off centered strikes. These can be very valuable if you find them through very careful search. Some people go to coin shops and look through the various displays to find something that they have an interest in. You can find a wide range of coins from cheap, common coins to more expensive and rare ones. You can start with the lower valued ones and dream about the day you can look at the rarities.

Other places to consider looking for coins are pawnshops, antique shops, flea markets [you might find a real treasure trove for a dollar], coin shows or auctions. Auctions can be very interesting because quite often people who attend auctions are looking for items like furniture, paintings or sometimes jewelry. Many countryside auctions don't have many people looking for coins. If you have friends that are living in another country then you may ask them to send you some coins from there.

Once you do start collecting one of the prime rules is "do not clean your coins." Some people have claimed their coins, hoping to make them shine brighter and be more valuable to only discover they have removed the mint finish, a microscopic thin layer of metal from production, and ruined the full value of their coin. quite often coins that you feel might be "tarnished" actually have the exact toning of color that many collectors want. Unless you're a complete professional and know exactly what you're doing, once again don't clean your coins.

Coin collecting can be for fun or for profit. Actually, coin collecting can be both fun AND profitable. Just keep in mind that it is never too late to start collecting coins and that the longer you have them, the more valuable they become. You can buy gold coins or you can buy silver dollars to start your coin collection.