Hello All

[CrackFox 0]

Hello All,

I've recently become interested in starting up a coin collection and looked for a forum to lead me in the right direction. One google search and i'm here so, Hello. A work colleague mention buying bullion as an investment, looked into and i like the idea, I however do not like the Kg's (if i ever has the cash for that) sat around waiting to be stolen. I was looking on a bullion site and noticed that they do coins...."ooooohh very nice" was my first response. They'd be alot easier to store and protect...plus, the number of coins out there is endless...I must have got a collecting gene from my grandad who passed down a small but fascinating collection of stamps. So basically, i'm looking to begin collecting new, mint silver coins on a long term basis. This is not to say that i'm not interested by existing older coins. I guess, i'm just looking for some guidance in how to start things up right, what to look out, ect ect. I did look for a beginners guide to collecting on here but I unfortunately couldn't find anything.

The coins i've been looking at are these types.

http://www.bullionby...r-1-ounce-coin/

http://www.bullionby...-silver-cougar/

Maybe these will be the start of something good. Anway, any help will be appreciated guys and girls.

Regards,

Crack

[Peckris 579]

Hello All,

I've recently become interested in starting up a coin collection and looked for a forum to lead me in the right direction. One google search and i'm here so, Hello. A work colleague mention buying bullion as an investment, looked into and i like the idea, I however do not like the Kg's (if i ever has the cash for that) sat around waiting to be stolen. I was looking on a bullion site and noticed that they do coins...."ooooohh very nice" was my first response. They'd be alot easier to store and protect...plus, the number of coins out there is endless...I must have got a collecting gene from my grandad who passed down a small but fascinating collection of stamps. So basically, i'm looking to begin collecting new, mint silver coins on a long term basis. This is not to say that i'm not interested by existing older coins. I guess, i'm just looking for some guidance in how to start things up right, what to look out, ect ect. I did look for a beginners guide to collecting on here but I unfortunately couldn't find anything.

The coins i've been looking at are these types.

http://www.bullionby...r-1-ounce-coin/

http://www.bullionby...-silver-cougar/

Maybe these will be the start of something good. Anway, any help will be appreciated guys and girls.

Regards,

Crack

Welcome to the forums Crack (Your links don't work for me, by the way).

I would regard bullion as totally separate from numismatics. If you want to go down that route, fine, but this is a good place to find out about coins. You're right to want to learn first, as plunging in with little knowledge is not a good idea! As for books, there are many out there, but a good place to start is two of the above titles - "Collectors Coins GB" (3rd from the left) and "Grading British Coins" (on the left). You also should look around what you want to collect, the choice is enormouys and there's no need to specialise right away.

Steer clear of buying on eBay until you know much more about the subject. Find yourself a good dealer, or attend one of the regular fairs the biggest being in London, Birmingham, and York. Have a good look at these forums, as there are many pictures and discussions that will help you learn about coins.

Once you've decided what you'd like to start collecting, ask here and you will get lots of advice! The best advice for beginners is this : it's better to buy a small number of good quality items, than a vast number of low quality. Or to put it another way - buy the best you can afford.

[Peter 615]

Welcome CFOX

Realise there is no easy way to invest.The Bullion train left 4 years ago.

If there was an easy route to riches we would be getting on with it and not hanging around forums.

Peck is right about knowledge...don't even think about buying until you have the books.

Ebay is a minefield and any good dealer will be selling at a profit (until you can outsmart the dealer).

Buy a few from dealers (internet/forum members and get a feel.)

It ain't easy but I enjoy it and pee less up against the wall.

[Rob 3,152]

Hello All,

I've recently become interested in starting up a coin collection and looked for a forum to lead me in the right direction. One google search and i'm here so, Hello. A work colleague mention buying bullion as an investment, looked into and i like the idea, I however do not like the Kg's (if i ever has the cash for that) sat around waiting to be stolen. I was looking on a bullion site and noticed that they do coins...."ooooohh very nice" was my first response. They'd be alot easier to store and protect...plus, the number of coins out there is endless...I must have got a collecting gene from my grandad who passed down a small but fascinating collection of stamps. So basically, i'm looking to begin collecting new, mint silver coins on a long term basis. This is not to say that i'm not interested by existing older coins. I guess, i'm just looking for some guidance in how to start things up right, what to look out, ect ect. I did look for a beginners guide to collecting on here but I unfortunately couldn't find anything.

The coins i've been looking at are these types.

http://www.bullionby...r-1-ounce-coin/

http://www.bullionby...-silver-cougar/

Maybe these will be the start of something good. Anway, any help will be appreciated guys and girls.

Regards,

Crack

Don't confuse collecting bullion as an investment with collecting coins as a hobby. Buy bullion for a few pounds (literally) under value and sell it for closer to bullion value if you can, preferably within hours whilst at the same time being grateful for the pound or two profit made (if successful). If you think you know where the market is going in a given time frame, there is scope for a longer view, but do not anticipate a fat profit. Bullion dealers make a small margin on quick turnover. Bullion coins are sold across the world for more than their value, because once they have left the mint, very few issues are desirable as collectables and so are repurchased on a price related to their bullion values and nothing else.

If you want to collect coins whose value is not direcly related to the bullion price, then there is far more material available than with bullion and a good depth of knowledge available on this forum.

[TomGoodheart 403]

Hi and welcome. As everyone else has said, coin collecting and buying bullion are two very different things.

If you want bullion, buy ingots because generally bullion 'coins' like Britannias are marked up quite a bit above bullion (scrap) price.

Plus there's the old 'don't buy at the top of the market' thing. Anyone buying metal now is going to be paying well above what the smart investors paid a year or two ago and while you might get your money back .. well, there's a risk you won't.

Coins however are generally collected for reasons apart from the value of the metal they are made from. People like the artistry, history, or challenge of forming a collection and the intrinsic value of the coin is of little interest. Take the coin below. Scrap value for the silver? £2.62. But the value to me as part of a collection of 17th century coins? Rather more!

[Generic Lad 25]

Yep, keep your bullion and your collector coins far apart! What makes a good bullion buy does not make for a good collector coin purchase. If you mix the two you will be unhappy in both areas. I've made that mistake a few times, I've started out buying mostly bullion but I've been trying to establish a nice numismatic collection.

[SEnumis 0]

Yes keep the bullion separate. I have some sovs that my beloved keeps 200 miles away from me purely as bullion. If they were in my collection I would despair at the condition. My lesson here is always collect bullion coins in person. I learned this because when I collected in person I was sold a nice 1968 and 1974 one. Having the coins sent they were a grotty 1913 and 1930 that were scratched to blazes and had probably come out of rings. Absolutely not collectable but still perfectly acceptable as bullion, and I would be very disappointed to lose money on them.

I have some silver proofs in the collection where I paid a lot more than the bullion price. However the coins really are beautiful to look at Fairly Decent Coins ;-) which will give me a lot of pleasure over the years. If I was to sell these I doubt I would make money on them, and almost certain I would lose.

Keep the bullion and the collection separate.