Millions of people collect coins, making it one of the most popular hobbies in the world. Coins were invented about 2,700 years ago, which means there is a huge range to choose from.
Collectors are often referred to as ‘numismatists’ and their hobby is called numismatics. They might be interested in:
Coin Collectors use special words to describe different parts of a coin. Click here to find some that are definitely worth knowing about.
|
More about 'circulating' coins Anybody can collect circulating coins – they’re the coins we spend at the shops. In Australia there are six circulating coins - $2, $1, 50c, 20c, 10c and 5c.
If you can collect one of each coin with the same date on it, you’ll own a Year Set!
Every now and then $1 coins and 50c coins with commemorative designs on them are issued. These are really great to collect.
Historic coins are generally old coins no longer in circulation. The design usually tells us something about the history of the country in which they were made.
Coins from ancient Greece and ancient Rome are still being discovered. Quite often they’re buried deep underground and found accidentally when a new building is being put up.
Even though Australia is a young country, we still have historic coins. Gold sovereigns made in Australia between 1855 and 1931 are popular with many older collectors.
Historic coins can be very rare, which makes them really expensive to buy! But there are plenty of Australian shillings, florins and pennies in existence, which means you could start a collection of historic pre-decimal coins.
Investment coins are made from precious metals like gold, silver and platinum. People buy investment coins because they hope their value will go up and they can sell their coins for a profit.
Investment coins made at The Perth Mint are issued as Australian legal tender. This means that people who buy them can be certain of the weight and purity of each coin’s precious metal.
More about 'commemorative' coins The Perth Mint makes one of the biggest ranges of commemorative coins in the world. The designs on its coins celebrate historic events, important anniversaries and famous people.
Each coin has a limited mintage – meaning that only a fixed number will ever be made. Collectors enjoy being one of the few people to own a special commemorative coin.
You can see the amazing number of commemoratives made by The Perth Mint by clicking here.
History of Australian Coins If you would like to find out more about the history of Australian coins check out our special story here. |
|
