| One of the most popular hobbies today is coin | | | | early beginnings of coin collecting, it is believed |
| collecting. Anyone can start collecting coins | | | | that the hobby began after the first coins were |
| anytime and any day. You may begin by collecting | | | | minted in 650 B.C. The Greeks were among the |
| the coins you have in your piggy bank, or in your | | | | early advocates of minting coins from precious |
| pocket. Coin collecting starts to get more | | | | metals, wherein they designed coins which had |
| interesting, and sometimes more costly, when a | | | | depictions of gods, goddesses, and mythical |
| collector is willing to cough up a considerable | | | | heroes. Coins were created during this period to |
| amount of cash for a particular coin, like a vintage | | | | facilitate a more formal exchange of goods and |
| or turn-of-the-century variant. Many veteran coin | | | | services. Precious metals such as gold or silver |
| collectors buy expensive coins to shore up the | | | | were minted into coins, which served as the |
| value of their repository. | | | | primary mode of payment, and slowly eradicated |
| Today, millions of people all over the world are | | | | the primitive barter trade system. |
| fascinated about the art of coin collecting. Most of | | | | The art of coin collecting refers to the trading and |
| the famous museums on the planet showcase | | | | collection of coins or other forms of legally minted |
| collections of rare and valuable coins. In the United | | | | currency, and usually the most valuable ones are |
| States, the Smithsonian Museum in Washington D. | | | | those that had been minted with errors, featured |
| C. and the American Numismatic Society in New | | | | unique and historically-interesting designs or |
| York City feature an impressive collection of | | | | figures, or had been circulated for only a short |
| ancient and vintage coins. Valuable information and | | | | period. Numismatics refers to the study of |
| education regarding the art of collecting coins is | | | | currency, and is closely related to the art of coin |
| also offered by these institutions. | | | | collecting. |
| Although it may be quite hard to pinpoint the | | | | |