Types of Coin Collections
Coin collecting, or numismatics, is the systematic accumulation and study of coins, tokens, paper money, medals, and other similar objects. While individual collections vary greatly from one collector to the next, there are several common themes around which these collections are passionately built.
Country Collections
Country-collectors either work to accumulate a coin from every country that has ever issued a coin, or they amass all coins that one country has ever issued.
Year Collections
Year-collectors strive to collect a specific coin from every year it was issued. One example is collecting a Lincoln cent from every year it was minted, starting in 1909 and continuing to the present. With the great diversity of mint marks available on coins, there are even more coins to accrue from the different mints. Some mints are rarer than others, making those especially prized finds! To help collectors, specialty books are available that specifically note the coins from certain years.
Period Collections
Period collections are comprised of coins from specific time periods. This can include anything from a particular century (17th, 18th, 19th, etc.) or from a certain ancient time period (Roman, Byzantine, ancient Israelite, etc.) Another approach to the period collection is to collect coins from a specific dynasty or emperor's reign, showcasing grand examples of the events that occurred during their supremacy.
Variety Collections
There are typically many sets of dies used to create the same coin. Occasionally, the dies will vary slightly. Variety-collectors focus on gathering the entire range of minute differences amongst a coin design. An example of this is the recent US Wisconsin state quarter. The older coins were hand carved and therefore have several variations in the number of leaves on each piece.
Type Collections
Type-collectors gather coins based on series and/or denomination, as opposed to dates or mintmarks. For example, a type-collection of 20th century American coins would include incremental denominations of the penny, nickel, dime, quarter, half dollar, silver dollar, etc.
Subject Collections
Collectors who are particularly interested in a certain subject, such as animals or nautical themes, may collect coins that depict images of that subject matter. These collections can be as specific as consisting only of panda coins, or as wide as including any coin that depicts a type of animal.
Composition Collections
Composition-collectors are most interested in gathering coins of a specific metal composition. Some collect only bi-metal coins, while others focus on a particular precious metal like bronze, gold, silver or platinum.