Hobby of KingsBrief History of The Coin - By: Sara McConnel

Although it is not possible to identify the beginning of coin collecting, it is believed that the hobby soon started after the first coins were minted around 650 B.C.

Items were once exchanged for carefully weighed precious metals like gold or silver. Because of dishonest merchants trying to steal things by passing out a lower quantity of these metals, the barter system that was once used was replaced by coins made of standardized weights of precious gold. Coins quickly became the newest form of payment for items.

(Now the Greeks who in the fifth century began to commission artists to engrave the faces and figures on their coins. They commonly used depictions of their gods, goddesses, and mythical heroes. Alexander the Great began the popular fashion of using realistic engravings on the coins instead of imaginary representations.

Francesco Petrarca, a (14th century Italian historian and poet nicknamed the father of the Renaissance, was the first numismatic enthusiast to bring attention to numismatics and probably was the most famous coin collector.

The hobby, adored for its art and value, soon became well liked with popes. Also during the Renaissance period. It soon became a passion. History also points to Roman emperors who used to (buy the coins for higher prices than the face value for the coins that were not in circulation. Coin collecting was soon referred to "The Hobby of Kings", a tile given by the enthusiastic renaissance nobility. Kings like Louis XIV of France, Ferdinand I, and Henry IV of France were also great coin collectors. Elector Joachim II of Bradenburg started the Berlin coin cabinet.

The first international convention for numismatists was held on August 15th through the 18th in 1962 in Detroit, Michigan. It was sponsored by the American Numismatic Association and the Royal Canadian Numismatic Association. It was estimated that 40,000 people were there.

The United States didnā€™t officially start minting coins until the beginning of 1792 with the legislating of the Coinage Act. This act made the United States dollar as the official unit of currency exchange in the states.

The Philadelphia Mint was the first to manufacture United States coins. When it coined the United States Silver Dollar. The next mint commissioned was the Denver Mint in 1906. The San Francisco Mint and the West Point mint mainly produce proof sets and gold coins. All the coins in the United States is marked with a P, D, S or W, depending on the mint where it was produced.

Today there are millions of people fascinated by collecting coins There are several different museums that showcase valuable and very rare collections of coins. These museums include the Smithsonian in Washington D. C. as well as the American Numismatic Society in New York City which was established in 1891 to encourage education concerning coin collecting. Coin Collectors enjoy the thrill of someday finding something rare and valuable but also (admire the coins themselves for their aesthetic and historical value.

Although it is not possible to identify the beginning of coin collecting, it is believed that the hobby soon started after the first coins were minted around 650 B.C.

Items were once exchanged for carefully weighed precious metals like gold or silver. Because of dishonest merchants tr

This Article was athoured by Mike Zell
Mr Zells enthusism for Numismatics is well known locally.
He runs 2 businesses and maintains the http://www.NuCoins.com
website.
Mr Zell has submitted many articles and is considered an authority on coins.
For more information on Numismatics visit http://www.nucoins.com