by R. Lipscomb

Created on: July 28, 2008   Last Updated: January 12, 2011

Want to share a very special memory with a child? Why don't you try coin collecting? As a child my mother was the one who really got me hooked on this hobby. She taught her children how to start a coin collection with simple little pennies. Pennies are things most people throw away but to a child it can be a lifetime of memories.

The first penny I remember collecting on my own, wasn't actually worth even a penny. It was called a blank. The building foundation to a major collection that now includes pennies and some rare coins, it also includes paper money and foreign currency. Most of these coins are now only valued at the price of how much a memory is to me, but still hold and will continue to hold a very special place in my collectibles.

If you want to get your children into an inexpensive hobby, you can start with their very own penny collection. You have to make it very exciting for them. Teaching them that collecting money can be rewarding. They will also learn facts on how coins are made, where they are made and what they are made from. Teaching them also, the fact that some are worth more than just the coin's face value.

The challenge here maybe to keep your self excited; to insure they would continue collecting. Get them involved in a local organization that teach children different aspects involved with coin collecting. Your local library can some times assist you with this project. While you are there you can check out age appropriate material for learning this new hobby they are interested in. Many books over the years have been published on the subject about the coin collecting. Which is also called "Numismatics".

Most of your local coin dealer shops, or bookstores and department stores will usually carry the coin books and albums you are looking for. They also, sometimes carry coin holders that will keep the money in a special place while all the kids, try to fill these books with the special coins they may just find out of the blue.

As the children and their coin collections grow, you can introduce different types of coins. Coins from around the world. Watch them learn about different parts of the world and what country these new coins they are collecting are coming from. Before long they will be collecting coins and reading world maps and learning many new things about the world around them.

Some simple suggestions to try to keep them collecting on their own might be, to keep it fun, stay excited about this with them. Also, try getting their friends involved. Don't forget you can also get online and look up some web sites that deal with coins and the value of these coins. Try to make a game of this, get your children hooked on the idea of a real treasure hunt and with real money involved. This should keep their attention and give them the basic knowledge they will need to keep this hobby interesting and exciting for many years to come.

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