Coin Collecting – A Wonderful Hobby for Kids

Coin collecting is the ideal hobby for children. It helps them learn about different places and sparks their interest in the history and culture of their own country as well as well as the rest of the world. I bought a lovely coin album this year to get my kids started with a coin collection of their own.

My father was an avid collector of stamps. I am a collector of many things – china, books, decoratives and such (Yes, bags and shoes too!). A visit to Thailand sparked the interest in foreign currency coins for my daughter a few years back. Ever since, she was on the lookout for foreign travel and family and friends visiting from different countries to get a glimpse of how coins from other countries looked.

Then, one day, I thought she would love to see the vast diversity in the coins from her own country. My mom is an ex-employee of the Reserve Bank of India and has a lovely collection of coins of India from many, many years back. Grandma’s coin collection increased the excitement several fold and I decided it was time for the kids to start with a collection of their own.

I bought this coin album for them to start their collection and helped them get started by giving them coins from the few countries we have visited over the years. Ever since, my kids look forward to visits from Uncles and Aunts who reside in other countries or have come back from a vacation. They politely request for additions to their collection and everyone is glad to help.

Here are some of my tips to make coin collecting fun for your kids:

1. Do not buy coins. Let the kids learn patience and wait to grow their collection naturally, through family, friends or personal visits-  whenever they might happen.
2. Gift a coin to the kids on their birthday, to add to their collection.
3. Try to find coins minted in their year of birth. It will make a special addition to their collection.
4. A coin album is a fun way to collect coins to keep their collection in order. I found mine on FirstCry.com. It is a Hallmark album being sold by Archies in India.
5. Give your children a decent magnifying glass to look at all the details of an interesting coin.
6. Get involved with them in their hobby. Use the coins as an excuse to teach them about Indian history. Show them how pre-independence coins of British India had images of King George and Queen Victoria. Teach them about the obverse and the reverse side of coins.
7. A metal detector is a great gift when taking your kids for a beach vacation. They will have fun looking for coins on the beach and adding it to their collection with special memories!
8. Whenever possible, take them to visit a coin museum. India has an excellent coin museum in Nashik but other museums including the National Museum in Delhi also have separate sections for coins.
9. Last but not the least, do not hand over your kids an entire coin collection immediately. That will take off their interest. Let them build their collection slowly and surely.