What type of coin collector are you?

There are a number of collectors in the coin collection world and most interestingly, there are certain common traits. There have been studies showing that collector groups scored significantly higher in academic achievement than did the noncollector group. According to a study, Coin collectors are considered meticulous, perfectionists, extremely orderly, passionate and quite patient.  Their passion to find the perfect coin to complete their collection and their meticulous attention to detail is evident in most coin collectors. But, does coin collecting increase intelligence, or do smart people just gravitate to this hobby? According to researchers from Granada University, they say that a collecting hobby could easily become an obsessive psychological disorder, but that if self-control is practiced, “Collecting items is good from a psychological point of view, as it helps in developing positive skills and attitudes such as perseverance, order, patience and memory.”  

What category of collectors do you fall into?

Type collectors are people who collect one example of every coin, design, denomination, or metal from a certain period of time. This means is that type collectors focus less on having every single date-and-mintmark combination from a coin series. They often spend their time trying to get representative examples of coins that belong to a certain time period instead.

Then, there are entire groups, clubs, and organizations dedicated to serving the Error coin collector. These are collectors interested in collecting coins that don’t look like they are supposed to and the mistake was caused by the Mint

Of course, we also have the a large fan base of Novelty coin collectors.  They collect coins that are usually real, but they did not get struck at the Mint looking the way they now do. Instead, many companies, private individuals, and others have modified or altered the appearance of those coins to honor a special occasion, event, person, or place.

And, we have the Investment collectors which are the Bullion coin collectors who pay careful attention to the value trends of the bullion coins they are buying because the prices for some fluctuate as quickly as the prices for stock shares.

Do you appreciate coins based upon the kind of image they have on them, then you may be a topical coin collector. That is, you collect coins because they have designs of certain subjects you like. For instance, a bird coin or an island coin are good examples.

And, we do have Modern U.S. Coin Collectors who basically means collectors who generally pursue coins like: Lincoln cents, Buffalo nickels, Mercury Dimes, Walking Liberty half dollars, Franklin half Dollar, Indian Head pennies, Barber Coins and other coins well associated with the 20th Century.

Lastly, the Rare Coin collector are those who chase after the scarcest, often priciest coins ever made. Rare coin collectors are among the breed of hobbyist that may spend a weekend at a coin auction ready to spend thousands of dollars on the most sought-after coins that reach the block.

Come visit the London Coin Galleries of Mission Viejo and you'll be amazed at our coin collections no matter what type of collector you may be.

Resources for studies:

1 William S. Cahill (Florida Atlantic University) in 1986: Intelligence and Compulsive Personality Traits as Mediators in the Contribution of the Colleting Hobbies to Academic Achievement for Eighth and Ninth Grade Students, PhD thesis.

2 Source: Kate Melville, “Collecting items can trigger obsessive-compulsive disorder,” www.scienceagogo.com

3 Cherie Burbach (“Personality Traits of Collectors”, www.orato.com)