Knowing for certain the coin collection history is impossible. However, it is generally believed that the hobby of coin collecting began soon after the minting of the first coins around 650 B.C., this hobby has been around a long time.Coins were first developed because of a need to standardize the weights of gold. Gold and Silver were used as payment in exchange for goods and services. The original system used carefully weighed amounts that represented a specific value. However, dishonest dealers began to cheat the system by passing off lower quality metals and representing them as gold and silver. Coins quickly became the newest form of payment for goods.
Greek artists were first commissioned to create designs for coins at the beginning of the fifth century. The depiction of gods, goddesses, and mythical heroes were commonly used, and Alexander the Great began the popular trend of using realistic designs on the coins.
The fourteenth century Italian scholar and poet nicknamed the father of the Renaissance, Francesco Petrarca, is said to be the first coin enthusiast. He brought much attention to the hobby of coin collecting and was probably was the most famous coin collector of his time.
The hobby of coin collecting was treasured for its artistic and economic value, and soon became popular with popes during the Renaissance period. There is evidence that the popes turned were passionate about their hobby. Evidence also points to Roman emperors who used to pay 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 coin collectors 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 in attendance.
Coin minting did not begin in the United States officially until the beginning of 1792. The passing of the Coinage Act legalized the United States dollar as the official unit of monetary exchange throughout the states. The Philadelphia Mint was the first to manufacture US coins when it coined the US Silver Dollar. The Denver Mint began producing coins in 1906, and the San Francisco Mint and the West Point mint mainly produce proof sets and gold coins. Every coin in the United States is marked with a P, D, S or W, depending on the mint where it was produced.
While the exact coin collection history is not known, millions of people today consider themselves coin collectors or coin hobbyists, and more are joining their ranks every day. Several museums showcase valuable and rare coin collections, including 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.
Source: coincollectingalbum.com
