How to Collect Irish Coins

Collecting Irish Coins

• 1

  Select an era of Irish coins to collect. In a thousand years of producing coins, there are literally tens of thousands of coins available to collectors. It would be difficult to learn enough about all the different groups of coins to be a smart collector. By specializing in a limited number of coin groups, the collector can be be more easly informed. This prevents the collector from paying a higher price than necessary for a coin or purchasing a coin that has been misrepresented or is counterfeit.

• 2

  Know the coin grading standards. These standards apply to all coins. Coins that are worn or damaged are less valuable than coins in excellent or even mint quality. Collectors need to be able to determine the grade of the coin to know its value.

• 3

  Find some reliable dealers. This is easier to do if the collector knows the coins. A coin dealer should be able to give knowledgeable advice about the value and collectibility of a coin. The dealer should also stand behind what he sells. If further research reveals a coin to be something other than what the dealer represented, will the dealer refund the money? The Professional Numismatists Guild maintains a code of ethics followed by many coin dealers.

• 4

  Start acquiring some Irish coins. Collectors who have knowledge of what they are looking for and deal with reliable dealers should be able to acquire coins at a fair price. Collectors should have an upper price in mind. The collector needs to stick to that price, especially in a coin auction setting where it is easy to bd swayed by the moment and pay a higher price than the value of the coin merits.

• 5

  Display or house the Irish coins. Some collectors display rare coins as part of a room's décor. Others keep the coins safely stored out of sight. In either case, rare and old coins should be kept in plastic housings and not directly touched by human hands.