Five Great Christmas Gifts for the Coin Collector in Your Family

It's that time again; people are out buying gifts and you are trying to find the perfect gift for your golfing father, seamstress mother, boating uncle, and Hannah Montana-wild nieces. But what do you buy for the coin-collecting brother? Well, there are a number of gifts out there for the numismatist in every family (and recent U.S. Mint programs have contributed to the "minting" of millions of new coin collectors over the past few years). What should you get the numismatist(s) that you know and love well but just don't know how to satisfy? Consider these five gift ideas.

Oh, yes, by the way---if you are stumbling over the word numismatist (pronounced nu-MISS-ma-tist), the term simply refers to a person who studies or coins. And if you are scratching your head trying to figure out where you can buy these coin-related gifts, all you need to do is stop by a coin dealer's store (look in your phone book under coins or coin dealers) or turn to the internet, where hundreds of reputable, well-experienced (and well-stocked) coin dealers offer their services.

Gift Idea #5: Coin Albums

Almost every coin collector loves high-quality coin albums. Dansco produces a large series of durable, heirloom-quality coin albums that house everything from Lincoln cents to nineteenth-century three-cent coins(yes, our nation once had circulating three-cent pieces).These albums feature hard, faux-leather coversand acetate slides that allow both sides of each housed coin to be seen. These albums typically cost $20 and up, but they would be a gift most any coin collector would love to receive.

A fine alternative to Dansco albums are Whitman coin albums, which resemble roughly resemble the quality of the Dansco albums. Whitman albums are generally colored blue, whereas Dansco albums are brown. When shopping for either of the two albums, do not confuse them with coin folders, which cardboard-construction products that do not protect coins very well, allow for only one side of the coin to be viewed, and may chemically react with the coins, making for toning and discoloration issues.

While fine for young collectors or inexpensive coin collections, coin folders are not appropriate for a high-end collection of coins which need and deserve a high level of protection. While coin albums are generally found in coin dealers' stores, many large book retailers also sell coin albums in-store, so be sure to call your local Border's or Barnes & Noble book stores about buying a coin album before having to find a coin dealer.

Gift Idea #4: Capital Plastics Holder

The creme-de-la-creme of coin display products are, without much fear of disagreement from the typical coin enthusiast, Capital Plastics coin holders.Capital Plastics is a major producer of Lucite displays and plaques which has a huge line of coin holders for individual coins and sets. Though among the mot expensive types of coin holders on the market, Capital offers a wide range of products that offer years of aesthetically pleasing protection for coins of every type.

Though Capital offers a line of "economy" coin holders that are priced under $3-5 for many models, the Capital holder most coin collectors think of are three-panel Lucite display cases that are screw-post secured and hold everything from single coins to complete coin sets. The three-panel deluxe, screw-assembled Capital coin holders run $5-7 for individual coins and more than $75 for holders that accommodate one coin of every major design of the nineteenth and/or twentieth centuries.

There are plenty of Capital holders offered at prices between these extremes. However, the idea here is that, while expensive, you certainly get in quality, eye-appeal, and coin protection what you are paying for. Capital plastics holders are available through many coin dealers and through the Capital Plastics website.

Gift Idea #3: Proof and Mint Sets

Most mints assemble and sell to collectors special sets of coins fresh off the press, and the United States Mint is no exception. In fact, the United States Mint has an ever-growing line of mint sets and proof sets.

A mint set is a package of coins that typically includes one example of every coin denomination and design minted in a given year for circulation; these coins are in uncirculated ("mint") condition and protected in Mylar or cellophane packages. A proof set is a set of coins, also produced by the mint, that contains coins struck on specially polished planchets (the coin "blanks"), and the designs are struck onto the planchets at least twice to bring up tiny details not often seen on business-strike coins (the coins we encounter in circulation). These coins are handled by gloved mint employees and inserted into durable plastic display cases.

While current-year coin sets can be purchased directly from the United States Mint, older year (perhaps the gift-recipient's birth year, year of college graduation, or some other year of special event in his or her life) proof and mint sets can be bought from most any coin dealer.

Gift Idea #2: Foreign Coins

Here's an interesting idea---give a gift of a coin (or coins) struck in a foreign nation of particular importance to the gift recipient. Did your sister have an especially great time during her trip to Italy last year? Consider coughing up some Lira to buy her a grouping of Italian coins. What about your German-American neighbor who enjoys talking about his heritage from Deutschland? Why not spend a few Marks and purchase a set of German coins. Does your grandfather lovingly remember his grandfather who hailed from the Emerald Isle (Ireland)? A Punt from the land of Erie may just make Grandpa's day.

As you can begin seeing here, foreign coins can mean something special to all types of people. Virtually every nation in recent centuries has produced coinage and, no matter where your friends and loved one may have been born, claim ancestry from, or have traveled to, there is a special coin for him or her. Most coin dealers offer foreign coins, but if you have a limited choice of coin dealers near you, consider looking online for a coin dealer offering foreign coins.

Gift Idea #1: Silver and Gold

Ah---silver and gold; Burl Ives sang a famous Christmas song about silver and gold, and what more appropriate gift to give the numismatist you love (or anybody you love, for that matter)than a gift of silver and/or gold? Silver and gold prices have been up in recent years, and as of this writing, gold is going for around $800 per ounce while silver is trading at about $14 per ounce (according to http://goldprices.com/). While you can certainly spring for an ounce-heavy gold or silver coin, you need not break the bank, especially in the case of gold coins.

In fact, most of the world's major mints, including the U.S. Mint, offer gold coins of fractional weight. The U.S. Mint sells gold coins weighing in increments of 1/10th-ounce, 1/4-ounce, 1/2-ounce, as well as 1-ounce, and the fractional size roughly correlates to the percentage of the current one-ounce spot bullion price. Though silver bullion coins are basically offered only in 1-ounce weight, silver prices are not so high right now as to make buying a 1-ounce silver coin (or many, for that matter) cost-prohibitive for many gift-givers.

United States bullion coins can be purchased directly from the U.S. Mint, and many coin dealers sell both U.S. and foreign bullion coins.

Note: The bullion prices listed above is current as of December 13, 2007; the quoted spot price is subject to change and will affect the price you will pay for these coins)