Pound
Precious metals are perceived as exceedingly valuable, especially gold and silver. In practically every corner of the globe, these metals are valued both because of their natural properties and the ability to represent any currency.
History
Starting from ancient times, gold and silver was used for jewelry crafting, decoration, and many more aesthetic purposes. But, it was also valued as a form of currency and it did not take long for the classical ancient cultures to begin to shape these metals into a standardized form. In just a couple of generations, many thousands of years ago, these metals became the essential basis of economic systems.
Of course, these metals were crafted in a way that was easy for commerce and transport, which meant that they were minted as coins. Unlike today, where money is only the physical representation of a concept of wealth, gold and silver coins were the actual wealth itself. With them, the weight and purity of a coin were seen as a direct representation of value. The same tradition lasted a lot longer than many realize. For example, in the U.S., dimes, quarters, and coins valued at half a dollar were minted in silver all the way until 1964.
At the same time, the process of collecting coins began to emerge as a trend that was especially popular among the wealthy segments of the population. In all ancient cultures, starting with Greece, Egypt, and Rome, and moving onto the Middle Eastern civilizations of Mesopotamia, Persia, Babylon; the hobby of coin collecting existed. For example, historical texts show that Roman emperor, Augustus, in the first century CE, loved to show off his coin collection to his friends and official visitors. In the 14th century, coin collecting entered a period of reinvigorated interest and this coincided with the beginning of the Renaissance. In that period, it became very popular among the upper class, including Monarchs. This is the reason why it was known as the “Hobby of Kings”. Later, beginning with the 17th century, it became more widespread, but still remained a domain of interest for those who were wealthy and powerful.
Benefits
Although coins are minted in all sorts of shapes and sizes, it seems that many people from around the world clearly understand that they possess an inherent value that surpasses its basic gold or silver content. These collections have been originally formed by the wealthy and later ended up inherited by future generations — all while constantly growing in value. Even as civilizations vanished from the face of the Earth, these collections remained supported by the idea that gold and silver will always hold value.
To understand and appreciate gold and silver through coin collecting is to understand history and finance entwined into a way of life. Gold and silver is valuable around the globe. Many people find success in coin collecting when they are well versed, have done research and know their history and facts.
Owning gold or silver in any form is considered an asset and carries value. So investing in some; however small an investment is in fact an investment that pays.
To this day, silver and gold coin collections continue to be a bastion of stability. Thousands of years might have passed, but collecting coins, especially made out of precious metal, still remains an activity worthy of Kings. Today, gold and silver coin collecting is still one of the favorite hobbies for the generations that pay.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.