Daily Musings 002

Around the world in 80 days!  Just kidding, but it certainly feels like I am on that adventure reviewing some of my Dad's coins.  I have reviewed 40 coins with a total "value" of $2,200.

Years 127 - 1963 from a Kushan Empire Tetradrachm to a Canadian Silver Dollar

All 6 settled continents

Asia - India, Tibet, China, 

Europe - Roman Empire, Greek Empire, Byzantine Empire, Britain, Spain, Ottoman Empire, Portugal

North America - USA, Canada

South America - Bolivia

Australia - Australia

Africa - Tunisia, Egypt

Thank goodness for the internet.  I always felt like I had a reasonable numismatic library, but I could not imagine attributing world and ancient coins in the 1970's and 1980's.  Certainly coins can begin to feel recognizable.  However, high resolution google images certainly help with a quick scan.

An outstanding question is how to organize the coins.  I started to use 2x2 cardboard flips.  Stapling is a pain in the ass, but the covers are easy to write on.  About halfway I switched to 2x2 plastic flips.  Much easier to fold, but now I want to print out a cardstock identifier card.

It will take some thinking to decide how to organize the coins.  Ancient India, Roman and Greek certainly stand out.  Kushan Empire, Gupta Empire, Princely States stand out.  World coins would best be organized alphabetically and then by year.  US coins are the easiest to organize.  Denomination, year, variety.

I may update my Standard Catalog of World Coins.  Krause & Mishler publish 1601-1700, 1701-1800, 1801-1900, 1901-2000 and 2001-Date.  R.S. Yeoman publishes Modern World Coins 1850-1964 with a new 15th edition coming out this year.  

At the October Denver Coin Expo, I will for sure get cardboard boxes for the 2x2 and possibly slabs as well.  I would like to start exchanging silver for gold.