Coin Collecting Organizations

Many coin collectors are at a loss about what to do with their collections. Some are just plain oblivious to the importance or value of the collection that they possess and they just take it for granted. This is such a pity. A person may have the rarest and most precious of coins and they don’t even realize it. Well, if you are not aware yet, there are a number of organizations that can help coin collectors find the value of their coins and can advise the best thing to do about it.

One is the American Numismatic Association, or ANA, in Illinois. This very old organization was set up by Dr. George F. Heath as early as 1891. Dr. Heath founded the ANA to be able to spread awareness about numismatics, further advance understanding of the art in it, and eventually raise interest in the then not so popular hobby. The ANA had put up a museum in Colorado, where its national headquarters is also located. It offers memberships to interested coin collectors under different terms, depending on a person’s preference. You can choose from one year-membership up to lifetime membership.

Another organization is the Royal Canadian Numismatic Association or the RCNA. This one is a non-profit organization founded by Jerome Remick in the 1950s. It has the same goal as the American Numismatic Association, which is to promote awareness and interest in numismatics. Every year, this association holds a convention where dealers showcase their numismatic items for anyone who’s interested to buy. Of course, there is also a very useful Professional Coin Grading Services, or PCGS.

This organization serves as a third-party grader of coins between dealers and collectors. Collectors who would like to get their coins graded fairly, they should consult with the PCGS. The Professional Coin Grading Services objectively evaluates the authenticity and value of each coin. After the appraisal, they seal it in a transparent plastic holder for safety. The plastic holder will ensure that the coin won’t get scratched or damaged. Needless to say, it keeps the coin in mint condition, giving it a longer life.

Here a small list of coin collector organizations worldwide.

• American Numismatic Association
• American Numismatic Society
• United States Mint
• Numismatic Guaranty Corporation
• Professional Coin Grading Service
• Royal Canadian Numismatic Association
• Ancient Coin Collectors Guild
• British Numismatic Society
• Royal Numismatic Society of New Zealand
• Canadian Paper Money Society
• Rochester Numismatic Association
• The British Numismatic Trade Association
• Swiss Numismatic Society
• International Numismatic Council
• Numismatische Gesellschaft zu Berlin
• Royal Numismatic Society of Belgium
• Federation of European Numismatic Associations
• Finnish Numismatic Society
• The Numismatic Society of India
• La Società Numismatica Italiana
• Gesellschaft für Internationale Geldgeschichte

For quick information, collectors can go to the online community called the Colnect Collectors Club community. Its website is a library of information on all collectible items. It offers a wide variety of public catalogs such as stamps, bank cards, phone cards, and of course coins and other numismatic items. This online community helps collectors get in touch and exchange information about their respective hobbies, or even swap items with each other. These are just a few of the many organizations out there that can help budding coin collectors. All you have to do is search on the net or ask around.