Why Am I a Coin Collector

First, for their Artistry. The minting of coins is a specialized form of sculpting and engraving, subject to the technical limitations inherent in the process. The Twentieth-Century American Coin Renaissance relied on renowned United States artists, such as Augustus Saint-Gaudens, to design coins considered among the most beautiful coins ever minted by the United States Mint. The United States Mint seeks to repeat this feat through its Artistic Infusion Program, in which renowned United States artists are again invited to design the next generation of United States coinage. The 2005-S Jefferson Nickel depicted below, Type 3 Westward Journey Designs (Bison), was the first coin minted under that program. Notably, the word “Liberty” is written in Jefferson’s own handwriting.

For their Symbolism. One of the first lessons taught in numismatic courses is that the designs and inscriptions on coins symbolize a nation’s identity, values, and history. Studying the symbolism on United States coinage provides an avenue to explore the ideals that have defined, and should continue to define, the United States. For example, the Great Seal of the United States, adopted in 1782, is a source for much of the symbolism found on United States coinage. On the obverse is the American bald eagle clutching an olive branch with thirteen olives and leaves and thirteen arrows. The eagle symbolizes strength, independence, and freedom. The olive branch and arrows symbolize the power of peace and war, respectively, with the eagle facing towards peace. The Great Seal cemented the American bald eagle as a national symbol. Today, that same design can be found on the reverse of the Kennedy Half Dollar depicted above. Both the obverse and reverse of the Great Seal can be found on the one-dollar bill.

Note: This symbolism does not go unnoticed today. The olive branch, a long-standing symbol of peace, was removed from the semiquincentennial Emerging Liberty Dime, prompting some critics to argue that its removal undermines a foundational ideal in American symbolism.

As a Reflection of the Nation’s History, Politics, and Economic Policies. Coins are not simply artistic works; they are produced to facilitate business transactions, and in sufficient quantities to do so. Historical events, economic factors, and pragmatism affect the coins produced in the United States. One need look no further than the discontinuation of the cent denomination in 2025. Studying coins provides a lens through which to view the history of the United States.

For example, the Morgan Dollar, one of the more commonly collected coin series, is the result of political lobbying. Faced with diminished silver markets in the early 1870s, silver miners could still deposit their silver with the United States Mint and have it converted into silver dollars, leading to significant production of silver dollars by the United States Mint in 1873 and 1874. The Coinage Act of 1873 ended this process, demonetized silver, and halted the minting of the standard silver dollar, leading to decreased silver prices, increased gold prices, and severe economic impacts on silver miners. Heavy lobbying by farming and mining interests led to the enactment of the Bland-Allison Act of 1878, which required the United States Treasury to purchase large amounts of silver to be coined into Morgan Dollars. Approximately 570 million Morgan Dollars were minted between 1878 and 1904. Due to their low commercial demand, hundreds of millions of these coins sat idle in vaults for decades, leading to the series’ discontinuation between 1904 and 1921, when it was minted for one final year before being replaced by the Peace Dollar.

To Dabble in Photography. Coin collecting is what one might call a “gateway” endeavor. Photographing coins can be challenging, and for me, still a work in progress. Obtaining that ideal combination of aperture, shutter speed, and lighting has been elusive. All of the coins depicted on this site, unless otherwise indicated, were personally taken by me. I would like to thank all of my coin-collector colleagues who allowed me to photograph some of the coins in their collections for the articles posted here.

References

Graybill, Darcie. (March 21, 2026) American Numismatic Association Reading Room. Echoes of 1776 on the 2026 Dime. https://readingroom.money.org/echoes-of-1776-on-the-2026-dime.

National Museum of American Diplomacy. (March 19, 2018)The Great Seal. https://diplomacy.state.gov/the-great-seal.

The United States Mint. (n.d.) Artists. https://www.usmint.gov/learn/artists.

The United States Mint. (March 22, 2017) U.S. Mint History: The “Crime of 1873.” https://www.usmint.gov/news/inside-the-mint/mint-history-crime-of-1873,

The United States Mint. (September 16, 2004) United States Mint Unveils Dramatic New Nickel Designs for 2005. https://www.usmint.gov/news/press-releases/20040916-united-states-mint-unveils-dramatic-new-nickel-designs-for-2005.