Well, for most people, the noisy loose change in their pockets is nothing more than quarters, pennies, dimes and nickels. Another way of looking at coins implies perceiving these items as little pieces of history, works of art and a mirror reflecting how things used to be. It is this profound perception of items that drives people into taking on a fascinating hobby like coin collection.

It is necessary to mention that depending on the person’s passion and enthrallment with this leisure pursuit, they could end up with an impressive collection worth millions of dollars. Before you get to make a living out of collecting coins, you should know what you need to get started first. Let’s explore the basic supplies required to start a coin collection.

1. Magnifiers

In order to examine the coins proficiently, you will need to acquire two types of magnifiers, one for general viewing purposes and a professional tool that permits a thorough examination of the bullions. The general viewing purposes magnifier can be any common handheld lens with an enlargement capability of 3X, while the best choice for the professional magnifier is the jeweler’s loupe, a tool with up to 15X magnification power.

2. A good light source

The second basic supply you need to examine overall condition, attractiveness and fine details of the bullions is a proper light source; the incandescent bulb is perfect for this task. In fact, most collectors claim that they don’t require anything else than an inexpensive desk lamp with a 75 watt bulb for examining coins. On a side note, the halogen light is harsh and could reveal minor imperfections, whereas its fluorescent counterpart is soft and hence, could hide significant blemishes.

3. Adequate gloves

It is important to note that there is a high chance the acids and oils from the skin could do irreparable damage to the delicate surface of a coin, especially when you are handling uncirculated bullions, which are notorious for their flawless surfaces. Therefore, in order to prevent spoiling them it is highly advisable to wear gloves made from soft cotton when you need to touch the coins. The alternatives to cotton gloves include finger coats, nitrile or powder-free latex gloves.

4. Coin books

Because you need to know what to collect, whether or not your bullions are valuable, if a coin has been appraised correctly and more important aspects associated with the hobby, it is advisable to invest in coin books. American coin collectors have two great choices in this sense, namely the popular “US Coins Red Book” and respectively “ANA Grading Standards”.

5. Appropriate coin holders

Even though most novice collectors consider the standard cigar box as the ultimate suitable container for their coins, these holders don’t prevent the bullions from touching or rubbing against each other, motions that damage the coins in the long run. Consequentially, it is recommended to spend a few extra dollars and purchase holders especially designed for this exact role. There are numerous containers available for holding coins, the least expensive variants being the 2×2 cardboards and the coin flips.