Why people collect coins and bank notes

People collect coins and paper money for many reasons. Some people enjoy owning a piece of history. Others become interested in the hobby when they have inherited a collection. Still others see collecting rare coins and paper and bank notes as an investment that will become more valuable in the future. Artists with a creative streak have even made unique jewellery from old coins, and paper money has been used to make Japanese origami (an artform made by folding squares of paper into representative shapes). What other collectable is so versatile that you can shape it into a swan one day, and exchange it for groceries the next?

The illustrations and type styles on paper money are especially interesting to people who enjoy them for their aesthetic appeal. If you think international paper money only depicts world-famous political figures, think again. The variety of subjects on money is very diverse. For example, an 1896 Republic of Hawaii $20 Silver Certificate of Deposit features three separate scenes, one of which is a Victorian girl lovingly hugging three adorable puppies while a fourth puppy looks on. A 1918 U.S. $2 Federal Reserve Bank Note pictures the battleship New York. A 1978 Rwanda 100 Franc note features a tropical scene with a herd of zebras roaming through a field. Need further proof that almost every subject "under the sun" has probably been featured on a coin and bank note somewhere in the world? An undated $3 note from the Bahamas features an artist's sketch of a local getaway (Paradise Beach), complete with a bikini-clad sunbather reading a book and a child searching for shells in the surf!

Since there are so many types of coins and currency to choose from, it's best to pick a specific category or, in the beginning, start with a type set (one coin from each of the different series of coins that the U.S. Mint made). After completing a type set, there will likely be at least one series that will be of most interest to you, and you can pursue a collection of that series.