Numismatic Gifts Have Enduring Value

November 26, 2020

By Patrick A. Heller

My grandfather Louis Heller was one of those who inspired me to become a coin and paper money collector.  Before he died in the 1980s, he gave me a cigar box of inexpensive foreign coins from his collection. There weren’t any silver coins among them. In fact, they still today have minimal value. But, every piece has my grandfather’s handwriting on the 2×2 holder. To me they are priceless.

When you contemplate your gift-giving this season, think about what items you could bestow that would have enduring value. While perishable gifts such as food, drink, and flowers are certainly enjoyable and appreciated, they won’t be around years from now to remind the recipient of your thoughtfulness.

Numismatic gifts, in contrast, may last for centuries. If properly stored, they can remain in the same condition as they are today. They are items unlikely to be discarded and forgotten about.  They have the potential to spark happy memories time after time for years and decades.  In other words, coins and paper money are gifts of enduring value.

Remember, coins and currency tell stories. They can be appreciated for their artistry, history, geography, the theme, the date, or the nation of issue.

However, simply giving coins or paper money as gifts, while nice, may be more appreciated if you add something extra. Numismatic gifts can be more meaningful if accompanied by an album or other means of storage or a reference catalog where the coin or bank note can be researched.

Even more memorable could be your sharing the gift of your time to tell these stories.  Years later, it may be the time you spend together discussing the story of money that may be treasured more than the actual pieces you give.

I’ll let you in on a little secret. In the process of giving gifts of coins and paper money and your time to share these stories, you just might be giving yourself a gift of enduring value.