Can I attend a meeting without joining the club?
Yes. You can attend up to three meetings in a calendar year without having to become a paid member.
This gives you an opportunity to meet the members and decide whether becoming a member is right for you.
Why join a coin / banknote club?
If you collect coins or banknotes, then you can benefit from being a member of a numismatic (coin and banknote) club.
Clubs provide their members with the opportunity to meet like-minded people and to share information about their hobby. Clubs are also a great source of items for your collection.
Many collectors hesitate before visiting a club because they might regard themselves as ‘only beginners’ or for other reasons. No need to think that way! We were all beginners once!
Join a club today and you will reap the benefits.
The pamphlet: Why Join A Coin & Banknote Club? is available on our Links & Downloads page.
Collecting coins & banknotes – Where do I start?
Most Australian collectors start by collecting Australian coins and banknotes, because those items are generally readily available. Items might come from the collector’s change, fairs or from dealers.
Often, a collecting interest can be sparked if the collector receives foreign coins or banknotes from friends or relatives returning from a trip overseas – or from their own overseas trip.
As their collection develops, a collector might look to broaden their interests and expand their collection to include other countries (more than just the change from an overseas trip). Or they might look to narrow their interests to focus on: particular countries, just coins, just banknotes, or specific types of coins and/or banknotes.
Coin and banknote collecting opens up a whole new world of interest.
The pamphlet: Collecting Coins & Banknotes. Where Do I Start? is available on our Links & Downloads page.
How to identify and value a coin or banknote
There are at least four ways to identify and value a coin or banknote:
Ask the members of a coin / banknote club.
They might not know straight away but are likely to know where to look for the information.
Keep in mind that club members might be willing to help you with information about some of your collection – but not all of it. You will gain a better understanding and appreciation of your collection if you spend the time and effort to learn about it.
Ask a coin / banknote dealer.
But keep in mind that the dealers have better things to do than identify and value your currency, no matter how valuable it might (or might not) be.
Look through a coin / banknote catalogue.
For identifying a mystery coin or banknote:
TIP: The images or text on the coin / banknote might give you a clue about the country.
Most catalogues have an identification chart that can help you identify the country. The chart can help you to narrow down the search.
Images and/or descriptions for each coin and banknote are listed under the relevant country. Countries are listed from A to Z.
For finding the value of a coin or banknote
Look under the listing for that country to find the value (note that many catalogues are in American dollars).
Use a coin or banknote identification app.
Download an app to your mobile device.
FOR COINS:
The following two coin apps have been tested by our members, but there are others available.
CoinSnap is reliable for identifying and valuing coins. But it isn’t free. Click on the link below.
Coinoscope is also reliable for identifying and valuing coins. There is a free version available; premium versions incur a fee.
FOR BANKNOTES:
NoteSnap is reliable for identifying and valuing banknotes. There is a free version available; premium versions incur a fee.