Coins Evolving to Appeal to Collectors of the Future

A continuing question for which there is no definitive answer is just how many coin collectors are out there and whether the hobby is expanding or contracting. Just as with everything else in our modern society, coin collecting is changing with the times. Coins are not used as often in circulation, but there are plenty of made-for-collector coins being offered for anyone not interested in older, historic coins. Some of these new collector-only coins are going to feature pop culture figures courtesy of the U.S. Mint partnering with Warner Brothers. Foreign and private mints are issuing color-enhanced, glow-in-the-dark, uniquely shaped, and odd-metal composition coins.

 Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) allow collecting to be done virtually using unique digital coins that can be bought and traded like physical currency. Traditional dealers and collectors may turn their noses up at these innovative products, but another generation of potential collectors is on the horizon. To these people, this is the collectible coinage of the future.

It may come as a surprise, but according to GovMint.com, as of 2022 (the latest year for which statistics were available at the time this commentary was being written), three in five Americans consider themselves collectors of something. Of those people who acknowledge they are collectors, 17 percent of them said they collect coins. According to Transparency Market Research, the global coin-collecting industry was valued at about $18.1 billion in 2023. 

The British Royal Mint conducted a survey that indicated two out of every five people who identify as being Gen Z have a collection and view that collection as an investment towards their future. Gen Z collects due to nostalgia and the desire to own tangible objects. The bottom line is that just as with everything else in our society, coins and those who collect them are evolving, not fading away.