About Stamp Collection

Stamp collecting is the most popular hobby in the world. However, if you are not a collector you may be asking, "Why stamps? Aren't stamps just pictures on little pieces of paper?". Scientifically speaking, yes that's correct. However, there is so much more to stamps that people of any age, any income and any interest can find some aspect of stamp collecting appealing and very satisfying.

Stamps represent historical events, people and places. Its an easy stepping stone to learning as much or as little about world or local history as you want. With the aide of a good stamp catalog the world is at your fingertips. Stamps makes learning fun and you might not even realize that you are learning.

There are so many ways to chose how to collect. You can be a generalist and collect every stamp ever made. You can specialize on a particular area. Or you can be a generalist with a number of specialized areas. You can collect a specific country (or area) or a particular kind of stamp from an area. The possibilities are virtually endless.

You will never be done learning in this hobby. There are libraries of information on every subject of stamps and research is continuously uncovering more information. Also, new stamps are always being issued, creating even more items to be learned and researched.If you want to be mentally challenged, then this hobby is for you. However, challenges are not a requirement to enjoy this hobby; some collectors collect stamps simply because the picture on the stamp appeals to them.

Source : www.fwpl.org/ssswcs.htm

Tips On Coin Collection

A Coin should always be held by its RIM / EDGE, with thumb and index finger. It should never be held from OBVERSE & REVERSE side; otherwise it will lose its weight and beauty . If possible the coins should be seen/checked where carpet or mat is spread over the floor, so as to reduce the damage to the coin in case it falls down.

Every coin has two sides OBVERSE & REVERSE. Obverse is also called head. It is the main side of a coin carrying the portrait head of the ruler or a Symbol and name of the country. Reverse is the back side of a coin and is called Tail. It depicts the denomination or issue price of the coin with year and mint mark underneath. However in all the commemorative coins issued in India, the denomination is given under the Ashoka Lion Capital.

When coins used to be struck by hand, the side of the coin that was on the anvil die was always the obverse. The side that took the hammer strike was the reverse. Nowadays, with machine struck coins, there is no longer an "anvil die" at all. So which side is which? This checklist will help you determine the obverse and reverse of less familiar coins.

The obverse has the portrait. If neither side has portraits, try to apply condition 2. The obverse side is different. In other words, the obverse side doesn't have the "common type". A good example of this is the Euro coin, which doesn't have a portrait. However, each country has its own design on one side, with a design common to all countries on the other side. The coins are said to share the same "reverse," more or less by mutual assent among collectors.

This rule would also apply to coins of East India Company or any other country that has, say, a coat of arms (or some other common device) on its coinage (but no portrait.) If the common device appears on multiple denominations, the side without that device is the obverse.The side that bears the name of the country is usually considered the obverse in cases where the coin meets neither 1 nor 2 above. Look at a proof set. If you have access to a special mint-issued set, such as a proof set, you can determine which side the mint considers to be the obverse because this side will be face up in the proof coin holder.

Source : www.bharatcoins.com/tipsforcollectors.html