Coming to the United States from England as a boy I have a couple of heirlooms that have become valued to me. As part of my heritage I have a few items that came from the old country to with me as I immigrated in my childhood. Of the memorabilia that I still hold onto there are some coins that have special meaning to me. The currency of Great Britain was once based on sterling silver and as such there were a number of difference commemorative coins minted to mark the special occasions that have affected the monarchy and government of the British Isles. As such I own a silver Churchill crown and a Coin that commemorates Queen Elizabeth's Silver Jubilee in 1977. I know that they are each worth a few dollars in today's market, but they are far too precious for me to part with. Still there are foreign coins for sale that hold a great deal of value for the people that collect coins from history.
For a New York coin dealer that specializes in the different denominations of currency that have been gathered from all across the globe there is great value in the minted monetary denominations that are bought and sold by the numismatic dealer. Collections of rare coins that date back centuries carry a very special value for the owners and have an intrinsic value attached to their worth. Stamps and coins have long been collectibles that show the promise of increasing in value. From every civilization there are coins that have been used to buy and barter for goods. Even within the narrower scope of US history there are coins that have continued to increase in value as the years pass.
Worth about $10 today I have in my possession a 1972 minted Eisenhower silver dollar that in 1972 was worth $1, but as time passes the coin is slowly growing in value. Likewise the two Kennedy half dollars that I also keep tucked away are not worth about $3.50 instead of the .50 cents that they were minted for some 40 odd years ago. The older the coin the more it is worth. For a collector that understands the value of money a coin collection that is handed down from one generation to another is an heirloom that carries a great deal of sentimental and intrinsic value. As the Internet has allowed numismaticists to buy coins online there has been an increase in the awareness and interest that collecting antique, rare and precious coins brings to the world. People of all ages are discovering the joy of owning a piece of history that continues to become more valued as the years pass.