James has a brother getting married soon and we have all been pretty focused on the upcoming wedding.  Its easy to lose sight of the big picture and the things that matter most when you are caught up in planning and details but the way James answered this coin assignment was a great reminder to me of what is most important!

A coin collector is called a numismatist, pronounced new-miss-ma-tist.  Numismatist means “someone who studies and collects things that are used as money including coins, tokens, paper bills and medals.  The earliest coin collection belonged to Augustus Caesar.  Caesar was the first emperor of Rome who lived from 63 B.C. to 14 A.D.. Caesar not only collected coins, but gave them away as gifts.

• What is a coin collector called? NUMISMATIST
• What does a coin collector do? ANY COINS, DOLLARS OR MEDALS
• Who owned the earliest coin collection? AUGUSTUS CEASAR
•  Do you have any interest in being a numismatist? YES, I THINK IT WOULD BE FUN.
•  How would you want to start a collection? I WANT TO START WITH QUARTERS GOING FOM TODAY THROUGH THE PAST.
• Explained about state and national park quarters.  Told him we will do a lesson about national park quarters. Would you like to collect these? YES

Age, rarity, condition and precious metal all effect how valuable a coin may become to a collector.  The cost of a coin may surprise you; you can buy some Roman coins that are more than 1600 years old for less than $10. Then you can find a 1909 wheat penny that sells for hundreds of dollars!  In general, the harder a coin is to find, the more people there are that want it.  The more people that want a coin the more money that coin is going to be worth.  This is called the law of supply and demand, and it describes the worth or cost of nearly any collectable.

• Name one attribute that can affect how valuable a coin is. AGE
• What is the law of supply and demand? PRINCIPLE THAT AS DEMAND INCREASES PRICE INCREASES
• Why does supply and demand rule the value or worth of nearly any collectable? THE MORE RARE A COIN IS THE MORE VALUABLE IT IS.

CREATIVE WRITING:  Coins are very similar, no matter what they are used for or where they were produced.  Most coins have markings that borrow from the local culture and denote value of the coin.  The earliest coins in Lydia were stamped with a royal symbol of a lion; our United States coins are generally stamped with the head of historical figure, and value.  Reflect on what you have learned about coins. You have been commissioned to create a commemorative coin for an upcoming family reunion.  Think about your family; what type of scene or figure would you want stamped on the coin?  Remember that this coin is commemorative, and will be distributed widely to grandparents, aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters, mom and dad.  Design a coin that would give your family something to remember when they leave the family reunion. I WOULD LOVE TO CREATE A COIN FOR MY FAMILY.  IT WOULD HAVE A PICTURE OF MY ENTIRE FAMILY ON ONE SIDE.  IT WOULD HAVE AN IMAGE OF MY FAMILY CREST ON THE OTHER SIDE. THE FAMILY MOTTO WOULD READ, IN LOVE AND FAITH ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE.  I WOULD ADD A VALUE OF PRICELESS.  IT WOULD BE GIVEN OUT AT MY BROTHERS WEDDING IN JUNE.  IT WOULD BE MY GIFT TO MY BROTHER AND NEW SISTER IN LAW.