Stamps & Coins: A Beginner's Guide to the Joy of Collecting
By Dorina Benvin & family·September 6, 2026·5 min read
Some of our favorite family moments happen around a kitchen table covered not with food, for once, but with envelopes, a magnifying glass and little piles of coins. Stamp and coin collecting are two of Nonna Do’s quieter hobbies, and they suit her perfectly: patient, orderly and full of stories. Every stamp traveled somewhere. Every coin passed through hundreds of hands. For someone who crossed an ocean and brought her traditions with her, holding a small piece of a country’s history makes a lot of sense. Here is how to begin a collection that brings joy, not clutter.
How to Start (Without Spending Much)
The best collections start with what’s already around you.
- Save your mail. Cut stamps from envelopes with about ¼ inch of paper around them. Never tear them off.
- Ask family and friends. Relatives abroad, office mailrooms and older neighbors are often happy to pass along envelopes and loose change.
- Check your pockets and travel jars. Leftover foreign coins from trips are a ready-made starter collection.
- Buy a beginner’s mixture. Stamp dealers sell inexpensive “packets” of worldwide stamps, and coin shops often have bargain bins.
- Pick a theme early. Collecting “everything” quickly gets overwhelming. A theme gives shape, and a reason to hunt.
Nonna’s Tip: Keep a small notebook with your collection. Write down where each piece came from and who gave it to you. Years from now, that story will matter as much as the stamp.
Tools of the Trade
| Tool | For | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Stamp tongs (spade-tipped) | Stamps | Fingers leave oils and bend corners |
| Hinges | Stamps | Cheap, fine for used and common stamps |
| Mounts (clear plastic sleeves) | Stamps | Protect mint stamps’ original gum |
| Stock book | Stamps | Pages with clear strips; no glue at all |
| Perforation gauge | Stamps | Measures “perfs” to identify varieties |
| Loupe (10x) | Both | Reveals details, errors and wear |
| Coin flips / 2x2 holders | Coins | Individual protection and labeling |
| Cotton or nitrile gloves | Coins | Keeps fingerprints off surfaces |
| Soft pad or velvet tray | Coins | A safe landing if one slips |
Hinges vs. mounts
A hinge is a small folded piece of gummed paper; one half sticks to the stamp, the other to the album page. It’s perfectly acceptable for used stamps. But on a mint stamp (unused, with original gum), a hinge leaves a mark that lowers its value, and collectors pay more for “never hinged” stamps. For anything mint or special, use a mount or a stock book instead.
Coin holders
Cardboard 2x2 holders with a clear window are inexpensive and easy to label. If you use soft plastic flips, choose ones marked PVC-free. Older PVC flips can leave a sticky green residue on coins over time.
Soaking Stamps Off Paper
- Float stamps face-up in a bowl of lukewarm water.
- After 15–30 minutes, they’ll slide off the paper. Don’t pull.
- Soak stamps on colored envelopes separately; the dye can bleed.
- Rinse the backs gently to remove leftover gum.
- Dry face-down on paper towels, then press flat under a heavy book overnight.
Some modern self-adhesive stamps don’t release cleanly. Leave those on a neatly trimmed piece of envelope.
The Golden Rule of Coins: Never Clean Them
It’s tempting to polish a dull old coin until it shines. Please don’t. Cleaning, whether with polish, baking soda, vinegar or even a toothbrush, leaves tiny scratches and strips the natural toning (patina) that collectors value. A cleaned coin can lose much of its value overnight. Hold coins by the edges only, over a soft surface, and store them in a dry place.
“Good things take time — especially soups.” — Nonna Do
The same patience applies to coins. The years that darkened that penny are part of its story.
Grading Basics
Condition is everything for value.
Stamps
Collectors look at four things:
- Centering: Is the design evenly spaced within the margins?
- Perforations: Are all the little teeth intact?
- Gum (mint stamps): Is it original, undisturbed, never hinged?
- Cancellation (used stamps): A light, neat postmark is better than a heavy smudge.
Coins
Most collectors use the 1-to-70 Sheldon scale:
| Grade | Abbreviation | What you’ll see |
|---|---|---|
| Good | G-4 | Heavily worn; main design visible |
| Fine | F-12 | Moderate wear; some detail |
| Very Fine | VF-20 | Light to moderate wear on high points |
| Extremely Fine | EF-40 | Light wear; sharp details |
| About Uncirculated | AU-50 | Traces of wear on highest points |
| Mint State | MS-60 to MS-70 | No wear from circulation |
You don’t need to grade professionally to enjoy collecting. Just learn to compare two coins side by side under your loupe.
Themes We Love
Topical stamps: flowers and orchids
Topical (or thematic) collecting means gathering stamps by subject instead of by country. Countries all over the world have issued stamps showing flowers, and orchids appear on many of them. It’s a beautiful theme for a grower, and it connects perfectly with our orchid pages.
Italy, Croatia and the former Yugoslavia
Our family roots run through Italy and the island of Cres, so stamps and coins from Italy, Croatia and the former Yugoslavia feel like pieces of home. Collecting by region lets you watch history unfold in miniature: changing borders, currencies and national symbols.
Croatian kuna and euro coins
On 1 January 2023, Croatia adopted the euro, replacing the kuna, its currency since 1994. That makes kuna coins and notes a complete, closed series, and a wonderful set to finish. The kuna coins carried animals, such as the nightingale on the 1 kuna and the brown bear on the 5 kuna, while the smaller lipa coins showed plants like the olive branch.
Croatia’s own euro coin designs are just as special:
- €2: a map of Croatia
- €1: a marten (kuna in Croatian, the animal that gave the old currency its name)
- 50, 20 and 10 cent: inventor Nikola Tesla, born in Smiljan, in present-day Croatia
- 5, 2 and 1 cent: the letters “HR” (for Hrvatska, Croatia) written in Glagolitic script, the oldest known Slavic alphabet
- All coins: a background of the Croatian chequerboard (šahovnica)
Euro coins circulate across the eurozone, so you may even find a Croatian marten in your change on a European trip. You can read more about the country itself at croatia.hr, or explore our family’s island on the Lošinj page.
Join the Community
Clubs and societies offer mentoring, reference material and friendly advice. Two excellent places to start in the U.S.:
- The American Philatelic Society for stamp collectors
- The American Numismatic Association for coin collectors
Nonna’s Takeaway
Start small, choose a theme, handle everything gently and never, ever polish a coin. Most of all, share it. A stamp album opened with a grandchild becomes a geography lesson, a history lesson and a memory all at once.
Keep exploring: Organizing your collections · Useful resources
Mother, Nonna, orchid grower, cook, tailor and artisan — born in Belej on the island of Cres, Croatia. Written with love by her family, sharing the wisdom she gave us. Read her story →
