Wheat ear pennies that I found years ago in circulation have escalated in value. Each one cost me one cent. Now they are worth ten cents each, a quarter and up to a few dollars and even higher for the rarer ones. That’s an increase in value of 1000 percent up to many thousands. Jefferson nickels that came at the sacrificial price of five cents are now worth five to ten dollars and more. All the silver coins I have are valued much higher than the number printed on their surfaces.

What is the secret of increasing the value of coins? The biggest factor is time. The older a coin becomes, the more value it carries. We seem to be intrigued by age—at least when it comes to antique items. (It may not be as true for human life; we don’t esteem age as much, unless a person happens to reach something over one hundred years.) When a customer paid for his milk with a couple of 1912 half dollars, it caught my eye because you don’t see such things. I bought the two halves for a total of one dollar, but their value is much higher now, simply because of their age and scarceness.

Recently I picked up some rolls of 2011 pennies from the bank. They were straight from the mint in perfect uncirculated MS60 condition. I have retained them. I just saw a coin company selling such rolls for six dollars. Already, that’s twelve times their face value. But I won’t sell them now. I’ll keep them, because every year the value will go up as the number of 2011 uncirculated Lincoln cents decreases and the demand for them increases.

What seems like a hobby today can turn into cash tomorrow. Collect coins from circulation. Look for the unique specimens, determined by date, mintage and condition. Take care of them. Add to them. If you desire, buy some of the missing coins to fill in the holes. Then let them escalate in price as long as you wish. Keep them. Sell them. Pass them on as an inheritance to the next generation. But don’t just spend them. If it comes to that for you, contact me and see if I might purchase them from you.

Choose the coins—Lincoln cents, Jefferson nickels, Roosevelt dimes, Washington quarters, half dollars, dollars—whatever you desire. Work at it a little. Build your collections. Then watch the value grow.