From the Canadian Coin News April 27 - May 10, 2021 - Volume 59 • Number 02
There surely is a special place in Internet heaven for confident souls who design their own websites. There are certainly enough organizations to assist with the design and implementation of new online ventures. The end result of doing it alone often reminds me of people who decide to cut their own hair: there is a good chance the result will be satisfactory, but there is always an area around the back that may spoil the whole effort. Or it may be just fine. The point is no matter who designs a commercial online location, it needs external appraisal and honest feedback for the owner, so she or he can see what others are seeing.
Find Rare Coins, located online at findrarecoins.com, was designed by Monarch Media, a digital marketing company based in Michigan. When calling up the site, we’re met with some text on a decorated background – with a huge Google ad in the center of the page (if you aren’t using an “ad-blocker” app on your browser). This site is owned by Tim Martin, who shares his LinkedIn page and American Numismatic Association membership (he’s member #3149654). Martin, a resident of Traverse City, Mich., is also the owner of Monarch Media, which he launched in 2008.
I must assume he expects his clients to be as savvy as he is about shopping on the Internet and maneuvering through a website (in fact, there are actually many browsing options once a page is opened using the square menu button – a three-line icon also known as the “hamburger button” – in the top-right corner). But the first thing we always must do is scroll down since most homepages are more than one page long. This is true here.
Rolling along, we meet two subheadings, “Rare Coins and Collectibles” and then “More for Collectors.” Beneath each, a paragraph lets us know all things collectible can be found through this site. As always, three links at the bottom of the homepage – “About,” “Privacy” and “Sitemap” – are all worth exploring. Back to the menu button, once you click it – boom – the entire left side of the page is filled with a sidebar of 35 categories we sought from the get-go.
It turns out Martin is a kind of self-designed sales representative for many different sellers of many different products in the collectible's world. He lists sellers’ items via major online marketplaces like eBay and Amazon, and when people buy things through his referral service, he receives some kind of commission or payment. Many of the items are actually sold through those major marketplaces, with all the appropriate warrantees and shipping arrangements. The fact Martin is a go-between has no influence on anything. His entire business format relies on building trust with his clients, who then save time (and possibly money) by being dedicated to him. Brilliant, customized and obviously successful.
He does the scrounging, snooping, scouring for hours to find unique and interesting items for collectors. Shoppers come to rely on him to display what they seek, and a new symbiotic relationship develops that works for both parties. It is not a new concept, but it is well thought out – and it is fun to browse through the many items he has listed. While he features coins, he also has quite a selection of stamps, toys, dolls, baseball cards, comic books, antiques, rare books, and more. He also includes links to a selection of price guides, clubs, a blog, coin collector news and coin research. As I’d hoped, reading his blog was enjoyable and personal. Here is the spot to learn about Martin’s past, his interests and some of his own hobbies. Here is the man behind the creation.
Overall, looking critically, we learn this is a dynamite website with dozens of hours of data and reading at hand. Martin is an industrious fellow, and I have nothing but admiration for the way he has designed his webpage and his business. Many congrats to him. I suspect he could cut his own hair perfectly. Do spend some time here, and you will have fun, learn a lot and possibly find a unique treasure. Keep well and try to donate a coin or two to a youth collector this week.
I got serious about coin collecting back in third grade—yeah, I know, kind of nerdy, but I loved it. Our class visited the school library once a week, and I’d always head straight for the copies of The Numismatist. I had no idea what “numismatist” meant or how to pronounce it, but the magazine was full of amazing coins, and that was all that mattered.
One day, my mom’s friend stumbled upon a coin while builders were digging up the driveway of her new house. Knowing I was into coin collecting, she passed it along to me. I did some research and discovered it was a 1785 Bar Cent—a rare colonial coin worth around $300 at the time. I nearly fainted. I brought it to a local coin shop, but they warned me that counterfeits were common and didn’t want to take the risk. They offered me five bucks. At nine years old, five dollars meant I could buy a lot of slot car supplies, so I took the deal. To this day, I still wonder if I let a real 1785 Bar Cent slip through my fingers. Since then, I’ve studied that coin extensively and can now tell the difference between a genuine piece and one better suited for trading for toy car parts.
Over the years, I’ve explored and collected a wide range of coins. I spent a lot of time with U.S. coinage and built a solid type set. Eventually, world coins caught my eye, and I assembled an album featuring one coin from every country. More recently, I’ve become captivated by ancient and medieval coinage—the stories they carry are incredible.
This hobby has been a lifelong passion, and I created this website as a resource for fellow collectors. It’s packed with tools and references I personally use for research and study. Whether you're just starting out or deep into the world of numismatics, I hope it helps fuel your curiosity like it did mine.
As a side note, I also love music, and I recorded this album years ago. Take a listen if you get a chance.
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