What makes a collection complete?

 What makes a collection complete? Completion is in the eye of the beholder. Many years ago, coin collectors were interested only in collecting by date. Therefore, in order to be complete, a collection had to include one coin from every year that the coin was minted. Later, collectors developed an interest in mintmarks (the tiny letters that indicate where a coin was minted). Suddenly, to be complete, a collection had to include a coin from every year and from every mint. Then came collecting by variety (major or minor changes in the design of a coin), and the definition of completion expanded even further. Obviously, completion is an ever-changing standard. Taken to the extreme, the only complete collection of coins is one that includes every coin ever made! Striving for completion will drive you nuts. Instead, decide on your own goals and set your own standards for completion. When you’ve completed that collection, consider a new definition of completion and go for it! Remember: There is no “correct” way to collect.