Young Collector Profile: Tor Martin Syvertsen

You might think Tor Martin Syvertsen has been collecting coins for decades. His knowledge and love for coins is vast, as is his passion for the history behind these coins. Yet, the 20-year-old numismatist in Norway has been a full-fledged numismatist just since the pandemic days of 2020, picking back up on collecting coins after brief encounters with the hobby years earlier.

Syvertsen says his mom helped spark the numismatic bug when she asked him if he was interested in some coins she had inherited. “Since I had always been interested in history, I took her up on the offer. I then found myself searching through a bag of various world coins from the early 1900s through the 2000s,” he remarks. One coin stood out to him: a holed 1938 Walking Liberty Half Dollar. “As a history geek, I was just so fascinated holding something that had ‘witnessed’ the Second World War,” he recalls. “I will never forget the feeling I had when I realized that coins are an incredible way to physically hold history. Once I made this connection, there was no way back.

The law student enjoys “collecting through history,” as he says, pursuing coins with vivid and direct contextual connections to colorful times and places in human history. “Typically, this entails shipwreck and siege coins. However, it can be truly anything if there’s enough historical documentation and the coin has been sufficiently isolated or is unique to the historical event.”

He points to a Swedish 20 kroner gold coin as an example. “It’s a part of 50 metric tons of gold that was smuggled out of Norway to the Allies during the German invasion of Norway on April 9, 1940. The last vehicle carrying gold left the central bank as German troops were marching just a few streets away. A pursuit then ensued, and the gold got out just at the last minute. The gold reserve would become critical in funding the Norwegian resistance movement and the Norwegian Government-in-exile,” he says. “This is a historical event that has produced written books and even a movie about it. Being able to own and hold something that can be pedigreed to such an event is just a unique feeling that makes it all worth it.”

He offers exciting numismatic stories like these and other insights about the hobby in presentations and other forums where he encourages others – especially young people – to become coin collectors. But it’s no easy task. “Unfortunately, numismatics is a niche hobby in Norway, predominantly consisting of older collectors. Recruitment within the past two decades has undoubtedly also been more difficult due to how cashless our society has become.”

Still, this doesn’t dissuade the young numismatist from reaching out and enjoying the hobby with his contemporaries, even if it means fostering a sense of community online. He has built camaraderie with many others who love coins on social platforms such as Instagram and Discord. “Instagram is, first and foremost, a great way to showcase your collection or items for sale. Discord, on the other hand, is much better suited for discussions and interactions among collectors. It enables seamless communication, allowing collectors all over the world to connect with others who share their specific interests.” He adds, “Social media is without a doubt an integral part of the future of numismatics.”

Yet, even as Syvertsen embraces 21st-century technology that brings numismatics into the digital sphere, he believes in the value of what has always worked in keeping the hobby alive. “At the end of the day, never forget the importance of social connections in the hobby. Coin clubs, coin shows, and sharing knowledge have always been and should always be what glues numismatics together.”