Will the Online Platform “Discord” Become the Coin Club of the Future?

A group of young men roam the streets of Vilnius on a cold October day – not looking for the nearest pub or a disco, but for rare €2 coins. “Valentino.46🇳🇱” couldn’t make it and asks in the group chat on the Discord server EuroCoins how the meeting is going: “How is Vilnius meet?” “Swampy” replies: “We have collided. And are now raiding a mall.” Soon after, the chat shows photos from a café, several coin albums on the table and hands pushing individual €2 coins around. Then a tourist photo of four young men in front of Vilnius Town Hall. Two days later, a summary: “It was small but very nice and many beautiful trades happened.” And shortly after that, in another group chat, a discussion starts about what three cities might be a good location for a “EuroCoin MeetUp” in 2025.

The regular meetings in European cities are an integral part of the EuroCoins Discord server, which was founded in March 2019 and has over 1,150 users. The platform is used to exchange news about the latest euro coins, about mintages and prices. Users also share photos of their latest coin purchases, and several times a year, young euro collectors choose three cities that are particularly easy to reach via low-cost airlines and meet up to hunt for rarities in circulation money.

Never heard of Discord? That’s not surprising as Discord is a digital communication platform that was originally developed for gamers. The platform offers text, voice and video chat, which users can organise into themed channels and groups called “servers”. Each server can contain multiple channels covering specific topics, interests or activities, allowing communication to take place in clearly structured spaces. By now, Discord is no longer limited to gaming, and has become a new virtual home for many different communities and purposes.

Participate in Discussions via Text and Voice Messages – Or Just Listen

Discord’s core feature is text and voice messaging. Discord offers dedicated channels for text messaging or voice chat, where users can talk or simply listen to each other. Users can also make video calls and share their screen, making it easy to share content such as games, presentations or other applications. Discord also supports “bots” that extend the functionality of the server by playing music, providing games or giving automated responses. There are also typical forum features that facilitate discussions.

While Discord remains firmly rooted in the gaming industry and is particularly popular with gamers and e-sports communities, it is increasingly being used by a wide range of groups and businesses. Subjects such as technology, education, art, music, programming and even professional networking have found a home on the platform.

A Coin Server with Thousands of Members

There are also many active coin collecting communities on Discord. These servers allow collectors to exchange ideas, showcase their collections and share their knowledge of numismatics. The largest numismatic groups on Discord include “Swindle’s Coin Collecting Server” with over 3,000 members and “The Coin Discord” with over 2,300 members.

These and other numismatic Discord servers have usually several main topics. First and foremost, they are about presenting collections. Members share pictures and information about their coins to get feedback or simply to show off their treasures – often for the purpose of identification and appraisal. Trading and swapping also play an important role on Discord servers. Discussions about a coin’s history, minting techniques and numismatic literature also take place regularly. Finally, users organise events and competitions, including quizzes, and “meet-ups” – weekend trips to European cities.

The Next Step in the Evolution of the Good Old Online Forum

But why do we need a Discord server when traditional online forums have been around for several decades? In a way, Discord is the next step in the evolution of the online forum – with some major differences. The most important USP is real-time communication: while forums often rely on asynchronous communication, Discord enables real-time conversations via text and voice channels. This makes communication more dynamic and immediate – users can respond to each other directly, similar to a chat room or a phone call. Many Discord users feel that this creates a special sense of community. Unlike online forums, which tend to be hierarchical and regulated, Discord focuses on spontaneous conversations and dynamic interactions, making communication feel more personal and alive than in a traditional forum.

Traditional online forums are sometimes referred to as “boomer forums” by Discord users because such forums are characterised by formal language and clear structure, which often results in long and detailed posts. In addition, traditional online forums often attach more importance to strict rules, and moderators expect these to be adhered to. Discord, on the other hand, thrives on spontaneity and a relaxed approach to rules. Many users find that this makes communication more flexible and less restrictive. Discord’s culture is also heavily influenced by memes, emoticons and internet jargon, which is often less acceptable in traditional forums.

The New Generation of Numismatists Is Doing Their Own Thing

The growing number of Discord servers dedicated to numismatic topics shows that communication within the collector community is constantly evolving. What took place for a long time at coin club meetings and get-togethers and, with the advent of the internet, increasingly in online forums, is now being transferred to an infrastructure that originated in the gaming industry. The long and short of it is that the next generation of coin collectors is looking for new tools to communicate, tailoring them to their needs.