The start of a collection

On my 10th Birthday my father gave me the Mercury dime pictured below. He told me that my Grandfather had found the coin in pocket change in the 1950s and that my Grandfather gave him the Mercury Dime when he turned 10 back in 1973. This was the very first coin that I received that I really enjoyed, before this coin I had a few mint and proof sets that my Godfather bought me but I didn't really care for them all that much.

This is the coin that started it all.

This one was quite difficult to photograph. The fields of the coin are mostly gray. the top right of the obverse being a bit darker. On the reverse there is red yellow/Gold and a little bit of purple on the leaves. Along with an interesting crack going down the left side of it.

So this is the coin that really gave me the motivation to collect coins and I've stuck with it ever since. what coin got you into collecting? post them below!

 

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Don't really have a pic of *the one* coin, but I got interested with the state quarters, collected as I found them in change. Then the presidential coins started and that was the first time I thought about getting serious. Now it's a sickness I can't shake. I'm more into the classic coins, but still like putting modern in their holes.

 

I've also collected the state quarters. I have a complete uncirculated set found from change. I finished it last year actually.

 

Working on the BU State set now, I have the state parks P & D in BU up to 2013, the collection is a bit disjointed right now. BU States are in a folder and I only have the D mint, state parks are in flips in a coin box. I need to get some albums for them now. The ultimate goal is a complete Washingto set from 32 all the way up to current including proofs...

 

Nice Merc Josh. And especially so since it came from Dad and Grand Dad.

The legacy attached with my Father consisted of a grouping of Proof sets given to me when I attained the age of fourteen. They still reside in the metal box I obtained to house them back in the day.......

 

Mine was an extremely worn 1864 2c piece I got with my dad on our first trip to the LCS when I was about 8. I still have it somewhere.

 

Mine was a common 1954- wheat cent I found about 6 years ago, I think I got it as change at game-stop? Not sure, but that sparked my interest for coin collecting.

 

Don't really have one coin that got me started. The one group of coins that really got me collecting was a group of around 700 morgans, 900 peace, 1000 mix of barber an walkers, maybe 500 barber quarters, an thousands of barber an Murcury dimes an a 55 gal drum of wheat penny's. All this came from a person in my family that did own a old country store. He had a slots cut in the counter top an when anything came in he would drop it in to slots an had drums made into the counter that could not be took out with out taking the counter apart.

 

@Bob J cool story!

 

Thanks Green. I'm starting to think that my grandfather might have gotten this coin in Korea from a fellow soldier. He did tell me he would play cards a lot with his buddies.

 

Next time anyone is in a country store look at the counter. I've come across 2 other stores that did the same thing. An was able to buy them to. This is how to find key coins. I've got hundreds of keys just from those stores.

 

This thread reminds me of the movie 'Pulp Fiction'. Where a watch is being handed down to the dead soldiers son.

 

Congrats on your lovely Mercury Dime. Mercury Dimes are wonderful to collect, and they are my favorite. I did a Powerpoint presentation on Mercs at our coin club meeting a few months ago. Weinman was a brilliant sculptor and designer and threw Charles Barber in the dust.

Here is the thing about Mercs - you can find common dates (late 40's)in uncirculated condition at a decent prices, but then you have some very challenging ones: 16D, 21, 21D, 42/41, 42/41D. But they are great for beginners to collect and they have an interesting history.

 

My first coin was a regular clad Roos dime, which I received as a gift in 1986 at the age of 4... when I was living in (at that time Soviet) Ukraine. After seeing my interest, family and their friends started bringing me coins from all over the world.

 

When I was young I found my dad's childhood coin bank in my grandmother's storage chest. Inside were two VG SLQs that ended up being the start of my collection. They are darkly toned now from handling them improperly when I was a kid, but they are very special to me.

 

Very nice coin indeed , and like Ken said it's priceless as it came from your Dad and Grandfather . My dad and Uncle brought home a blue Whitman and a bunch of wheat cents . After that I'd try to fill it from change . I ended up with most years and some MMs but most were from the 30s to "50s . I did find a 1909-S at my Grandmothers playing Bingo with pennies she had in a big jar to use to cover the #s . I remember it was worth a few bucks back around 1959 when I found it which was a lot of money to a kid back then .

 

What would be the best way to preserve this coin? should I get it graded? is the crack on the Reverse PMD?

 

Lehigh's Childhood Liberty Nickel Collection

 

It doesn't look like post mint damage as it doesn't go over the devices . If it was PMD it would have damaged the devices . Since it's a family heirloom I wouldn't get it graded but I'd put it in a good holder like an Intercept Shield 2X2 or an airtite as they will protect the coin as well as a slab . I swear by Intercept shield for all my better raw coins .