I found my childhood collection!

Howdy! I'm Farns, I introduced myself a couple weeks ago in this thread. I'm sorry to say that I haven't had any time yet to dive into Dad's collection and see what he left us in much detail, but I DID buy a redbook and I've been starting to get familiar with the terms and stuff. Feel like I'm back in school!

Anyway, two exciting things I wanted to share... My 5 year old son and I started doing a penny collection 2 weeks ago, and are having a blast! We got two penny folders, one from 1941 to 1974, and one from 1975 to today. We dumped out our huge penny jar, and over the past several nights we've been working on them, and having a ball. We're almost done with the newer album, and have a LOT done in the older one. When those pennies ran out, I started buying a few rolls each time I'd hit the bank, and we'd find a few more. Last week, we found a 1930 penny in a roll from the bank! Sooooo I had to go buy another album! So now I have all 3, and am anxious to keep it going. My son is having so much fun, and I am too!

So, back to the subject of my post, I was in the basement tonight looking for my gun cleaning kit, and found a gallon ziploc bag that I thought was long lost.... my old coin collection from when I was kid!! It was stuff Dad had given me, some that I'd bought on my own, and stuff I'd found over a few years. I had totally forgotten about much of it, but as soon as I saw them, much of the memories came back! I haven't looked in this bag in probably 15 years! It was really exciting!!!

There are probably 5 pounds of coins from other countries, a lot of it stuff that Dad brought back from wars in Korea and VietNam. But for the US stuff, here's what I found!

• handfull of 50cent and dollar coins (need to get another couple albums!)
• A nickle from 1912 that I don't even recognize. A lady on the obverse and a V on the reverse.
• 1936 Buffalo Nickle
• A couple steel cents
• and the most exciting thing... that I have been *thinking* I had, but just couldn't remember... a 1903 indian head cent!

There was also a handful of sealed baggies from the Littleton Coin Company that I vaguely remember buying... all of them old pennies, but one 1964 Proof Nickle (the coloring is weird... does that mean the seal was compromised?).

Anyway, I just wanted to share! Nothing's probably worth too much, but I'm glad to know that some stuff I got my hands on years ago is still around! I really wasn't sure I hadn't sold it all on eBay back in the late 90's when I started hawking crap to pay my rent!

 

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Thats what it's all about.
Guy~

 

Really cool Farns and SINCE you have a Redbook why don't you and your son look up that 1912 nickel?

 

I actually had that same thought after I sent the post. LOL it's late and I'm not real sharp right now. Found it in there, and to the best I can tell I'm looking at the right data... but I really need to understand better the grading scale. I've found a coin dealer on the way to work that I might start visiting more frequently, he seems very willing to share knowledge. I just took some pics, I'll post here in a sec and see if that works.

 

Pics of my Nickel. Are they clear enough for some idea of the condition rating?

 

That is a 1912 Liberty Head Nickel...1912 was the last official year that coin was minted. I would grade that coin VG-8. I like it.

I'm glad you and your son are having a fun time. The first coin album I put together were those blue cardboard Whitman Lincoln cent albums. I had a blast doing it and that's what sparked my interesting in the hobby. I remember thinking 1943 cents were so cool because they weren't copper. I was hooked at that point.

 

can you get a picture of it? Its probably toned, plenty of proof coins from the 60's do that.

 

I'm glad to see you're having fun. Collecting can be great cheap entertainment. (or great expensive entertainment)

Could you tell us the dates on the halves and dollars?

BTW, good find on the 1930 cent from the roll.

 

your excitement is what makes coin collecting such a great hobby!!! Good for you finding that old baggie!!!

 

I will try. I also see somebody in another thread mentioned scanning. I have a scanner, but it's not hooked up. I'll see if I can get it working and give that a whirl too. The photos I took above aren't showing the color right, it looks a bit more brown than the coin really is. And that's kinda how I would describe this proof nickel. Several of my dad's proof coins seemed to have lost their "silveryness", and I wondered if it was from improper storage. They were kept in a footlocker out in our shed in Mesa AZ for probably 15 years or more. Then about 15 years ago he moved them all to a safe deposit box where they sat untouched for at least 10 years. So I wonder if the heat and stuff had affected their color. My nickel is still very highly polished, very reflective, it's just kinda brown-ish.

 

i found............................................. ..

..............congrats on your find!! welcome to an exciting hobby and.......................

get dem coins out of the plastic bags!! PVC!!! DANGER DANGER WILL ROBINSON!!

 

also remember to hold coins by the rim, with cotton gloves preferably. Careful handling that proof. your coin dealer should have some '2X2' holders for all size coins.

 

Dollars: 71, 72 and 77
Halves: 71-73, 80, 86 and a bicentennial
Silver quarters: 62 and 64

My boy just got out of bed and I just showed him my find, he was really excited!!

 

Really?? I was wondering about taking those wheaties out of the baggies and putting them in my folders... they aren't like in super good condition or anything... But plastic bags are no good eh? Do they make ones now that are not PVC? Like those cardboard slide things I'm seeing at the coin store... are they made of something else?

 

Yes I've been told that, just haven't had anything (unpackaged) that seemed the need to handle that carefully. Those 2x2 holders are the slide looking ones I mentioned, right? Those don't look like they could possibly be airtight, is that a big deal? I mean, they must be OK, the guys has $300 coins in them, they just don't strike me as being impervious to the elements.

 

So the books says $2.50. That's pretty cool!!

 

Hey Farns,
I couldnt agree with you more about sharing with your son. My daughter and I are doing a bag of wheaties right now and have been having alot of fun. Its great to share something with your child and If you pass along a love of collecting its a hobby that can last a lifetime and you will always have it in common. Good luck with you cents and keep posting. There is alot of knowege here on this board and its free for the asking.

 

So lets see pics of the weird toned nickel!

 

it's hard to tell in the photo... but I put a regular nickel next to it for comparison. When I showed my son this morning, he thought it was gold. but I can't really label it with a color. It's just different.

 

Nice golden toning. Thats a nice one. :thumb: