your personal story: how you selected your area of collecting

For me, my interest is Morgan dollars. When I was a kid, there was a worn out 1886 morgan dollar in a kitchen cabinet. I tried cleaning it with paper towels and toothpaste. I was a kid, I didnt know any better. The coin was severely worn anyways. Cleaning didnt due anything to it. I think I sold it for scrap value with some worn walking liberty halves. If it was a rare CC, Id be kicking myself, but the 1886 is as common as you can get. I think in a drawer there was a flying eagle penny, but thats long gone.

 

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When I was a child, in the mid 60's, I was given some coins that had belonged to my father.
One of them was a nickel with a big "P" on the back.
I thought it was the most interesting thing I'd ever seen.

As time went along, some of my relatives noticed that I loved looking at my coins, and reading about them.
They began giving me the occational coin (mostly Kennedy half dollars), too.

It just became a hobby.
I've tried to keep it that way.
I've gotten a lot of pleasure from it, but I try to keep my priorities straight.

One of the best parts came about when we got a computer and internet axcess.
Now I can share my hobby with like-minded individuals all over the world.

 

My interest started like everyone elses, when I was a kid, probably in 1973. I found an old 1878 7tf Morgan in an old cigar box that belonged to my fathers Uncle (we called him Pap) after he had passed away. I didnt really start actively collecting until 4 years later when a neighbor kid of ours showed me his U.S. coin collection and got me started. We collected alot of our coins from circulation and raided the local banks for silver. I've always liked the designs of the U.S. coins over any coins from other countries.

 

indianhead, was/is your 1878 7tf worth much?

 

I would say looking back from what I remember of it, it was probably a strong AU coin. Unfortunately, I really dont remember what happened to it, most likely it became lost in the shuffle when we sold their farm in 1980 and likely got sold with the cigar box of WW1 medals that were with it. I never actually got to add it to my collection, I wish I would have slipped it into my pocket and kept it. Im sure it would be a $50 dollar coin today, maybe more.

 

I started my collection about 10 years ago I stated out with morgans and peace dollars and the older coins. but they are hard too find in high grades, for a good price. So I decided to start a modern collection. I knew that these would never be worth much more than face value in my day. But It would be as complete as I could make it, and all coins would be very high grade. Sadly I will be dead by the time this collection matures. And now with all the new coins coming out Mint Proofs, Silver Proofs, Satin Proofs,State Quarters, Jefferson Nickels varieties, and now dead presidents and there wives. This collection may be getting out of reach of completion. O-Well I will endeavor too persevere.

 

i started when my dad gave me a 1940-1958 collection of wheaties. this was 3 years ago. he also let me go through his huge jar with old notes, and old coins and metals. these coins in his jar are EXTREMELY old. he found them in circulation when he was my age back in 1960. suprisingly, there were no indian head cents. just a bunch of wheaties , mercury dimes, liberty nickels, buffalo nickels, silver rooselvelts, a few silver quarters, including a blank silver dime and quarter planchet, a few ikes and 1 1921 morgan. he also has a bunch of silver certificates, and red ink $5 bills. he also has a quarter gallon cup filled with S mint memorials! he has about $20 worth in S mint merorials! i couldn't belive it when i saw it. he also has a large stamp collection with about 100 or so stamps that are also VERY OLD! he also has some commemoratives and a 1986? silver eagle. this was 3 years ago when i went through this. i don't want to ask him to go through it again, because he dosn't like to get it out. it is in a very fragile jar and it is paked far down in the basement. oh well, it dosen't matter! there is possibly rare coins in it too! so he says!hya:

 

"these coins in his jar are EXTREMELY old. he found them in circulation when he was my age back in 1960."

Darn, I really feel old now!

 

It all started on day when I saw an advertisement in a financial magazine 1988. There was this beautiful gold coin and I had just finished a job and had some $$$$$ to spend. I was on assignment in Mobile, Alabama
and found a little coin shope that was owned by two brothers Anthony and Frank. The rest is history as I developed a relationship that still stands today! They taught me everything they could in the short 6 months I was there. Been collecting ever since. Visit them sometime..a great store with friendly folks and honest deals!
Loop Coin, Mobile, Alabama tell them That RickieB from Massachusetts sent ya!

Thanks Frank and Judge (Anthony)

RickieB :smile

 

don't feel old! i meant these coins he found in 1960 were OLD in 1960, and now in 2007 they are EXTREMELY OLD! if you get what i'm saying! lol

 

The shops that stay open and dont do ebay: I dont know how they survive.

 

I started collecting in the 7th grade in 1966. A boy brought to school a shield two cent piece. I was stunned there was such a thing, much less a thing over 100 years old. It was in really good shape. He brought back to school two days later and I bought it from him for twenty-five cents and two pieces of sugar cane my counsin had given to me.
Oh what a find.
I started reading about U.S. Coinage and saw pictures of Morgan and Peace dollars. I said to my self I will own some of those one day.
I started mowing lawns and buying uncirculated Morgan dollars. Most at that time were brilliant uncirculated or gem. I went after gem.
My first purchase was for a 1878-CC Morgan. I had it graded in 2005 from NGC. It came back MS64. I paid fifteen dollars for that coin.
In 2006, I sent off my two cent piece that started it all. It had been in my closet for over thirty years. My 1864, large motto shield two cent piece came back from PCGS MS 64 RB. I would have never believed it. I never even thought it was uncirculated much less a high grade coin. I sent it off for sentimental reasons. When my coin dealer told me the grade, I asked if he was sure he was calling the right person. No way that could be right.
I now wonder where that little boy came up with that coin.
Funny, I used to think I had cleaned that coin with an eraser. Back then, I did with that to all the one-cent pieces I couldn't read. Shows you what age does.

 

I started off collecting as a 9 year old back in early 1986.Here in New Zealand,we used to find the old Sixpences,Shillings,& Florins (which remained legal tender as 5c.,10c.,& 20c. respectively).We also got a lot of Australian coins in change from the 1c. right up to the 20c..The third most commonly found coins I used to get in change was a lot of 5c.,10c.,& 20c. coins from Fiji.Occasionally,I found the odd British large 5 & 10 Pence coins in change.The younger of my 2 sisters once got a 1979 1c. coin from South Africa (which I still have!) in change.

Eventually,I started being given coins from people who had travelled to other countries.Until late in 2006,I had attempted to get as many countries represented,but I found this far too difficult.I have begun the process of selling off most of my collection.

I have retained the British Commonwealth component of the collection,as that is what I am now specialising in & concentrating on.I will be paying off the computer,plus putting some money into buying an extremely rare Chatham Islands silver $50 coin (which is illustrated in my article called 'Chatham Islands numismatics'). & a digital camera.I will eventually be buying myself a flat-bed scanner.

Aidan.