Your first coin?

I didn't have really any family members that collected coin until one of my aunt married to one. Then I was getting a proof set for Christmas for several years.

 

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I suppose technically my first coin was a proof set my parents bought when I was born. I consider a 1964 dime was my first - my grandmother gave it to me, and while it was nothing special, I liked having a silver coin. I really started to get the collecting bug when the states quarters came out, so my U.S. interest has always been dimes and quarters.

 

Pocket change pennies filling a blue Whitman folder and dropped out for a while. Now have started again on the west coast(Astoria area) The supply of S/D/CC is a heckuva lot easier- cheaper to get out here.....

 

I had never really considered coins in the first 50 odd years of my life an then, by chance, went to the Philadelphia Mint and purchased a proof US Silver Eagle. I'm not really sure why as I had a greater pull to the uncirculated Eagle, possibly my wife showed more interest in the proof.

We returned home from the holiday and I started looking into the uncirculated Eagles, bought the latest along with some other new bullion coins, Maples, Britiannia Panda etc. That started the craze. I 'had' to have a complete run of Eagles (now complete) and still buy modern / recent bullion coins. Not to stack as I only buy one of each year.

Then I realised that circulating coins are interesting. I have the majority of UK £1 and £2 coin different designs and always check my change with the fervour of a 6 year old looking for better or not yet obtained designs. This led to sixpences.

Someone gave me a sixpence as 'I collect coins'. These coins went out of general circulation in 1970 but they and I have a history. When I was a small kid it was a decent amount for a relative to hand over 'for sweets' and was sufficient money to buy pretty much what ever I needed. They were first produced in 1547 and at that time must have been a significant lump of money.

A sixpence could have been a mans wages for a week. It would have been cared for and looked after. It could have been sufficient to get drunk on. It could have fed a family. What ever it was used for it has a story and was quite possibly spent many times over its useful life until someone put it in a pot to save it. Or hid in in a tin in the back garden/under the floor/in the pantry/sewed it into their coat until needed. How can you get an EF example of a 1547 coin? That coin had a wasted life. I want one that lived and has some wear (and is cheaper).

Coins have taught me more about history than school did. Sixpences have monarchs heads on and reading up about LIMA silver and the reasoning behind other UK historic coins has been fascinating.

I now prefer circulating / circulated coins than bullion but no thoughts of getting before 1500s. Yet.

 

This was most interesting and well researched article which was pleasure to read. I liked what you said about collecting circulated coins and that you learned more about history through collecting coins than you were taught at school.
In the U.K. before the introduction of decimal currency on 15th Feb 1971 most of us were always in the habit of checking one's change, and there was always coins out there worth looking out for. My particular favourites were Victorian Bun Pennies which were minted between 1860 and 1894. Normally because these pennies were well circulated they would be well worn and have some of their lettering missing, but as a child I would still get the rush of adrenalin when I saw one of these coins in my change, the oldest one I recall receiving my change was one dated 1876 which was minted at Birmingham's Heaton mint.
As for learning about history through collecting coins, by studying coins(which is something I still do) without even trying I am able to recite all of the Kings and Queens of England from memory, and also remember historical happenings from having coins of certain dates.
Getting back to my original comment on this thread about my first coin being a Victorian shilling minted in the year 1874, I did some research on that too.
1874 was the year Sir Winston Churchill was born, and also a farmers wages was about ten shillings a week and thus the coin would have had much more buying power than when I found it.
To further one's interest on the subject of learning history through coins I would like to recommend a book titled "Roman History Through Coins" by Michael grant.

 

The earliest I remember from my childhood was one of these:



But it could have been an ASE too.

As an adult at 28 that started the 'real' collection:

 

Growing up in Brooklyn during the wonder years of 1948 thru 1965 gave just about everyone with an ounce of ambition the opportunity to prosper and "moving up" as the song goes. And so it was with my first collection of cents and nickels. Not one particular coin, but with the intuitive insight that the coins were not only fun to collect, hoard and look at, but would increase in value over time.
But according to folk lure of those times, coins lost out to beer, beaches, and rock an roll. And Mom gave the coins away to her side of our tribe along with my toy soldiers, cannons, tanks and WWII planes replicas which were the best my rich widowed Auntie could buy.
Fast forward to NOW !!! Coins are center forward in my efforts to wean my 10yr old Grandson from all things digital. I lost with comic books, toy soldiers, and soccer.
I am ahead with fishing and a grudging interest in script and a quarter coin map of the 48. However, I am hooked again and determined to share my enthusiasm with Robby on his 2 week solo visit to Florida next week.
My Plan---talk up Coins while pier fishing. Place some foreign script in his wallet while asleep and under his breakfast tray. Coin roll hunt with him, giving up some of the take(bribery) while extolling the value of (salted) the "discovered" wheats.
Diving for Morgans in the pool and, then, a trip to Dairy Queen via the local coin store.
Will it work??? Only the Shadow knows!!
Welcome any suggestions.
Sincerely,
Hopeful

 

@NaplesJack I like the state quarter board idea. There's enough in circulation to make it doable but not so many that you can fill it in a week. Kids like hunting for things (I think).

If he gets the quarter map filled you should get him a folder for quarters with all the P and D mint marks to keep him going....

 

Fast forward a few weeks, and my Grandson is visiting with us for 2 weeks. Upon arrival on Saturday, no real interest in coins. However, he is now a little interested after I explained how valuable a coin found in his pocket change could be.
Will pick up a box of nickels tomorrow, and have him look for Buffalos. Feel he will find a few even if I have to salt his coin roll hunting. LOL