We can pretty much all trace our love of numismatics to a certain time or place, maybe some old cent that you found in your change, or maybe you had other collectors in your family. Whatever the case, somehow we all started putting simple rounds of metal away because we simply like them. For me, it was sort of a family tradition. I started seeing pretty coins in my great uncle Leonards collection and was just floored. I later had the pleasure of coin roll hunting and buffalo nickel sorting with my grandmother Anna. Great times to say the least, but I think that this is my proudest moment. Just today I finally finished moving into my new house. This isn't any ordinary house, this is my great uncle Leonard's place; the very place that the bug bit me. I've held his collection for so many years, but today I got to bring his collection home. These were the first items that I could think to bring.
I've got a family member who buried mason jars of gold coins on his property in Aurora, KY in the mid 1800s. No one knows what happened to them. Though my grandfather told me he and his aunt dug up one mason jar of gold coins while planting crops in 1937 when he was a boy. That's what started him, and I followed.
Here's where it all started for me. Not my photo, and I'm not even sure of the exact date of the book, but an old Red Book at my school library when I was about 9 is what did it for me. This was what followed, filled by picking through pocket change (not even CRH!). Again, not my photo, and just used for illustrative purposes. I filled almost every spot. Notably missing was anything before 1940, and the 1950-D, of course. I ended up with a nice 1968-S that I convinced myself was a proof, before I knew how to tell the difference.
I don't really remember how it all started, but it was in the 1960's that it happened. I remember buying flying eagle cents, silver dollars you could get at the bank. I purchased a 1909 S VDB for $35.00 worth of silver. Those were the days.
I got started with a teddy bear bank from my grandma. I thought I would just dump them at the bank, but my grandma said to go through them and look for errors. I knew nothing of coins at that time so when I pulled out the first coin a 1962 dine and looked it and found it was silver, my mouth dropped open. But I do think I am following in my granpas footsteps, because as we were cleaning out the shed where my grandma lived, my mom said she found some Whitman folders, but they were pretty buggy so she just grabbed the coins.
Not in Houston but this is where it started for me. Bringing home pockets of silver, but there was no way we could keep it all.
@Kirkuleez , that is an awesome story, and truly a full circle of life. I hope you pass your passion down to someone else special in your life... Don't just relish the memories...share the memories. Keep that great Circle OPEN, pay it forward, Dude! When I was 9 years old, I found an USA 1863 Civil War Token in with my Grandmother's coffee can change. She let me have it, and I went on to buy an USA odd-denomination set (1/2 C, 2C, 3C Silver, 3C Nickel, 20-C), and a Trade Dollar after working for my Grandfather that same summer. Collected ever since...still have all those original pieces, but sold my the rest of my collection during my 30's (cross-country moves, lived overseas, extensive travel, kids, career, etc.). Restarted collecting in the early 90's, focusing on Ancients to complement my passion for Ancient Histories. I plan to let my five Grandkids share in the building of my Ancient collection...
My dad tried to get me interested with little success. He was a date and mint mark collector. At that time (1980s) I had no interest in coins until he took me to the local shop one day and I saw a 2 cent piece. I thought that was the coolest thing. I still have that 2 cent piece along with my dad's collection.
Time to break out the metal detector and search for tin coffee cans filled with gold and silver uncle Leonard might have burried
I'm doing more research because I'd like to find where the property exactly is. Maybe one day I can go searching.
ok for me it started when i was a kid my, grand mother had a steamer trunk in the closet with my moms wedding dress and stuff, it had a slue of wheat cents and coins i would keep them and store them in my piggie bank then 15+years , to this day i still have all of them save the franklin halves, those my mom took and spent , eventually i replaced everything filled 2-3 coin albums and have some stuff left in rolls. now im working on a certified set. including the big one 09s vdb , 55ddo
My fifteen year old son has recently caught the ancient bug and now he doesn't mind getting off of the video games long enough to drag him to a show on occasion. Hey, it's a start. But you're right, I hope the circle is not yet complete and that he or some future grandchild will continue the collection once I'm useless.
Started with my father. Resumed in retirement. Bought an 1878-s Morgan in a local coin store and I was off to the races again!
My grandpa showed my brother and me his secret box of US coins under the floor in his closet. Although I was only 4 or 5 at the time, I remember this event. We were given some coins over the years but never told what these things were, the history involved, or the silver in them. 5 years ago I picked up the collecting bug by accident. I only wish I started earlier, and that I could have discussed coins with my grandpa when he was alive
First coin that got me interested in collecting was an 1890- O Morgan, I'd never seen anything like it ... this was payment for cutting a neighbors yard probably in the very early 70's... Still have the coin today, my most treasured coin in my collection. From there I picked up war nickels and silver dimes in my grandparents country store.
