Earliest Hints That You Would Become A Coin Addicted Junkie

When I spent all of my savings that I've saved through high school and uni on buying junk silver, bullion, and other ancient coins during the 2020-2021 period. Although I manage my finance better now. On the hindsight at least I did not spend my money on frivolous things.

 

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In all seriousness, congratulations. When I was a young man frivolous things (girls) was ALL that I spent my money on.

 

Frivolous things=girls & cars, but wouldn't change all that.

 

Three things.
First. Our farm was destroyed by a tornado. During clean up at age 5 I found a small purse. My father said the coins were special because they were old. One of my older brothers tried to convince me they were worthless but was overheard by my father. Punishment was swift. you would have to be someone who got beat on by older brothers to understand how much sweeter that made the find.
Second. At 7 my parents gave me the J.C. Penny "Let's Collect Coins" kit for Christmas. That 1967 Redbook literally disintegrated from constant use.
Third. My Oma had many old coins. She received a large group of Seated coins from a favorite aunt on her wedding day. She even had a mason lar of what she called her lucky horseshoe coins (Carson City). She also swiped any coin she liked from my Opa's card playing winnings. She said I was the only one she knew who also liked coins and let me look them up in my Redbook by the hour. james

 

Was anyone's coin addiction preceded by a fixationon on Orville Redenbacher's bow tie?

BTW I love their Ultimate Butter popcorn.

 

When I was seven years old, one of my uncles came to stay with us. He was in poor health and had to stay in bed. He brought a bag of wheat cents with him. We would sit and sort them for hours at a time. I was hooked from that point on.

 

While it was my uncle Stan that first had me intrigued with coins with the collection that he had, which he bestowed on me at a young age, it was this first "real" purchase that I made directly from the US Mint that solidified my journey in this lifelong hobby. I can't believe I purchased this 37 years ago, at the age of 13.

 

Oh wow.... I am pretty sure that I have one of those sets in the far reaches of my safe.

 

Yep and you didn’t starve

 

When I was a kid our family saved all of our change through out the year in a large class water bottle and would spend hours one evening rolling it all to pay for gas and other things for our summer vacation, which was always to Six flags St. Louis one day, then the zoo the next! For some reason, I loved counting change. Also, at Easter time, the local bank would donate silver eagles to the country Easter egg Hunt held at the fairgrounds. If you picked up a certain egg, it would have a slip of paper for a special prize, a bike, basketball, etc. I won two eagles one year and I was hooked after that, though the seed had been planted by a small cache of coins my grandfather gave me.

 

Back in the 70s when I started clipping the Littleton Coin ads from my Mom’s womens magazines. I started trading them new coins for old ones that were worn out. But way cooler!

OK. Everybody else’s stories are better.

Rick L.

 

From one geek to my brothers - Live Long and Prosper! lol