I have been asked to post this essay Numismatics is defined as the study or collection of money, coins, and often medals, but it is much more than that. It is a hobby and a way of life to me. Dedication plays a roll in collecting because you sometimes don’t want to finish a set, but you know if you back down you let yourself and some times others down. To be sociable plays a big roll as well, because you have to talk and some times bargain with others to get a coin. Love for this hobby is great and always reward the person collecting. The way Numismatics has affected my life has been a great factor in my collecting. I started to collect coins when I was around six years old and my dad as part of a birthday gift gave me a state quarter map and some of the first quarters out of his pocket change. I didn’t start my serious collecting until around age 10. That was when I showed a real interest and my dad gave me his old collection. It wasn’t much, the most valuable coin was probably a 1943 AU steel Lincoln cent from the San Francisco mint, but I cherished all the coins from the most common wheat to the AG 1896 Indian head penny that I though was so awesome because of how old it was. Well times changed and soon I was 13, bored with my coins and starting a lawn mowing business. I got my first Morgan dollar In Chicago on a vacation trip my family took. I was the proudest thirteen year old when I bought my first Carson City Morgan, an 1890 to be exact in fine condition. But my favorite time in coin collection was looking though some “unsearched wheat pennies” with my dad, we really connected and we had some fun at the same time. I loved spending time with him back then, and I still do. I have added many more coins to my collection, including my favorite addiction another Carson City Morgan. I have also found relief in going to The Toledo Coin Exchange, one of my local coin shops. I always get good prices there and great customer service. That is even where I got my second Carson City Morgan, an 1878 VF that I frankly will never give away; it really symbolizes what I love about coins. That coin collecting is one of the only hobbies where the minority is more popular than the majority. I will always cherish that coin because it gives me the sense of pride that I get when I think of that saying. Coin collecting is like a friend to me that is always there when I am are down in the dumps, all you have to do is look at a coin and remember how you got it or what you went though to get it, that always cheers me up. I am a dedicated person, especially in school. One of my academic awards in elementary school was the President’s award. Right now in the eighth grade at Gateway middle school, I have had all honor roll awards for having a 3.5 (out of a four point scale) or higher since the beginning of the sixth grade. Also in sixth, seventh and now eighth grade I have been invited to the 3.7 or higher breakfast at our school. I have a love for science and the human body, my goal in life is to become a doctor, specifically a Hematologist, radiologist, cardiologist or any thing that has to do with internal medicine. I also run Cross Country for my school. I am looking forward to all accelerated classes when I go to high school next year. I am a very social and kind person .One factor that makes me interested in coins is the awesome people I met on a coin collecting forum on ebay.com, and also coinhood.com. They are always there to help me, laugh with me and all types of things. Heck most nights my parents have to yell at me to stop doing my forum posts and go to bed and when I am in bed they have to yell at me for looking at my coins. I have been a great contributor ever since then and have enjoyed the knowledge and friendships I have gained out of joining the forums. Besides going on the forums, I love spending time with all of my friends from school. Sometimes we talk coins other times we go play football or do some type of activity. Any way I look at it I have an awesome group of friends on the computer and off. Some think of coin collecting as a “geeky” hobby. Well that is not the truth. In retrospect this is one of the only hobbies where when you put money in you always get something back, but not always the amount you want. When I tell people I am a coin collector I say well I am investing my money in something that will always give back to you, rather you do it for the fun of it or for the money involved coin collecting is a hobby that is only going to get bigger. And I take pride in being one of those “geeky” collectors because at the end of the day all the hard work and strong-willingness pays off when you get a thank you from someone you helped or when you get a coin you have been waiting for. Yes, I am a novice in the hobby, but I would greatly benefit from getting to go to this seminar. Here is the article http://www.pngdealers.com/item.php?item_id=109&category_id=2
Congrats winning the contest, it was a great essay. Good to see another Morgan collector, I love the CCs too.
Just got through reading this story in Numismatic News. Congrats on the scholarship. Good luck and enjoy the learning experience.
Nice essay! I coincidentally just received an award today congratulating me for a 3.5 or higher for 6th, 7th, and 8th grade.
Congrats on winning the scholorship to ANA Summer Seminar. I just read about it today in Coin World. Which session do you plan to attend and which course do you plan to take? I will be at both sessions so shoot me a PM and maybe we can meet while you are here. I live in Colorado Springs so I could show you around the area if you are interested.
