I thought it would be a nice idea if we had a thread to share our favorite collecting stories, whether they be how we got certian coins, the stories behind the coins, or whatever. Basically, your favorite memories from collecting. I'll start: My great-grandfather ran a pharmacy in Woonsocket (RI) from about the 1890's to the 40's or 50's. This was back when pharmacists made their own medicines, which enabled my great-grandfather to pick coins of interest for his collection, several of which I have today. One night, pouring rain about 10-15 minutes after closing, my granmother had gone in to pick him up. They had locked up, and were preparing to leave, when they heard a pounding at the door. They opened up, and a man came in apologizing for coming after closing, but he said he had a perscription that needed filling immeadiatly. So my great-gradfather filled it, and was paid with a 1922 Peace Silver Dollar. Since it was my grandmother's birth year, he gave it to her, and it was one of the few coins she was able to save when her house was robbed several years later. When my uncle started getting into coins, she gave it to him, then when I got in, my uncle gave it to me. I know this will sound corny, but I always think of my great-grandfather and grandmother whenever I look at it, and for that reason, is my favorite coin in my collection.
I suppose my fav story would be what happened for my birthday. My friends all know I collect coins and so for my last birthday a friend from Cali sent me about 15 old coins. She said they were old and dirty but were neat and thought I'd like them. It turns out 2 of them were errors, 1 was an 1851 large cent, 4 3 cent coins, a 2 cent piece and a number of other good ones. All in all their value was close to $400! lol
Here's mine, I was a volunteer for a public museum when they had a antiques road show type fund raiser. I was 14 at the time and my mentor brought me along and i appraised all the coins and currency that came through. Well an older man (50's-60's) walks up to my mentor and tell shim that he has a coin for him to look at, he points to me and says thats the man you want to talk to. he hesitates and walks over to me, I ask what he's got today and he DROPS a RAW Fifty dollar Cali gold piece (1852 US assay office) in my hand! it was GEM Unc and just amazing. i gave him info on TPGS an d told him to get it done ASAP which he did.
Ok this one isn't about me or my coins. But it's a classic that everyone should hear if you never heard it already. Seems in the old days workers in the mint used to smuggle coins home before all the modern day technology to catch stealing. They would slip a couple coins into their pockets, lunchbox, sock or shoe and walk out at closing time. As things got tougher and supervisors got wiser the workers had to devise new ways to steal coins. In the summer heat sometimes windows were opened. They also had a rat problem and set traps for the rats. Well I heard this one: A worker used to take a dead rat and cut it open. He then slipped a $20 gold coin inside the rat and threw it out the window. After leaving work he would pick up the rat and continue walking down the street. You know the rest.
Several years ago a mint worker was caught putting proof half dollars down the oil fill tube on the forklifts. When the lifts went out for service his buddy would remove the oil pan and clean them up. They got caught because the coins started showing up in the Vegas slots before the mint ever released them to the public. It was all over the news. I hate a thief but thought the idea was really slick. Going back to the rat story. The mint actually published that on something they were selling years ago. A really cool piece of history.
My Story My story on how I got into coin collecting: When I was about 4 years old, I used to randomly find coins on the ground, and change from vending machines. I was just young back then. I stopped doing that, thinking it was a bad idea. Then, when I was 11, I would put some money in a vending machine and press the "change return" button and I would get a different coin, besides the same one I put in. I got all 50 state quarters plus the US territory coins(ex. Puerto Rico, Guam) that way plus a few bicentennial quarters. Later, I discovered that some coins are worth more than they really are and my friend has some really nice old coins that he has shared with me such as mercury dimes, oversized penny and some silver coins. I found my pile of coins that were from my younger days in a tin change box and I started sorting them out, thinking that it could be a good hobby. I wasn't into error coins until I was 12 so I started scouring through coins and all I found were a few die cracks on georgia state quarter and a missing "L" in "Liberty" of a 1971 lincoln penny. Thats my story.
I remember when I was a young lad and my family went on a camping trip near Atlantic City, NJ. One day while walking along the boardwalk I saw a kid drop a nickel and it rolled thru the crack between the boards and it was gone. I just had to find out where it went, so under the boardwalk I go. I can't remember how much change that I found, but I was having a blast playing the pinball machines. While I'm having fun I had no idea my dad was watching me, he thought I was stealing money. When I ran out of change I would go up under the boardwalk and search for more. Well, my cousins and brothers and others caught on to my little secret and started hoarding my finds. It made my dad real happy because he learned I wasn't stealing...
