Large Cent Giveaway to a YN or Financially Strapped Collector

I've had coins around for the last 30 years and never had a whole lot. my son started getting into the coins and joined a coin club last year, and invited me to join him. We have had some good buys together and he has been doing alot of leg work for another collector who he met through the internet. This a fine looking penny and i would love to have it just as much as everybody i think that see's this thread.

 

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ah, a good fatherly son bond. i'm going to like it!

 

I'm glad you added "financially strapped" to those eligible.
I'll post my story as soon as I have time to write it.

 

I'm quite proud of my dad getting engulfed in the coin collecting community. I showed him this penny, and he said "I want that!" So I said "Make a profile and enter" Welcome dad!

 

well hello cazkabooms' dad! nice to meet you!

Mizozuman2

 

this post will randomly get likes, and yet i don't know how... :devil:

 

I got my 1st coin, an 1889 Morgan from my Grandfather when I was 8, since then...
I changed my middle name to COIN.
I put a Merc in the bottom of my wine glass.
I buy foreign bulk from the coin shop by 5 pound increments.
I have so much OGP I have no idea what's what any more.
I have hundreds if not thousands of coins on all horizontal surfaces in my home office that I've graded but never put into 2x2's.
I get excited when my kids get loose teeth so I can play Tooth Fairy!
I actually met up with a Craigslist seller for a "funky penny" and BOUGHT IT for $5. (It was a science project electroplated 1986)
I once tried to figure out how to decorate my Christmas tree with an MS69 set of PCGS ASE's.
Yeah I am a COINAHOLIC!
AND PROUD OF IT!

http://www.cointalk.com/t195032-3/#post1303340 this just an exaple of what I'd do if I were entering this contest..
Just sayin'
Please DO NOT consider my entry.
Great contest, I'm so pleasantly surprised at our generous members and happy to call CT home.
Good On You MAN!!!

 

I'm not in the contest, but am reading some of the entries. One reminded me of one of my old stories. When I was in elementary school our class sold popcorn in small bags during break time. We started putting dimes (properly cleaned of course) in some of the bags to spur sales. I was already such a collector that I put some of my foreign coins in some bags and was amazed that the students that found them generally threw them away. Guess it is just a mind set.

 

that really is a beautiful coin... how many different hands to you thinks its been through? you really have to think about the hands its been through... rich people, poor people, everyday people, the president, who knows!!

 

The name's Brian and I'm a 15-year-old YN.

So, how I started collecting? That's tough to explain. To sum it all up into one word I'd have to say "epiphany". I was getting sick of the usual video games and drama of my teenage life. I was introduced to an advertisment on my Facebook page regarding the rising price Silver bullion and the rare coin market in general. In a section of this somewhat lengthy ad., was a provided breif backround of joy of numismatics and some numismatic icons (names that have since slipped my mind). After reading on, I discoverd I had learned so many interesting facts in such a short period of time! Not only how fulfilling the hobby of coin collecting is, but how much history you could learn along the way!

I had come to the conclusion that I wanted to pursue this as a hobby. So, what'd I do next? ... I hit the books.. HARD! I learned all I could about numismatics in a short amount of time. Before I made my first purchase, I wanted to feel comfortable with whatever I may buy and I wanted to understand the trending value of the coin so I wouldn't overpay (which I learned was a rookie mistake for most who just jump head first into the hobby). I wanted to be the minority... The one who understood the meaning of the word "numismatist".

Once I felt comfortable enough to make a purchase, I visited a coin shoppe here in my hometown of Huntington Beach, California that I had read numerous reviews on before arriving. I wanted to make sure that their prices were fair, that the employee would be cooperative with a "newbie", and that they would acknowledge that I had entered the store with a greeting rather than watching over my shoulder like a hawk thinking "Man, kids these days are punks... I bet this kid'll try to get a five-finger discount". Well, when arriving, head held high, I was greeted with a firm handshake and all that I had hoped. The 3 employees in the store did not speak to me with a condecending tone (something I had suspected may happen) and simply gave me a tour of the establishment. After doing so, I browsed the countertops. Eventually, I found something I had read all about in the Redbook of US Coins; A Walking Liberty Half Dollar. It was dated '1943' with no mintmark. I was not looking for any particular coin on this day and had no intent on spending a wad of cash, but this thing caught my eye over everything else in the store. I'd have to say the condition of the coin was no higher than 'very fine'... Though, I found it very attractive! With cash in hand, I approached the cash register where I simply handed the owner (Not the same man you had shaken my hand) the $13.00 that the coin was supposedly tagged for, and, to my surprise, he handed back to me a 1983-P Kennedy Half Dollar and said "Keep at it, kid".

When I arrived home, I was overjoyed! Not only had I gotten one fantastic WWII era half dollar, I had gotten two half dollars to start off a collection that would only from expand from then on. The next day, I visited that coin shoppe once again to be greeted by an employee that was not working the previous day. This guy was a VAMmer! In my 2-hours being at the shoppe that day, he taught me all about die varieties and simply how they are created. I was amazed when hearing this because I had never even heard of a "VAM" before entering the store that day. He was kind of enough to even give me a copy of the 2nd volume of the Cherrypicker's Guide! I went home and studied this book for hours learning all I could about Morgan Dollar VAMs (left the Peace Dollars for a later date). That same night, I went on eBay and discovered a few VAMs that I thought may command a substantial premium over the trending value. One was an 1888-O "Oval O" in XF-condition. After researching that particular VAM a bit more and looking at recent realized auction prices, I felt comfortable enough to make the purchase. The listing was a "Buy-it-Now" auction with a set price of only $44.99.

When the coin arrived at my doorstep the following week, I ripped the package open like a kid opening presents from Santa Clause on Christmas morning! I further examined the coin... It was everything I had expected. Nice, original, and a another great addition to the collection. I took it into my now regular coin shoppe the same day, only hours after seeing it in hand. The "VAMmer" at the shoppe was proud of me! He told me the VAM did command a nice premium in XF-grades. Though he threw an offer out onto the table, the coin, in my eyes, had far too much sentimental value to give up. This coin today, after a year-and-a-half collecting, still resides in an Airtite capsule locked away in my safe, where I expect it will stay for the rest of my collecting career (hopefully a lifetime).

Though I would like to continue the story and discuss my first coin show, coin-roll hunt, ect. I'd rather not bore y'all with this ridiculously lengthy thread response. Thanks for the opportunity WingedLiberty and I wish everyone else the best-of-luck!

-Brian

 

man MS70, that's going to get a lot of likes! good job on writing it!

 

Thanks, and it's all right as rain. As I stated at the end of my previous post, I'd have loved to continue the story, but as I'd rather not bore you guys, I also was unsure of how many characters CoinTalk would allow me to insert into one reply.

-Brian

 

If you like my reply and PM me your adress I'll send you a mercury dime in the mail. Hehe J.K. I love this contest, and I'm off to vote.


On another note I have enjoyed reading the posts. I actually got my start when my mom would take me and the neighbor kid to McDonalds. I was about 5, and (lewis) said I was no fun, because I would be the only one in the corner of the ball pit digging for loose change. For about a year then I would even pick weeds, and my mom would take me to the local coinshop for a cheap coin, and then on to get a cookie at the grocery store. Unfortunatly at 7 I moved to Okinowa, and started collecting baseball cards instead. In about 1992 I was visiting my Grandpa out in Lancaster CA, and he designed a treasure hunt for me. Map and everything. Inside the (time capsul) were a bunch of coins. When he passed away I inherited the cheaper end of his coin collection and stored it in my folks safe. It went un-touched for 15 years. About 2 years ago I was playing poker at a home game in Austin Tx, and as the game was breaking, we started playing high card. I outdrew the guy and would have taken the 20 dollars, but was more interested in his coin (his card protector). It was one of thoe heavy copper britain coins from the late 1700's. (not worth a lot). That got me back into collecting, as well as pawnstars on T.V. Cheers


~Jason

 

YAY... oh wait, you were just kidding.

 

I am not a YN, but I am very immature (says my wife). So give me the coin or I will ride my bike on your lawn.

 

I will not be posting for the contest,but I just wanted to chime in and say that this is a great contest,I hope a young person or a newbie wins.Winged Liberty,you are a very generous person,and people like you make this forum great!

 

+1 on this!

 

me and cazkaboom are running really close! 15(me) to 12(caz), i'm getting nervous!

ah, well, anywhere it goes, i am betting it is going to a good home!

Mizozuman2

P.S, what is your nickname on here cazkaboom?

 

Nevermind, I did'nt misread (lol)

Mizo,

The "likes" are only counted on the post that is your entry. Which puts Cazkaboom in first with 6 likes, and you and at second tied at 5. The posts on everything else that is'nt your story do not count.

 

zach, make up your mind!!! lol