My passion for the hobby began as a young kid when my father gave me some Whitman cent folders and brought me to the credit union to buy some rolls of cents. I remember the rush of excitement every time I filled a hole in those folders. He also generously gifted me several rolls he had saved from his childhood so I could look through them and fill some of the older holes. He told me stories about looking through cent rolls as a kid in the 50s and everything he found. Supposedly he found a 1909-S VDB in a bank roll as a kid, but gave it away before I was born.
He also helped out by gifting me some proof sets during my early years.
I put the hobby on pause because I was a kid that had to pursue anything and everything. Then in 1999, the
State Quarters happened. I was right back in it, as was half of the country. More hobbies happened, and my financial dependence at the time didn't allow me to do very much collecting.
After graduating from college, I began serving in the military. As a result of my job and my own personal travels, I've been to quite a few countries. Each time I've done my best to acquire full type sets of coins and bills of the countries I visit. That started a new collection of international currency that I can look at and remember my travels.
This past summer, when visiting my parents, I broke out the old collection to look at it. It brought back such fond memories, and I decided to get back into it. Having more financial freedom to collect has really gotten me excited about the hobby!
I have three main parts to my collection:
1. International currency
2. Circulated U.S. currency date sets - working to complete all modern types,
Indian Head cents, Two-Cent Pieces,
Liberty nickels, and
Buffalo nickels. More sets when these are done.
3. Proof sets - I'm working to acquire all silver proof sets since 1992. I skipped several years between college and now, and the prices on some of them are outrageous (i.e. 2012). I have the clad proof sets from my birth year until 1992. I am also working to complete a set of West Point minted American Silver Eagle proofs (began in 2001).
I've been lurking around reading the forums here for a while, and I finally decided to join last week. It's nice to be a part of the community!
Posted 10/09/2017 5:17 pm
to the Community!
I can tell you I just bought a 2013-W Silver Eagle proof that has an "Enhanced Finish". It looks remarkable in the pics and I'm excited to see it in person.
