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Pillar of the Community
United States
2661 Posts |
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I've been to lots of countries and I've always found myself with loose change at the end of each trip. I suppose the fact that I held on to those coins was the start of my collection. Same here Demarco. I started back in 1981 keeping my foreign change in a can where it sat for many years. I really did not get started seriously collecting U.S. coinage until the mid 90 to late 90's. I have always been a buyer of silver bullion since the mid to late 1980's thinking that someday it would be worth at least $20 an once...........  at least I got that one right. |
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
856 Posts |
For me it started when I was clearing my Dad's stuff, for he was a terrible hoarder. Over £100 in 50p pieces with the hands on them for example! Some of his coins were of interest to me, others .. not. I went to the library to find a book to learn a bit more about the ones I liked and came across a book called 'The Splendid Shilling' Well, shillings I remembered well from my childhood, they were a size I liked and I thought it would be fun to follow the book and collect more shillings to supplement the ones I'd inherited. I found a coin dealer who bought some of the coins I didn't want and gave me shillings in return and it went on from there. Unfortunately after a while the money from Dad's coins ran low and I realised I wasn't going to be able to afford a 'proper' collection (examples of the first issue for each reign plus each major design change going back to the testoons of Henry VIII) on my budget. Plus I had come to realise that I really wasn't as attracted to the later (post 1816) milled coins. But the reign of Charles I was very varied. And generally inexpensive as shilling were a common denomination of the time. Plus there were a couple of publications that could be used to guide a novice collector of the series, making collecting a bit easier. We finally got my Dad's affairs tied up and Wifey agreed I could have a lump of money from Dad's estate to play with (the rest being our 'pension fund!') and I've been buying Charles I Tower mint shillings ever since. I've sold a few to upgrade, used money I've received for birthday and Christmas and occasionally bought and sold on ebay or part exchanged to build the collection. It will never be a massive collection (63 coins at present) but I have a few rarities, am generally pleased with my aquisitions and still have gaps to fill. And it keeps me off the streets and (mostly) out of trouble .... LOL |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5861 Posts |
I used to collect coins when I was little, but they were mostly foreign coins that I ordered from one of those "coin of the month" type clubs. Over the years, whenever I would find an interesting U.S. coin in my change (whether it be a Buffalo nickel, an Indian Head cent, a Wheat Back Cent, a silver dime of any sort, etc.), I would put it aside. I didn't really consider myself a "collector" however. Flash forward to a couple of years ago when my son was in kindergarten and started collecting State Quarters as a class project. First I bought him an album. Then, out of desperation, I went online to ebay to try and locate some of the harder to find quarters. And that was all it took for me to get hooked. I had a passing knowledge of many early American coins, such as the ones I mentioned earlier, but had never even heard of things like the V nickel, the Flying Eagle cent, the Seated Liberty coinage, the two-cent piece, the half-cent, etc. I was completely gobsmacked and started buying pieces here and there as time and budget allowed. And then, I went looking online to see if there was some sort of list as to what all the different types and varieties were out there and I found this place. A thread about the Dansco 7070 album, to be precise. That was enough to put me over the edge, and I've been falling ever since... |
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Moderator
 United States
189142 Posts |
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New Member
Australia
31 Posts |
When I was a young boy in the 60s there were some news articles here in Australia about the 1930 penny which is very rare. That started my interest. I can almost afford one now.
I remember one day my brother brought home an English 1930 penny and fooled me completely. I was extremely excited for about two minutes.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1304 Posts |
My father-in-law was an avid coin collector. After he passed away my wife took custody of the collection, which I would look at it every once in awhile but never thought much about it. We held on to it until my brother-in-law lost his job and needed his half of the collection. We split up everything that we had 2 or more of the same thing. They both knew I was into looking things up on the computer so they had me start researching all the coins that we only had one of, got an idea of the value and took them to a coin shop in St. Louis and sold some, and some went through the auction. Gave half the money to my wife's brother, wife took the other half and I ended up with 1/2 a coin collection. Doing the research got me started and I have added to the collection over the years. I think about my father-in-law. What he would think of "his" coin collection now.
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Valued Member
United States
99 Posts |
My wife bought me a metal detector when I was stationed overseas and I lived in the little town of Eppenbrunn, Germany. The front of the house was in Germany and the back of the house was in France. Technically I needed a visa to go out my back door. The first thing I found was a clump of round things stuck together. I thought they were rusty washers. Turned out to be a clump of mixed coins like someone had lost a collection. Celtic, Roman, Moroccan and a few others all stuck together. I took the time to look them up a the collector bug bite me  Edited by Jim Delaney
04/01/2013 7:39 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5854 Posts |
My dad gave me a few Kennedy half dollars and SBA's and I found a green 1929 Wheat cent when I was younger. I thought the coins that I was given and the one that I found were pretty cool but they didn't quite spark an interest in collecting. I guess the coins just didn't seem unusual enough. It was the summer of 2002 and I was heading home on my kick scooter because it was getting dark. Just as I was about to pass by, I decided to head into a local trading card and used videogames shop that I frequented. I collected pokemon cards at the time though my interest was waning but I wanted to see what he had for sale. What the owner had for sale was a small grouping of the coolest 19th and early 20th century U.S coins I had ever seen at that point. I came away with 1914 Barber dime and about a week later bought a 1893 Colombian half dollar. Come Christmas time when I got a little more spending money and remembering the purchase made earlier in the year, I went to JJ Teaparty per my Dad's recommendation and took home a 1836 Bust Dime, 1858 Sweedish 1/2 Ore, and a 1916 German 1/2 Mark. That was on 12/29/2002 and marks the day I began collecting. All the coins mentioned with the exception of the 1929 Wheat cent and maybe a SBA, I still have. |
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Valued Member
United States
134 Posts |
Back in 1969 my mom almost died while giving birth to my youngest sister. I was only 8 years old at the time but remember it being a very traumatic time for my father and maternal grandparents. Both my mom and sister pulled through just fine, but due to my mom's medical complications, my father had a significant doctor/hospital bill to pay and he borrowed a fair amount of money from my bank account (one that I was not even aware I had at the time nor how all that money got there  ) to pay the bill. Now, my father had been a coin collector since he was a kid and had a very nice U.S. gold piece collection that he had to sell once he had a family to support and a house to buy; so he was no stranger to the numismatic world. My introduction to this wonderful world began when he started to take me to the local coin shop every Friday after school to buy me a coin, the cost of which he would deduct off the balance he owed me. He bought me BU Walking Liberty halves (his favorite coin design), and Morgan and Peace type silver dollars. He was good friends with the dealer and we made out pretty well. I've been collecting ever since and have thanked my dad may times over the years for sparking my interest in numismatics. Oh yes, I suppose I need to thank my sister as well, since she did contribute in a rather 'round about way. I really should give her a call  . |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1109 Posts |
 This coin started it for me. The 1919 Lincoln Wheat cent. I was about 8-9 years old and in my grandmother's kitchen. She used to go to Las Vegas several times a year and always kept a cup of change to take with her for playing slots when she'd go. In one such cup, I found a bunch of wheat cents. I looked through them out of curiosity. When I found this 1919, I just KNEW it had to be the oldest thing ever made. I kept it, and decided to try to get one of each year (not worried about the mint marks back then). I made a date set of wheats, mixed mints, from 1940-1958. I have since upgraded my set to BU, but this one will always have a special place in my collection. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1801 Posts |
The tooth fairy gave me a Seated quarter for my first lost tooth and my Dad let me use his 1959 Bluebook to figure out what it was. That was followed up with the opportunity to go through his box of old Indian Head cents he had pulled from circulation over the years (this was around 1961) and that led to an Indian Head cent folder and a Lincoln Cent folder and a life long addiction to collecting. When he passed in 1992 I found the box of Indian Head cents still hidden in the back of his sock drawer. It now has a place of honor in my collection. Other Uncles and Aunts chipped in coins as well including a jar of large cents that were pulled from the cash register of my grandfathers bar during prohibition and the depression. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4897 Posts |
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my grandfathers bar during prohibition GO GRANDPA!!  |
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Valued Member
United States
461 Posts |
My grandfather started it... I only recently reactivated (2 yrs ago) by finding my old collection after unpacking from a move.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1801 Posts |
Thanks Amida17, my grandfather and all his brothers were pretty wild and they told great stories when I was growing up.
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Bedrock of the Community
 United States
18685 Posts |
as a paperboy in the early 60's you could find pretty much everything in circulation. indians, buffalos, mercs, lincolns, silver dollars, V-nickels...got hooked and still have all of them. in fact the only lincoln I ever purchased was the 09s vbd. the rest came from circulation. that was true collecting. the last several years I fell in love with the old coppers and completing a Small coin US Type set. currently have 5 half-cents all grade VF30 or better and 9 large cents VF25 or better. my prize possession... a beautiful 1798 S-174 large cent VF35
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Replies: 30 / Views: 3,845 |
First Page
Posted 03/31/2013 07:30 am
