How Long Have You Collected?

I started accumulating strange and unusual coins (wheaties, Canadian, etc.) in the mid 1970's as a kid. Seriously got into collecting around 1977. After buying a Coins Magazine to read on a car trip, ordered a small bag about 8 lbs. of Wheat cents from Jake's Coin and Stamp ad in the magazine, found out we had coin shops nearby, took of from there, and was working at one of the shops after school and weekends soon after.

Started in 2011.I was trying to find an interessting way to get the kids to learn history and geography. My dad (fromer RCM employee)gave me his collection. I'm the one who got more into it.

I started in the early '80s while still in High School. I took somewhat of a break in the early '90s to get married, have kids, buy a house, etc. I still picked up a coin here and there, but it wasn't till around 2010 till I was able to buy what I wanted again.

I started with a hand full of Indian Head cents given to me by my Grandmother in 1957. Have never taken a break since then.

started in 1969buying some Roman coins , after collecting ten years earlier European coins ans some from the Belgian Congo.In the years 80 I swiched to antiquities and came back 10 years ago to my first love : coins . Now I am buying mostly Greek and Roman silver coins ,sometimes golden and every good deal I find.albert

I started collecting in 1966 when I got an 1874 penny in my pocket money. Around the same time my parents gave me a Churchill Crown and I read an article about collecting pennies in a magazine. A teacher at my school also told me about some pennies having lighthouses on them and others not! When I heard about decimal currency coming along, I was determined to get as many of the old coins that I could before they disappeared. I've never stopped collecting but there have been some periods like the early 1970s (straight after decimalisation) and the 1990s (when the old shillings and florins were finally phased out) when my interest has waned a bit. The introduction of the Euro in 2002 definitely gave it a boost!

Started in 1989 when my Dad introduced me to some simple coins such as common Wheats, IHCs and Buffalos. I have had 3 collections since then and sold all 3 due to financial strains. I'm now on my 4th and largest collection and I hope to keep it all, keep building it and pass it down to my son.

I first got interested in coins about 1725. Not many coins back then though so had to be satisfied with what ever there was. About 1863 I found so many different types of coins to save but that silly war made it difficult to get so many. by 1900 coins were more and more available so I started collecting for real and used many of the ones from the past to buy newer ones. By 1916 I decided to stop for a while but then the government came out with that Mercury dime thing so back to collecting again. Now up to 1,000 Mercury dime Albums and all in perfect shape. Sure wish they kept on making those larger Cents but they just don't work in gum ball machines.
In reality started in 1943 when my Dad gave me a new, Silvery Pennny. It was made of steel so that got me started.