Yet Another Forum Game - Numismatic Go Fish!

Ok well here is what we have so far (recall that I'll be closing this session down tomorrow):

@jbuck: high grade Ike dollar
@dorado: French 5 Franc with Marianne walking and otherwise embodying liberty and reason
@finn: Roman Denarius celebrating the birth of twins and stating, "Joy of the age"
@arkie: Lake Placid commemorative with jubilant ice skater


In addition to petitioning all of you lurkers to throw in an entry of your happiest coin, I would like to request that @jbuck provide a link to one of the other threads where he describes his fascination with this particular series. I'm sure that I must have read it at some point, but don't remember any more. Thx!

@finn, with your entry "Joy of the Age", you are this challenge's winner.

@jbuck, I'm still actually interested in hearing *why* you collect Ikes.

When my dad gave me those two Eisenhower dollars it started my fascination with coins. Their immense size (especially to an eight year old) really got my attention. Everything took off from there, but always seemed to center around the Ikes. Without them I might not have ever been interested in coins.

Thanks @Spence!

And @jbuck, that gives me an idea for the next challenge!

For this post, imagine you are meeting yourself as a YN, about 8-12 years old. Post the coin from your collection that you think would have the biggest "Wow!" effect on yourself. I'll choose a winner on Thursday night.

For me, it would easily be this lifetime tetradrachm of Alexander the Great



I've always been fascinated by ancient history, and Alexander the Great was arguably the most pivotal figure for all of Western history. I remember drooling over the pictures of ancient coins in a book I had, convinced they were the sort of things that only could be owned by museums. Then I would sadly remember that the oldest coin I owned was made when my grandfather was in high school . I rather vividly remember going to a coin show when I was about 12, and begging my parents to let me buy an ancient coin, only to be told that I would never be able to afford a genuine ancient coin, because anything that had any detail left would surely cost hundreds of dollars.

(To be fair, A) the coins at that show were egregiously overpriced, and B) that coin is still the second most expensive one I have ever purchased!)

That coin would have blown my mind as a kid!

Let's see yours

I know not everyone had any interest in coins as a kid, but to be a collector today, I believe we all had that seed in us at that age, just waiting for the right spark to set it off.

Well, within the 8-12 age range, I don't recall being much interested in coins. But, I have always been intrigued with items from the "distant" past and history. Because this is the oldest U.S. coin I own, it surely would have given my 10-year-old brain cause for pause. Though now, it doesn't seem so special. Awakening the inner youth can be a great thing, sometimes.



It was carried and spent 200 years ago by people I can only dream up. That connection with the past is a good feeling.

I will avoid the obvious Ike this time.

Using the benefit of hindsight, I will show something that would have probably been way more impressive to my eight year old self.

When I first saw the Ikes I never knew we had a one dollar coin. (I was aware of the half dollar because most vending machines took them at that time.)

The one (1977-D) and two (1976-D) year old Ike dollar coins impressed me in 1978. What would a hundred year old dollar coin do? Sure, I could go with a flashy 1878 Morgan, but let us go back one more year...

What eight year old would not be impressed with this 1877-S Trade dollar?