First Collected Coin

I don't remember my first exactly, but I grew up in England and my Dad would give me his left over pocket change when he came home from business trips. I had Francs, Marks, Lire, Krona, Pesetas, Escudos and many more. I still have all these in a tub, and they are what got me started on coin collecting. Great idea for a thread!

When I was in 3rd grade, my friend gave me 2 coins, a 1900 Liberty V nickel, and a 1906 Indian Head cent. I cant say I collect these types of coins, but they sure did get me started in the world of coin collecting.

I don't know my FIRST coin collected but I have several goofy coin related tidbits.

All through my school years I can remember we would gamble in the hallways. Playing "corners" for one another's paper route money. Rules were easy.
We would line out the stake,.05c,.10c,.25c,.50c or dollar etc.
We would each take a coin and toss it to the wall, rules were it had to first hit the wall, then whose ever lands closest won the stake.

I had a lucky unbeatable silver Ben half. It just sounded cool when it hit so I always used it. It was not infallible but it really did have the signature silver ring to it and I always did good with it. Now as grown men we still sometimes play in the garage but the stakes get stupid.

We would also sometimes bowl pennies down the street when walking home. Same bet. You lined out the stakes. Each person bowled a penny. Then when we caught up to it we would see who's went further. If you couldn't find yours, you lost by default. Amazing how far a penny can go. If luck is on your side you can make it through intersections and get it nearly two blocks. Or on hills you were doomed. Sometimes it goes too far and you lose by default becuse you dont know where it went....or worse. You get there and see some other kid picking it up! We would always use wheats because we thought they were just BETTER for rolling. And bragging rights the entire rest of the walk.

All of our childhood gambling involved our boyhood treasures. Typical rubber bands and pocket lint. Indian pennies and broken watches. You were little boys too so you know since you I am sure picked up the same crap, but it was treasure at the time.

I always think of it when I see a worn Indian all beaten up and someone says HOW IN THE WORLD does that happen to a coin....

Mine was an American Jefferson nickel.

When I was 10 or 11 my mother, probably trying to get me occupied so I left her alone hehe, made me a deal that if I rolled up all the pennies they had in a bunch of coffee cans she'd split the money with me. While I was rolling them up I noticed one with a different color and it turned out to be a steel penny, I had never seen one and I took it to her and asked her what was wrong with it . Needless to say I spent the next few hours pulling every Wheat penny I could find out of the cans, and I think finding another steelie or 2, before rolling them up.

in 1999 my grandfather was collecting the State Quarters and he had me help look for them with him. I have always been fascinated with other countries and there cultures so one day he asked if I wanted to see his foreign coin collection I said sure.ever since then I was hooked

Back in 1913 the Mint came out with Nickels with Indian Head and Buffalos on them. So I took all my 1913 Liberty Head Nickels and put them in Pop Machines since they will not be worth anything now with those new types out. Then again in 1916 they came out with those Mercury dimes and I grabbed as many of the Denver ones I could find. Eventually I used them for pop also since those too will never be worth saving.
RFB: I'm suprized you didn't mention a lagging game. If you lived in a city and the concrete sidewalks had those lines that separated the slabs, there was that game where kids would lag coins for the second one. The closest one to a crack won all the rest. A liner got double payouts. Few used Nickels since they bounced to much. A Silver coin would stick in one place better. Lots and lots of dents in those coins.
My first coin was a 1943 Steel Lincoln Cent from my Dad in 1943. Sure wish I knew back then that there was a possibility of Copper 43 Cents. But would have probably just spent one anyway.