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 Replies: 30 / Views: 3,529 |
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Valued Member
United States
419 Posts |
I can appreciate a good MS coin so don't get me wrong. My mouth will water when I see an MS 3 cent nickle and so on. However I really appreciate the history (travel) of the coin in my hand. It is unlikely that a great MS coin stayed to long in someones pocket. I have a large cent that was made into a love token and one that was prob worn as a necklace. While I didn't pay top dollar for them I still wouldn't think of selling them. I know that those coins have a rich history behind them. I know some of you cringe when you see a really nice coin that was holed but I must admit it intrigues me. I even had a necklace I made with two memorial cents that I drilled and attached to a necklace to remind me of the widows two mites. My brother also has a SAQ that he shot a whole through with a rifle and made into a key chain for my dad... he got it back when my dad passed away. Sometimes I sit and think about what the "ruined" coin in question's story might be. So if you have an old "ruined" coin...send it my way cause I'm most likely interested. Thanks for your time if you have read my ramblings this far. God Bless, Brad  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
533 Posts |
I understand what you're saying and agree for the most part. I'm particularly fond of Hobo Nickels for the same reasons. I will still cringe at a holed MS Seated Liberty quarter but at this point it's an involuntary response. I don't think it's wrong to do it but its not my cup of tea. It sounds like you are collecting what you like and that's the best way to go about it as far as I'm concerned. If I had anything holed I send it your way. |
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Valued Member
United States
113 Posts |
Brad, I totally agree. I wouldn't trade my M1 Garand with all it's scars for one that looked like it only saw action in cosmoline. I, too, appreciate the look of history. I think coins should be enjoyed any way that pleases you and your own set of rules.
Edited by cmdrstp
10/31/2009 11:45 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
797 Posts |
I agree also. I got into collecting coins for their history and stories. I like learning facts and stories of the older coins. I don't mind paying for a nice coin but I am often not too concerned about the "book value". I do like knowing book value so I don't get ripped off when buying something. It is nice to have valuable stuff from an asset perspective, but I will most likely never sell my coins (other than duplicates and such possibly)and plan to pass them on to my son just as I have received and will receive some very valuable coins as heirlooms. Their story and personal connection trump any resale value, so those nice old (and sometimes well-handled) coins are sometimes more valuable than a better more pristine version.
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Valued Member
United States
382 Posts |
I agree, I love Circulated coins. As you said a MS is beautiful and I collect those too but my sets I am working on are all Circ. I have a Italian 500 L coin that I drilled a hole in 35 or more years ago, been on my key ring ever since. The history of the coins is what I like also. To me a nice coin in Fine to XF is the best part of collecting.
Tony
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Valued Member
United States
146 Posts |
I agree also, I remember as a kid my day showed me a 1910 wheatie that was also worn flat and I thought it was so cool, I still do. It still amazes me the amount of touching a coin it takes to wear down a coin like that.
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Valued Member
United States
266 Posts |
I also agree, I have always felt that every time a coin is earned by an individual (by trading some portion of their limited life on this planet for it) and then spending it to another willing to do the same the coin retains a little bit of that person in it. A well worn coin is in this way "full of life", where a MS coin is a "dead" slab of metal, it may still be beautiful to look at, but dead all the same.
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Valued Member
Australia
465 Posts |
...crazy idea man here again. I am very tired having spent the last four days working on my kitchen reno but I will try to explain my idea. In fishing (yeup - try and keep up) sometimes fish are tagged and released to be caught elsewhere and then the information is entered into a database. Would it be possible for coins to be tagged (spray on application - not changing the surface of the coins, datadots : http://www.fortherecordnm.com/purchase-DATADOT) and then released into the wild / circulation. Winner is the person that finds one. Microscopes at the ready... Nupe. Too mad. Going to sleep. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1291 Posts |
They say first impressions are lasting. When I was first introduced to collecting (at age 11) I was given 3 partial sets of well circulated Mercury dimes, Jefferson nickels and Lincoln Cents. I wasn't even aware until a couple of years later that it was even possible to obtain uncirculated specimens. Been hooked on circulated coins ever since...and they sure are more affordable! Soldier: I think I have holed 1917-D nickel with a pretty strong original date. If I can find it in my rat's nest I'll PM you and it'll be yours! Edited by weerdsteev
11/02/2009 09:52 am
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Valued Member
United States
106 Posts |
I wanted a copy of my grandfather's WW1 memoir and bought a cheap copy on Amazon. It was an old library copy all beat up, with a list of dates it had to be returned. It had a "signed edition" sticker on the front, which I thought kind of odd since the book was published way posthumously (turns out my aunt signed it). After I got it, I told my dad. He told me he could have sent me a "mint state" copy if I'd asked for it. Of course I said "no way", the book I got was the best possible. |
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Valued Member
 United States
419 Posts |
Well I'm glad to know that I am in good company! Thanks for sharing your stories! Brannenworks I know how you feel about that book my grandfather was a minister and he died 20+ years before I was born. I have a copy of a song book that he had written some lyrics to a song in the front cover... Priceless!
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Rest in Peace
United States
1729 Posts |
I hadn't thought much about coins' histories until I bought twenty Roman "cleaners" just a few years ago. These came out of the ground somewhere in Serbia and had been there since the Roman soldier who was going into battle the next day had buried them. Or the family who had lived there had buried them in in a clay jar; the house disappeared; they rested for over a thousand years; and suddenly someone who was using Ground Penetrating Radar unearthed them. Whatever - they endured while humans above them perished, and while they were being circulated, Rome and Greece flourished. Even today when I have to clean gum off a two-cent Euro piece I wonder about the gum-snapper who stuck it there. Fascinating fodder for speculation.
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Pillar of the Community
Mexico
1304 Posts |
I totally hear you. I ran into a contemporary fake from nearly a century ago...when I see how much wear is on this obviously fake coin, I wonder, what type of people touched this coin so that it was circulated to this point? It wasn't used as money, no one would accept it...yet so many hands have touched it.
Then again, I saw two silver 1953ish 5 pesos that had been in a man's pocket for the past 50 years...couldn't hardly tell what the coins were any more, but they history of that man (a lumber yard worker) was amazing!
BTW, I have a 50 centavo that I found next to a canal the other day (rare to find ANY coins in the street here). It doesn't toggle my switch, but if you want it...lemme know, maybe we can do a trade. :) Right now it's sitting on top of my water heater ;)
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Valued Member
Australia
465 Posts |
Hi Brad,
I got a coin in my change today with a small chunk taken out the side. May have been done by a thick saw.
I will post photos of a coin that I bought last month which brought about the law to stop people altering the surface of UK coins. I cannot remember fully and will post the story at the same time.
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New Member
United States
16 Posts |
Oh yeah! I've always wondered too, just like you. I love the internet and how it has answered so many of the un-answered questions we had as kids. Imagine my surprise to find that the internet had the answer to "where has this been before it got to me". It's not a microchip embedded in a coin.. however, semi-related to the idea of wondering what the history is/was of your circulated coins..... I'm sure you all know about this already, pardon me if you do, I am new here. http://www.wheresgeorge.com/faq.phpI think it's a a fun variation of dibby33 post/link that has been around for 10 years or so. Some people have a success rate of 20-25%! alas.. I am at 5%.. It took about 6 months to get my first hit. but yeah!... periodically... when I get one....... I enter more numbers... DO IT! </devil's grin> |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts |
These types of stories are usually from people that are coin collectors. I feel the same as most here on this topic. Many, many of our coins tell a story, have a story connected to them, remind us of someone or something. It amazes me that although I have thousands of coins, occationally I'll pick up some of my 1943 Steel Cents and think of my Dad since he used to give me all the ones he found in change.
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Replies: 30 / Views: 3,529 |
Posted 10/31/2009 9:51 pm
