I bought a 1932 D and S Washington Quarter Set from Mel's Coin Shop(Stamps and Coins) in Johnson City, TN in 1974. My first real coin purchase(I had bought rolls of Liincolns, Indians, and Buffaloes but not just a coin or coins). I paid $40 for the 32D and $35 for the 32S. The 32D was VF and the 32S was VF+. I sold them 30 years later for over $100 each. They were raw and sold raw later. They were the worst grades in my Washington Album when I broke it up and sold it. Most of the 30's were AU to low MS.
Jim
When a man who is honestly mistaken hears the truth, he will either quit being mistaken or cease to be honest....Abraham Lincoln
Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.....Mark Twain
A St. Gauden's $20 in the early 60's. Paid about $65. Actually bought the 4 piece type set at the same time. The only other one I remember was the $5 Indian, paid $15. (Two paper routes.) Had them slabbed much later, came back 64-65. Sold them to help pay the IRS. Since replaced, but the quality isn't as good, other than the $20.
A 1950-D nickel to complete my set, the first set I ever completed. I think it was about $10.
A few years later I was ready to complete my Lincoln’s and went out to purchase a S-VDB. Went to a few local dealers and finally found a XF I really liked. Had heard horror stories about counterfeits and took it downtown to show to the dealer that eventually hired me. He suggested I take it over to Sol Kaplan’s office in a nearby office building. Dad and I showed up unannounced and explained our visit to the secretary. Sol evidently heard us through the open door of his office and stuck his head out the door to see the pair of “rubes” in his waiting room. I explained my predicament and asked if he could authenticate my coin. He came back out with a HAND FULL of S-VDB’s! He compared mine to his and came to the conclusion it was real.
A hand full! Why had I not thought about coming here first? Well, he was a major national dealer and did not have much time for a 13 year old, but that day he had the heart to help us out. This was late in his career and my only interaction with him.
Years later I had ANACS authenticate it as an XF45 which was later traded as part payment on an unc. Now I wish I had kept it……
Q: When does a collector become a numismatist?
A: The year they spend more on their library than their coin collection.
A numismatist is judged more on the content of their library than the content of their cabinet.
@PerryHall said:
I collected the usual cents from circulation to fill a coin album. My first real coin was a BU 1927 gold $20 that I bought for $47 in 1965. Gold at that time was fixed by the government at $35 per Troy ounce.
I wanted to do the same and an older collector at the coin shop talked me out of it. He said I was a young man and would need money to raise a family in the future.
I remember giving a classmate the enormous sum of $4 for an XF 1865 2-cent piece in 1977. If I paid my own money for a coin before that I don't remember.
An 1838 Half dime in Good that I bought from my mother's cleaning lady. I paid $3 which was too much. I still have it, but it wrecked it by cleaning it and storing it in crummy envelope when I was a kid. I didn't know any better.
Retired dealer and avid collector of U.S. type coins, 19th century presidential campaign medalets and selected medals. In recent years I have been working on a set of British coins - at least one coin from each king or queen who issued pieces that are collectible. I am also collecting at least one coin for each Roman emperor from Julius Caesar to ... ?
First one I ever bought was an 1898-O or 1899-0 Morgan dollar in "fine" for $6, at Northlake Stamp & Coin in ATL in November 1975.
First one I bought after resuming collecting permanently in 1998 was an 1898 PCGS MS-65 RB South Africa ZAR penny for $31 + $4 shipping from World Coin Universe. Krause was (and is to my knowledge) $20 for "UNC", so I was hesitant because I thought I overpaid. (I sold it for $350 in 2009.)
@Hydrant said:
A 1912 Barber dime. I think I paid 15¢ for it. Not much more. I still have it. It is in a plastic 2x2. I looked at it just recently. The plastic holder is smudged and grimy. Filthy! I thought about cleaning it then thought no........All that dirt is from the fingers of the little boy who used to hold and admire that dime.
Lincoln cents. As a kid the LCS (Coin Castle in west Des Moines, IA now capitol city coins).
The owner of this shop was very knowledge and friendly, he had an old wooden barrel full of wheat pennies and am occasional ihc. There was a table and at 10 years old my friend and I would get dropped off there for an hour with our whitman folders. He charged 5cents for any penny from the barrel, if you found a key or semi key date, he would sell it to you, then he would buy it back from you at it's value in store credit. Never found anything too valuable. I would make money shoveling driveways and mowing lawns, sit in there for an hour digging through pennies, but also bought coins for my 20th century type set which I still have today 30 years later.
I honestly can't remember going back some 57 years ago. You see I never purchased just one coin, I usually would get 3 or 4 at a time ... which was all very common stuff.
Probably S-mint Lincolns, though I distinctly remember buying common Morgan dollars for $3 each and a 1911 Barber half for $1.50 and would buy one or two with each visit.
My first real purchase of a key coin was actually 2. In 1972 I purchased 1932 D and S Washington Quarters in raw Fine and Very Fine condition to complete my first Washington Quarter circulated set. I remember I bought it from Mel's Coin and Stamp in Johnson City, TN and paid $75 for the pair. I had garnered the remaining coins from change and rolls and those two were the only coins in the set that I paid for. Wish those days were around again. Besides collecting from change before 64 and a few years after, I was stationed overseas and the base had slot machines in all the bars. I was amazed at how many silver quarters and halves I got out of the slot machines, not to mention the war year buffalo nickels by the rolls. Fun times.
Jim
When a man who is honestly mistaken hears the truth, he will either quit being mistaken or cease to be honest....Abraham Lincoln
Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.....Mark Twain
Not the very first, but early on in my collecting, I bought an 1866 w/rays Shield nickel (VG, dark) for five or six bucks in the summer of '77. Mailorder, sight unseen. Got my first Flying Eagle around that time for around the same price, as I recall.
I had an uncle that had recently exposed me to coin collecting - I was about 12 or 13. Our family dabbled in antiques at the time as well and I ran across a few coins in some of the furniture. First purchase was at a local flea market. I bought 3 Seated dimes for $15- had to do a little negotiation. Here are 2 of the 3.
The first coin I purchased, (from Jake's Marketplace in Chicago IL.), was an 1880-O Morgan Dollar. Slider/Unc.. According to my first coin journal I paid $8.80. I currently grade the coin AU-50/Priceless.
Mine was at a drive in theater outdoor flea market in Fort Lauderdale 1972 or 1973. I bought the first Morgan Dollar i ever saw, 1883-0 grades fine. I think I paid $5 or $6 for it, I was 11 or 12 it was a fortune to me. That was when I started my lifelong love of coin collecting. I still have that 83-O it's my favorite coin. Great thread.
My first coin purchase was of an PCGS MS 63 common Morgan Dollar, for about $60, slightly above what they sold for at the time. Surely it's worth at least a little more now.
Comments
Not is the late sixties.
I'm In East Meadow as well!
wow, small world
Do you go to the Melville show?
Ed Duran?
[Sorry to take this off track.]
BHNC #203
Yes, it is a small world! Haven't been to the Melville show in a few years. Never seemed to be anything there I needed or wanted.
The first coin I ever purchased was a 1909 VDB cent. I believe I paid around $80 for it.
ANA-LM, CWTS-LM, NBS, TAMS, ANS
I bought a 1932 D and S Washington Quarter Set from Mel's Coin Shop(Stamps and Coins) in Johnson City, TN in 1974. My first real coin purchase(I had bought rolls of Liincolns, Indians, and Buffaloes but not just a coin or coins). I paid $40 for the 32D and $35 for the 32S. The 32D was VF and the 32S was VF+. I sold them 30 years later for over $100 each. They were raw and sold raw later. They were the worst grades in my Washington Album when I broke it up and sold it. Most of the 30's were AU to low MS.
Jim
When a man who is honestly mistaken hears the truth, he will either quit being mistaken or cease to be honest....Abraham Lincoln
Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.....Mark Twain
A St. Gauden's $20 in the early 60's. Paid about $65. Actually bought the 4 piece type set at the same time. The only other one I remember was the $5 Indian, paid $15. (Two paper routes.) Had them slabbed much later, came back 64-65. Sold them to help pay the IRS. Since replaced, but the quality isn't as good, other than the $20.
A 1950-D nickel to complete my set, the first set I ever completed. I think it was about $10.
A few years later I was ready to complete my Lincoln’s and went out to purchase a S-VDB. Went to a few local dealers and finally found a XF I really liked. Had heard horror stories about counterfeits and took it downtown to show to the dealer that eventually hired me. He suggested I take it over to Sol Kaplan’s office in a nearby office building. Dad and I showed up unannounced and explained our visit to the secretary. Sol evidently heard us through the open door of his office and stuck his head out the door to see the pair of “rubes” in his waiting room. I explained my predicament and asked if he could authenticate my coin. He came back out with a HAND FULL of S-VDB’s! He compared mine to his and came to the conclusion it was real.
A hand full! Why had I not thought about coming here first? Well, he was a major national dealer and did not have much time for a 13 year old, but that day he had the heart to help us out. This was late in his career and my only interaction with him.
Years later I had ANACS authenticate it as an XF45 which was later traded as part payment on an unc. Now I wish I had kept it……
A: The year they spend more on their library than their coin collection.
A numismatist is judged more on the content of their library than the content of their cabinet.
.
https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/u-s-coins/quarters/PCGS-2020-quarter-quest/album/247091
$3 for a 1973 Blue Pack Ike Dollar direct from the Mint. No extra charge for shipping in those days!
Either a steel cent or an American Eagle. Both were amazing to my eight year old eyes.
I wanted to do the same and an older collector at the coin shop talked me out of it. He said I was a young man and would need money to raise a family in the future.
I remember giving a classmate the enormous sum of $4 for an XF 1865 2-cent piece in 1977. If I paid my own money for a coin before that I don't remember.
An 1838 Half dime in Good that I bought from my mother's cleaning lady. I paid $3 which was too much. I still have it, but it wrecked it by cleaning it and storing it in crummy envelope when I was a kid. I didn't know any better.
No question, this is the winning answer right here! 👍🏻 👍🏻 But think I paid 40¢ back in the early 60's.
Disclaimer: I'm not a dealer, trader, grader, investor or professional numismatist. I'm just a hobbyist. (To protect me but mostly you! 🤣 )
First one I ever bought was an 1898-O or 1899-0 Morgan dollar in "fine" for $6, at Northlake Stamp & Coin in ATL in November 1975.
First one I bought after resuming collecting permanently in 1998 was an 1898 PCGS MS-65 RB South Africa ZAR penny for $31 + $4 shipping from World Coin Universe. Krause was (and is to my knowledge) $20 for "UNC", so I was hesitant because I thought I overpaid. (I sold it for $350 in 2009.)
1995DDO Lincoln Cent had just been discovered.
A local dealer did not have any, and tried to talk me out of it. Buy Morgan Dollars!
"Wait for the price to fall he said..."
Walked across street to library, looked at a Coin World Ad and bought three for about $700 total.
Held onto them for 30 years and sold them for $20 each or so...
Should have followed thru and graded them.
Made alot of small mistakes along the way that added up to more...
But this was first purchase and biggest financial bath on single coins.
BST: KindaNewish (3/21/21), WQuarterFreddie (3/30/21), Meltdown (4/6/21), DBSTrader2 (5/5/21) AKA- unclemonkey on Blow Out
Very heartfelt! You bring me back!
I've been going to Melville since 1979.
Lincoln cents. As a kid the LCS (Coin Castle in west Des Moines, IA now capitol city coins).
The owner of this shop was very knowledge and friendly, he had an old wooden barrel full of wheat pennies and am occasional ihc. There was a table and at 10 years old my friend and I would get dropped off there for an hour with our whitman folders. He charged 5cents for any penny from the barrel, if you found a key or semi key date, he would sell it to you, then he would buy it back from you at it's value in store credit. Never found anything too valuable. I would make money shoveling driveways and mowing lawns, sit in there for an hour digging through pennies, but also bought coins for my 20th century type set which I still have today 30 years later.
I honestly can't remember going back some 57 years ago. You see I never purchased just one coin, I usually would get 3 or 4 at a time ... which was all very common stuff.
Probably S-mint Lincolns, though I distinctly remember buying common Morgan dollars for $3 each and a 1911 Barber half for $1.50 and would buy one or two with each visit.
I do not remember the first coin that I bought, but it was an Indian Head cent for probably under a dollar in the early 1960's.
1909 VDB Lincoln cent, in about 1967. It's in about AU55 condition, and cost $0.15.
My first real purchase of a key coin was actually 2. In 1972 I purchased 1932 D and S Washington Quarters in raw Fine and Very Fine condition to complete my first Washington Quarter circulated set. I remember I bought it from Mel's Coin and Stamp in Johnson City, TN and paid $75 for the pair. I had garnered the remaining coins from change and rolls and those two were the only coins in the set that I paid for. Wish those days were around again. Besides collecting from change before 64 and a few years after, I was stationed overseas and the base had slot machines in all the bars. I was amazed at how many silver quarters and halves I got out of the slot machines, not to mention the war year buffalo nickels by the rolls. Fun times.
Jim
When a man who is honestly mistaken hears the truth, he will either quit being mistaken or cease to be honest....Abraham Lincoln
Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.....Mark Twain
Not the very first, but early on in my collecting, I bought an 1866 w/rays Shield nickel (VG, dark) for five or six bucks in the summer of '77. Mailorder, sight unseen. Got my first Flying Eagle around that time for around the same price, as I recall.
I had an uncle that had recently exposed me to coin collecting - I was about 12 or 13. Our family dabbled in antiques at the time as well and I ran across a few coins in some of the furniture. First purchase was at a local flea market. I bought 3 Seated dimes for $15- had to do a little negotiation. Here are 2 of the 3.
The first coin I purchased, (from Jake's Marketplace in Chicago IL.), was an 1880-O Morgan Dollar. Slider/Unc.. According to my first coin journal I paid $8.80. I currently grade the coin AU-50/Priceless.
Mine was at a drive in theater outdoor flea market in Fort Lauderdale 1972 or 1973. I bought the first Morgan Dollar i ever saw, 1883-0 grades fine. I think I paid $5 or $6 for it, I was 11 or 12 it was a fortune to me. That was when I started my lifelong love of coin collecting. I still have that 83-O it's my favorite coin. Great thread.
My first coin purchase was of an PCGS MS 63 common Morgan Dollar, for about $60, slightly above what they sold for at the time. Surely it's worth at least a little more now.
1880-S Morgan picked from a dealer roll at a coin show in Greenville, SC, when I was about 12 years old. $35-ish if I remember correctly.