What Were The 4 or 5 Coins You Dreamed Of Having As A Kid, That You Own Today?
OAKSTAR
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Anyone can play but this is targeted more to the baby boomer generation, born between 46 and 64. I'll hold off with my answer. I don't want the skew or influence any answers. I'm curious to see of many of us fell into the same category of interests.
Disclaimer: I'm not a dealer, trader, grader, investor or professional numismatist. I'm just a hobbyist. (To protect me but mostly you! 🤣 )
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A Hawaiian. It was the first coin I bought when I restarted collecting in my 50s
I wanted a 16-d merc but I managed to save up and get one as a kid. I don't own it today though.
Pine tree shilling, Fugio cent, chain cent. Haven't got that bust dollar yet!
1909-S VDB, 1856 Flying Eagle, 1916-D Mercury Dime, 1916 Standing Lib. Quarter, 1955 Doubled Die Lincoln cent. So far I have 2 of the 5 and am actively looking for the remaining three.
I didn't start collecting as a kid, but only started a few years ago. I never thought I would get in this deep (surprise surprise). While I am no "big time" collector, I am very proud of the half cents I have been able to acquire. I feel that the set I am building is "nice" by most people's standards... and, it's been a tremendous education. I am very fortunate and grateful for the progress.
I am a newer collector (started April 2020), and I primarily focus on U.S. Half Cents and Type Coins. Early copper is my favorite.
Beautiful examples of the Saint Gauden’s $10 eagles. Without question my favorite gold coin design.
When I was a kid I dreamed of owning nice examples of the $5 Indian half eagles too.
As a kid looking through the Redbook, I remember the Gobrecht dollars taking up two whole pages. So Many different varieties & mysterious stories, all way more rare than anything I ever owned. I had a few well-circulated Seated Liberty coins, but the no-stars Gobrecht was a dream to me.
During my 30+ years in coin dealing, the half dozen or so Gobrechts that I handled in the shop ranged from a holed VF up to AU at best.
So, The first coin I bought after retirement was this one out of a Heritage sale. Formerly NGC PR63, now PCGS PR63.
https://d1htnxwo4o0jhw.cloudfront.net/pcgs/cert/44140313/extra_large/229535718.jpg
30+ years coin shop experience (ret.) Coins, bullion, currency, scrap & interesting folks. Loved every minute!
This is exactly the collection I'm building today. I was born in 67 and began collecting when I was 10 years old when my grandmother gave me an 1878-CC Morgan Dollar and my grandfather gave me a 1926-S Peace Dollar. I wish I still had those coins. I do have a 78-CC Morgan as a representative example and I'm looking for a nice 26-S Peace Dollar to serve the same purpose. But here's the collection I've built so far...
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I’ve handled most of them and own none of them. I can’t say I’ve moved on, since I’d still love to own my childhood fantasies. But there are so many other things I’d rather own, given my limited resources.
Doggedly collecting coins of the Central American Republic.
Visit the Society of US Pattern Collectors at USPatterns.com.
3-legged Buffalo Nickel.
Complete Set of Chopmarked Trade Dollars
Carson City Silver Dollars Complete 1870-1893http://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/showcase.aspx?sc=2722"
1877 Indian cent - had two but sold them, may buy another one.
1909-S-VDB - Have one
1909-S Indian Cent - Have one
Three Dollar Gold Piece - Have several
09-SVDB, 55 Double Die, 37-D 3 Legs, and a $20 Saint. I have owned multiples of each - still have a few Saints, and I have one each of the other 3 still in grading. I will post the likely crappy Trueviews when the grades/pics post.
"When they can't find anything wrong with you, they create it!"
My YouTube Channel
When I was a kid, I had no knowledge of collectible coins. Wasn't even on my radar.
Gobrescht. A repaired holed
$20 high relief. Had 2 sold one
1909-s vdb. Have several
1937-d 3 legged.
1955 doubled die. Have several
Like typekat gobrecht was a dream coin that I wanted the most as teenager
Steve
My collecting “Pride & Joy” is my PCGS Registry Dansco 7070 Set:
https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/type-sets/design-type-sets/complete-dansco-7070-modified-type-set-1796-date/publishedset/213996
You might have enjoyed stamp collecting more.
In Spain there is no gravity.
30+ years coin shop experience (ret.) Coins, bullion, currency, scrap & interesting folks. Loved every minute!
1955, 1972, 1983, 1984, 1995 Doubled Die cents, to name a few. Funny how after a dream is fulfilled , a new dream comes. Come and gone coins.....
HE>I
Always wanted to own one as a kid. Thanks to @Meltdown
DPOTD-3
'Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery'
CU #3245 B.N.A. #428
Don
There are a few left from my childhood fantasies... I've owned two 1909-S VDB's and a 1914-D but sold them when I stopped actively collecting Lincoln's. I still own...
1794 Liberty Cap (PCGS VF20)
$10 Indian (PCGS MS62... OGH)
$20 Saint (PCGS MS65)
1790s dated 8 Reales (PCGS VF details, Chop Marked)
Draped Bust Half HE (PCGS VF30)
I still have a few others on my want list for the Box of 20 that I dreamed about as a kid...
Fugio Cent
1955 DDO Lincoln
$3 Gold
...and to satiate my inner child after years of collecting Morgan Dollars... an MS65DMPL CC minted piece in PCGS plastic and a CAC sticker... icing and a bow...
Edited to add
Successful BST transactions with: SilverEagles92; Ahrensdad; Smitty; GregHansen; Lablade; Mercury10c; copperflopper; whatsup; KISHU1; scrapman1077, crispy, canadanz, smallchange, robkool, Mission16, ranshdow, ibzman350, Fallguy, Collectorcoins, SurfinxHI, jwitten, Walkerguy21D, dsessom.
1909-S VDB Lincoln and 1955 DDO Lincoln. The only Lincoln cents in an otherwise non copper collection.
https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/gold/liberty-head-2-1-gold-major-sets/liberty-head-2-1-gold-basic-set-circulation-strikes-1840-1907-cac/alltimeset/268163
Pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters ... it's the sandbox this young fellow played in. Halves, dollars, gold, 1800s type coins, etc. were way out of my league.
The ones I have.
Corollary 1: The coins I wanted, obtained, and no longer have: 1916-D Mercury
Corollary 2: The coins I wanted and still don't have: 1914-D Lincoln
Corollary 3: Those coins I thought I wanted but present day have no interest: 1909-S VDB Lincoln
If we were all the same, the world would be an incredibly boring place.
Tommy
I have had all the coins I dreamed of as a child, but will never have the coins I dream of now.
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
This was something I never imagined I would have as a 10 year old collector back in the day.
1893-S Morgan that I still own. 1909-SVDB that I bought in the 1970’s. VF I paid $140.00. My brother stole this coin along with many other key dates. 1889-CC Morgan. I have two of these.
I can only think of two from way back that I own an example of now. However, I now have many coins I dream of owning someday.
Fugio Cent: I don't have a photo but I have one in a small ANACS holder, N-1L, from the Norweb Collection.
A $20 Saint-Gaudens:
1909-S, 1909-S VDB, 1914-D, 1955 DD, 1916 SL. The only one of these that I have is a holed 1909-S
Lafayette Grading Set
Modest dreams as a kid - scarce dates that I couldn’t find in circulation. Have since bought and then sold them all, focusing on all sorts of type. I also remember dreaming of proof versions of obsolete types that were still found in circulation: IHC, Buffalo. Mercury,Walker. Part of my proof type set. Still like looking at those.
As a kid, always wanted some of the scarcer Indian Head cents.Now I have some!
Nice to see many of us thinking the same way. For me it would be a tie between the 09-S-VDB and the 55DDO, (years of looking at all those red book and empty holes in my Whitman folders/albums). The holes are still empty but I have the slabs now. The others (not necessarily this order) 3-leg buff, 16-D merc and 42/1 merc.
Disclaimer: I'm not a dealer, trader, grader, investor or professional numismatist. I'm just a hobbyist. (To protect me but mostly you! 🤣 )
I would think more like we fall mostly in the same kind of social class hence the coins we dream about and can possibly afford are mostly the same.
Buff 1916/16
Buff 1917/18
Lincoln 1955 DDO
A few others... have not owned them yet, and I don't know why.
BST: KindaNewish (3/21/21), WQuarterFreddie (3/30/21), Meltdown (4/6/21), DBSTrader2 (5/5/21) AKA- unclemonkey on Blow Out
A different view/observation. Capable now to afford coins wanted at age 13-16 but could not afford-16-d dime,55 DD cent, few others. But does not have same allure now, than as if could of had them at the younger age. More of a challenge and more rewarding at that age to obtain them.
1955 DDO cent (birth year)
1909-S VDB Lincoln cent
1937-d 3 leg Buffalo
And some sweet ancients. It’s been a fun ride!
Edited to add:
I forgot the 42/1 Dime- which I’ve aquired and the 16-d which I have not yet fulfilled.
Happy, humble, honored and proud recipient of the “You Suck” award 10/22/2014
Apart from not having resources as a kid, there is also the matter of availability. The coins we dreamed about we now know are readily available if we just want to spend the money. Changes desire. Now we desire coins that are truly rare or require some patience, research and digging.
Lincoln '09-S VDB, 14-D, '22 No D
Any Carson City Morgan's
Mercury Dime '16-D
Indian Head Gold - had many pieces but traded all for the Morgan 1889-CC MS62. Should have kept one piece but still have plenty of opportunities to own one.
USAF (Ret.) 1985 - 2005. E-4B Aircraft Maintenance Crew Chief and Contracting Officer.
My current Registry sets:
✓ Everyman Mint State Carson City Morgan Dollars (1878 – 1893)
✓ Everyman Mint State Lincoln Cents (1909 – 1958)
✓ Morgan Dollar GSA Hoard (1878 – 1891)
I always wanted a Pan-Pac $50 octagonal, but I'd rather have 50+ other coins than actually splurge on it now that I could
By far! Can't even remember when I began thinking that the 1796 quarter was the rarest coin in the universe.
@FrankH That's a nice looking AG!
Save for the crazy stuff like an 1861 Paquet reverse double eagle or a 1793 strawberry, I have owned most everything that caught my fancy as a kid. Most for the scarce early red book illustrations during the 80s like the s/cc trade or 1909/8 20$ and or keydates like the 1909s Indian like others have posted. Indian cents were my first complete set and the 1909s was my last one even after the 1856 FE (a corroded fine details out of coin world)
Here are a few coins that I have kept longer than normal due to childhood affection
11.5$ Southern Dollars, The little “Big Easy” set
The only "dream" coin from my childhood I own is a pillar dollar. Only knew of it because of the Red Book,
I've never tried to buy the others I've been able to afford as an adult. The most affordable aspirational coin was an 1805 draped bust half.
For a school assignment in third grade, we wrote poems about our future. I included a line of: "I hold in my hand a coin from 500BC".
Now I'm fortunate to have several (although I did not realize my goal in the next line of becoming a "kangaroo biologist" - I clearly haven't lived up to my full potential)