Home› U.S. Coin Forum

2025 - A Year in Review

FlyingAlFlyingAl Posts: 4,336 ✭✭✭✭✭
edited December 11, 2025 10:50PM in U.S. Coin Forum

Perhaps a bit early for this, but hey, who cares! :lol:

This year has been.... a year. What a wild ride for sure. A lot of ups and downs, crazy memories, and fun times. For those who know me well, you know what a crazy year it has been. I've gotten to do things I could have only dreamed of as a kid, and other things that I actually did dream of as a kid.

I also look back on kid me and imagine what he would say if he saw me now and what I've done both personally and numismatically. This year it dawned on me just how many dreams that I accomplished in the last few years. I want to tell a little story, so stick with me.

My second coin show was a ANA show where I had just joined the boards. One thread had me hooked, it was a game of sorts where you would post a one year type where you could not see the date and you would have to identify the coin by secondary characteristics. I locked in, got as many as I could, and wound up impressing @Eldorado9 enough to where he sent me a PM talking about a 1941 Proof half he had. A Proof Walking half was a dream coin for me at the time, and we must have sent a couple hundred PMs over the next couple weeks. He offered to show young me and my mom some coins at the show. I, having seen approximately zero nice coins in my lifetime, happily accepted.

Eldo brought two boxes of his best, mostly Proof Barbers, and took over an hour graciously showing me the coins. I distinctly remember him asking me at the end - "Ok, now you've seen em all! If you had to choose a favorite, which one would it be?" I don't remember what coin I chose. I do remember it would not be my pick today. That is not because it was not an incredible coin, but because the coins I have seen today are just that much more special. I walked away from that table thinking I would never see such great coins again.

I was wrong. Eldo and I have spent many more coin days together, and he has seen my collection grow as I have seen his collection grow. He's watched me pull major rarities out of thin air, and I have seen him build the finest set of Barber half dollars I've ever seen. Time has gone on, but when there's a whole bunch of incredible coins on a table in front of us, it still feels like that ANA show table with those boxes of Proof Barbers.

I have a few points from my little story here. First, when I look over my collection I remember sitting at that table. Every coin I now buy for my permanent collection comes with the question "would little me pick this coin out from the rest?" Coins are easy to find. Exceptional coins are not.

Second, I find that even as the time has gone on, I have not yet lost that love for numismatics I had when I was in middle school. Even today, I brought out a 2014 Half dollar set where the mint struck them in silver and in four finishes, and I spent probably an hour imaging them. It brought me back to where I thought that a 2014-W half would complete my collection. Even simple coins can fit in. That love does not come from just me too - it comes from being able to share great coins with others. I talk to a lot of members here about coins daily, and they make collecting that much more enjoyable.

Finally, I find that being proud of your collection does not rest on the approval of others. While it can be nice, not everyone understands why you like certain coins. Heck, I couldn't explain why I like certain coins. Sometimes, they speak to you and you alone.

Without further ado, I give you this year's collage. I will break down which coins are in it, and a little blurb for each. This is going to be a long post, so feel free to just scroll. I will note that in order to be included, I must have imaged the coin for the first time in 2025. Not all of these are mine, but some are.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

1) The best coin of the bunch - 1895 $2 1/2 PR66+DCAM CAC. Proof gold is rare, we all know this. 1895 came with a mintage of 119. Very few look like this. Deep frost coats the surfaces, and original untouched mirrors are unhindered by a touch of original haze that gives it a deep orange glow. This may be my favorite coin I have ever seen, rivaled only by a 1910 $20 in PR67 CAC. Insane is a word that only begins to describe it. It obviously deserves to be in the collage.




.
.
.
.

2) The runner up - 1899 50c PR68CAM CAC. A very high grade for a Proof Barber. The lone PR69CAM exists in this year as well, but if given the choice between this one and that one I think I would have a hard time choosing the 69. Beautiful coin, and the color around the rims is just what I could have dreamed of. It is amazing to me something from 1899 exists almost as perfect as the second it left the dies.


.
.
.
.

3) 1881 25c PR68+CAM CAC. I've never seen Proof type with this kind of color before. The grade is as high as it gets really, the color is phenomenal, the surfaces are phenomenal, everything is just perfect. I can't say more good things about it. It's hard to keep talking about these types of coins, because you simply want to stare at them.

4) 1860 50c MS67 CAC. A major rarity, and with surfaces to match. Probably the most difficulty I've ever had imaging a coin as well. Absolute monster.


.
.
.
.

5) 1900 $2 1/2 PR65DCAM CAC. More Proof gold, which I really have a fondness for. Having too much gold was a problem this year, not so for 2024 in which I didn't have enough. I suppose that's a good problem to have. Some very nice mirrors and surfaces with just a touch of hairlining, very nice overall. Put it next to the 1895, and you can see a difference though. :smile:



.
.
.
.

6) 1879 $1 PR66DCAM CAC. A DCAM Trade is a major rarity. They don't come around often, and they're often not as nice as this one. I've always loved the Trade dollar design, and this coin really shows it off.


.
.
.
.
7) 1882 10c PR68CAM CAC. The dimes this year were really something incredible. Smaller sizes make them hard to appreciate, but there is something special about any one of these coins in ultra gem. It comes back to the idea of how something even survives in this condition from so long ago. This coin also has some lovely color to top it off.


.
.
.
.
8) 1896 10c PR67+CAM CAC. I was blown away by this one when it arrived for images. Deep original surfaces, only a touch of lining. Absolutely lovely, and I would add this coin to my collection any day. It is so hard to find coins like these these days.


.
.
.
.
9) 1900 $1 PR66CAM. Hard to imagine finding a Gem Proof Morgan this far down the list. I warned it would be a good group. Also a lovely coin with original surfaces and deep mirrors. Proof Morgans that come like this often aren't found in the later dates, and 1900 is starting to push it for CAM. This coin comes all the way there.

.
.
.
.

10) 1829 H10c MS66+ CAC. Insane color, though probably secondary toning. I don't care, I love it. I'm not even a Bust coinage guy, and it's one of my favorites for the year, despite the size and design. The surfaces just roll with luster and color, and I couldn't want anything more from it.


.
.
.
.
12) 1940 50c MS67+ CAC. A strong addition to the Walker collection Eldo has going on, and it was needed in this group shot. Great surfaces, color, and strike make this coin an absolute blazer almost anyone would be happy to own. I know I would be.


.
.
.
.
12) 1915 5c PR67+ CAC. I love matte Proofs, and this is no exception. Great color for a Matte, and original to my eye. I think this is my favorite Matte I saw this year.



.
.
.
.
13) 1917 Type 2 25c. MS66+FH CAC. It just spoke to me for some reason. Maybe it was how clean it was, or the originality that hides in the luster. Whatever the case is, I love it.


.
.
.
.
14) 1940 5c PR65CAM CAC. A homage to my roots. A rarity for the 36-42 series. Almost certainly the cheapest coin here, but I still find it sticks out to me.

.
.
.
.
15) 1953 50c. Raw. A double mint set coin from a set that knocked my socks off this year. Probably one of my favorite groups of coins I've been able to image because double mint sets do not look like this very often. When they do, they're usually broken up and graded. Beautiful.

.
.
.
.
16) 1927 $20 MS66. Just a nice Saint, but nothing special.

.
.
.
.
17) Honorable mention - 1939 10c PR68 CAC. Me, being dumb, forgot to include this coin in the collage. Doh. One of the finest Proofs of the era I've ever seen, and I think it's insane. I absolutely love it.


.
.
.
.
One more tidbit - I started imaging coins to see great coins. I know I've achieved that goal - each of the coins above it exactly what I wanted to see when I first snapped some images. I look back on these collages and remember the memories surrounding them, and what stories the coins must tell. Every year it's a different story, a different image, but the same happy memories.

Thank you to all the members who make this place what it is. Each of you is even more special than the very special coins above.

Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year!

Coin Photography

Comments

Leave a Comment

BoldItalicStrikethroughOrdered listUnordered list
Format
SpoilerCodeQuote
Heading 2Heading 1
Emoji
:):D:(;):/:o:s:p:'(:|B):#:*<3o:)>:)
Url
Image
Align leftAlign centerAlign rightToggle HTML viewToggle full pageToggle lights
Drop image/file
Home • U.S. Coin ForumComment As ...