As has been said many times in the past, "I can't beleive that I have never seen this post." I am John-67 years young with a beautiful wife of going on 44 years in January, with two daughters, two son in laws and four grand children and (lost one at two and a half to hyper pulmonary tension). I collect just about everything. This has been such a great forumn. The first thing I head for when I turn on the computer is Collectors Universe. A great hello to everyone who has posted so far. Olmanjon
I'm Steve and this is just an update, I'm retired from being a Lumber Yard Dog, in esscence I used to stack lumber and building material by hand or with a 30,000# lift, I'd pull, load & unload, cut, sell, deliver, etc...etc.......lumber, Anyhow, I grew up in an era when Coin Collecting was at its peak in the 60's and as a poor but determined kid I was just priced out of most of the popular US series, and my alternative was World Coins, so I have been a Darksider before I knew the "TERM" I got alot more bang for the buck, and I feel thats not going to be the case much longer, I love crowns of the America's, oh hell I like em all, And I Love this Forum, the people here are GREAT, KNOWLEDABLE AND GENOROUS as I've won a few GTG's GA's from members in Canada, New Zealand, Scotland and here in the good ole USA. I remember it took months of scrimping and saving to get my first Krause in 1978 an I still have it, anyway to borrow a old country term and change it a little,
I was a Darksider before Darksiding was Cool, and am Damn Proud of it
My name is Lee. I run an financial planning and investment advisory team at a major national financial services firm.
I collected as a boy, but lost interest. I picked the hobby back up when my father passed away. My plan was to thoroughly inventory his collection, then sell it. Instead, I caught the collecting bug and have been obsessed most of the time since.
I collect mostly larger silver coins from both sides of the pond (the US & UK) : half crowns, crowns, half dollars and silver dollars. I bought my first "nice" British coin this year. It was / is an 1894 "old head" half crown in PCGS 64 with amazing two-sided rainbow toning. I almost hyperventilated when I saw it. Good thing I can have a poker face, becaue I was able to work a good trade with the dealer for a few BU Washington quarters from the 1940's & 1950's and a couple of classic commemoratives.
As a history buff, I like historically significant dates such as from the US civil war or other "big" dates.
I really want to connect with and learn from collectors interested in my specialities.
I LOVE coin shows. I went to my first FUN last year. It was amazing. I can't wait for the upcoming show, especially since I have a broader collecting goal now.
I am a member of the Liberty Seated Collector's Club. Is there a British coin group active here whose members might be willing to accept me into the "Brotherhood"?
Yorkshireman,Obsessed collector of round, metallic pieces of history.Hunting for Latin American colonial portraits plus cool US & British coins.
Hey, my name is Phil and I have been a darksider before I even knew there was such a thing.
Growing up in upstate NY it was always easy to find Canadian coins in change. I started buying some after I first got some from my Aunt. My Ancesters came from Norway, Canada and England so I started collecting all of those especially Norway. For a while I was buying one coin for every country, and I dabbled in Ancients and everything in between. I just love them all.
Successful BST deals with mustangt and jesbroken. Now EVERYTHING is for sale.
Funny. When I responded to this thread 9 years ago, I said I was a Light Side dealer that dabbled on the Dark Side. Now, I do more on the Dark Side than on the Light Side. Good thing, too.
Andy Lustig
Doggedly collecting coins of the Central American Republic.
Visit the Society of US Pattern Collectors at USPatterns.com.
Ah, so many good times and people. So many memories. Lordmarcovan putting a slab between two porch boards and kicking it to crack a coin out, aethelred's vehicle breaking down, get togethers at coin shows, oh the good old days.
DPOTD-3 'Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery'
I'm Jeff, 60, married to the same woman for 40 years (because I'm too cheap to give away 1/2 my stuff), work in the oil and gas business. My main collecting interest is British, but I do have a fondness for German States prior to 1871, and a few other bits and bobs that look pretty.
My name is Zohar, I am 40 years old. Live in NYC, wife and 2 year old daughter.
Primary focus has been 16-18th century Austro-Hungarian Talers, aiming for the best quality I can find/afford. I also am building up a high grade Swiss shooting medal collection.
This is a wonderful forum and hobby.
Damn I just realized that I am now 45 and have 3 and 6 year old daughters. Time flies and the Swiss shooting medal collection is gone.
I'm Brian, 33 years old, married with a 4 year old son. I am mostly a rare US gold collector but most of my recent purchases have been Latin American or Irish. I live in Dublin Ireland and will shortly be relocating to Hamburg Germany. I work for a large multi-national food company where I am the CFO of a region in Europe.
I have always had the collecting bug, baseball cards, comics, autographs as a kid and now coins as an adult. I bought very few coins as a kid but inherited some of my grandpas collection when he passed. I was attracted to the history after visiting Dahalonega with my parents after college and bought my first gold coin shortly thereafter. I dove into the darkside the last two years after being enamored by the Latin American designs and then more deeply after moving to Europe.
When I first posted in this thread I was 24 and trying to find a place in the world. What a big year. Going from an unemployed kid in Canada to an English teacher in Germany, to taking a stab at being a graphic designer in London, England, and then eventually ending up with PCGS in California.
California has been good to me, I met my wife here and I have a nice home here as well. Plus I see lots of cool coins and other collectibles each and every day.
I'm Terry from North Carolina. 39 years old. I collect many things, but relevant to here would be British coins, Mexican, Canadian and of course light side. My true passion is antique silver. (American and British)
My name is Samael. I am Zohar's alter-ego, the Yin to his Yang.
I collect Anglo-Saxon, Italian States, German States, British (pre-House of Hanover) and nice pre-1800 type. I used to collect US, but have since stopped and sold most of it.
Hello. My name is John. I am 48 and have been collecting for 40+ years. I live in New Jersey with my lovely wife and two young adult children. I collect a lot of different foreign issues: British type coins and Maundy sets, Polish Probas, French piedfort and essai coins, World gold, US-Philippines coins, and 20th Century German Empire silver.
Hi my name is David. I'm 28 years old, live on the East Coast of the US and I've worked in the Financial Services industry since I graduated college. The focus of my job has been in the legal/compliance area. I'm getting married later this year, so I haven't made too many purchases recently but she's definitely worth it!
For the Dark Side, I collect the following: Peru Sols/8 Reales, a Cuban Typeset and a 1940's Irish Typeset too. I mainly collect large silver coins, but I wouldn't hesitate to purchase anything that catches my eye. I started collecting with my dad when I was a kid and I inherited both of my grandfathers coin collections after I graduated college. My collection is about a 60/40 split between US and Foreign, however, I think foreign coins have a better chance of appreciating in value in the future.
What has drawn me to collecting coins is a combination of historical importance, being able to hold a physical/tangible asset in a digital world and I appreciate the art and the country-specific theme each coin portrays.
Hi all, my name is Rexford. I'm 19 years old and from NYC. My interest in coins started when I was about six after my mother showed me her small childhood collection of US coins. I started out by picking foreign coins out of change and drooling over a 2005 edition of the Red Book, then fell out of the hobby for a few years. About six or so years ago I made a comeback but only dealt with US coins; I branched out to foreign coins a little over a year ago and have pretty much dropped US coins completely now. In general I like very intricately designed coins in excellent condition, which leads me to favor German coins by nature (specifically German States, although I do like the Marks and 1/2 Marks of the early German Empire) as well as various British and German bronzed medals. I would not call myself a collector of German coins though - there are plenty of coins and medals from other countries that I like, but I just find German ones to most commonly match with my tastes.
I don't think I participated in this thread in the past. Couldn't find my name in a search, anyway.
I'm 48 and been a coin collector since I was 4. I've collected and owned pieces from all over and every era in the past. I don't care much for series, the idea of collecting the same coin over and over again has little appeal to me. Several years back, I started to recognize the benefit of quality over quantity. Shortly thereafter, I encountered the "Box of 20" concept, where you (theoretically) keep your collection to 20 pieces. This philosophy makes you carefully consider each coin you own, where it fits in your collection, what it means to you. It also necessarily emphasizes quality over quantity.
I tried it and I liked it. The box is always in flux--though that isn't a bad thing. It is reaching the point where it is getting harder and harder to weed out old pieces in favor of new pieces. I'm currently at about 50/50 lightside/darkside, though there are many pieces from the lightside which lean toward darkside:
Maybe instead of a strict box of 20, acknowledge that as a growing collector you should get 10 per decade or 1 per year of age. Still will require being strict, but gives a little more leeway to account for duration of hobby participation.
Now, I'm going have to find my post (if I did one) and update it!
OK, my turn. I started collecting just over 40 years ago, but it's been off and on. I am just ending the longest period of "not collecting" since I first discovered coins. I'm waiting on a coin to come in the mail, and then I'll start an on-going thread as I fill a box of 20. (I also like that concept for collecting...I'm kind of doing the same thing with comic books, but it has more to do with how many can fit in my safe!)
Anyway, I'm an engineer with an MBA. I like business and science, so I enjoy research and coin collecting appeals to me. But I was not happy with the direction that U.S. stuff was going...at least the U.S. stuff that I could afford. You have to spend hundreds to get something interesting. I've dabbled in dark side stuff before and have a lot of books on them, and ancients, but not much left over from my old days as I sold most of it off to buy comic books and other collectibles. So I'm starting from the beginning. I do miss coins. Heck, I love coins...they move me...especially toned ones that look like they've been sitting in someone's cigar box for a hundred years. But with 3 girls who are moving into braces, college and then will need weddings, I want to purchase coins that I can sell for at least as much as I buy them for. A tall order, but at least I'm not spending money on more frivolous hobbies.
My name is Bill and live in Canada, although I retired from the US military after 31 years .. married a Canuck and moved up here in '97. I'm a greysider(Canada) and greyhairder, although I do collect 16-18th century Europe, especially German States. Been here on the site for a while, but don't post much. I'm big into Victoria large cent varieties and co-wrote the Vicky variety section for Charlton when it was published in 2011. Work with other Canada large cent folks doing research on Vickies and vetting books on the subject for fellow researchers/publishers.
hello. my name is sean. i am 9. i collect irish and british coins. my dad collects coins and he says you might know him as zar coins. he send me here to learn about coins. i like soccer, lego, gaa and swimming.
@rockmastergaming said:
hello. my name is sean. i am 9. i collect irish and british coins. my dad collects coins and he says you might know him as zar coins. he send me here to learn about coins. i like soccer, lego, gaa and swimming.
No way! You're Marcel's son?
Welcome! And tell your dad we miss him around here
It is great to be here.I hope I learn lots and have lots of fun
Dads note: Hi all. Great to 'see' you all again. I see that you'e still into the 8 Reales Roman. You must have quite a collection by now! Hello Stork, I still have those Japanese coins that you send me many years ago. Hi also to Ajaan, MrEureka, thebozz etc etc. I won't hijack Sean's thread but I will of course keep an eye on his activity on this forum.
@rockmastergaming said:
It is great to be here.I hope I learn lots and have lots of fun
Dads note: Hi all. Great to 'see' you all again. I see that you'e still into the 8 Reales Roman. You must have quite a collection by now! Hello Stork, I still have those Japanese coins that you send me many years ago. Hi also to Ajaan, MrEureka, thebozz etc etc. I won't hijack Sean's thread but I will of course keep an eye on his activity on this forum.
My name is Roman and I'm a 26-year-old collecting different aspects of Darkside, with main focus on Mexican War of Independence and early Mexican Republic...
What a blast from the past (and a few sad moments thinking of those not here anymore). And, what about the Darkhorse posts---I think we saw his evolution from collector to world traveler to 'hey look someone wants me to take coin pictures in England', and now PCGS photographer!
Update, 15 years as a member and now retired from the Navy by a few years. Still actively collecting Japanese coins, but have dropped the 'collectible bullion' stuff, with the exception of a few Japanese and British coins. Most significantly I have somehow amassed quite an offshoot of the One From Every Country...namely Zog era Albanian coins because it was hard to get past "A" in the alphabet with only one coin per country. My Albanians are quite the bunch these days. But I still have an OFEC binder. Now starting to look at some ancients, with an eye towards 'matching' the themes on my Albanian coins.
I just noticed this thread, and was about to reply to it and a few of the posters who shared similar interests as me, when I finally noticed someone had resurrected a thread started back in 2005-ish!
It got me to wondering how the early-posters' lives & interests had changed since their original posts. Did they graduate with a teaching degree & are they now teaching? Did they move overseas or back to the States? Retired? Kids/grandkids? And did they ever manage to complete the sets they were working on or move on to other sets?
Would be interesting to see some updates!
In the meantime, in case I didn't already post her & just forgot about it..........
I'm Dave. I started collecting U.S. pennies & nickels in Whitman folders from my grandparents' & parents' change. Unfortunately, this was post-1964, so I missed out on a lot of silver opportunities. But over time, I was able to build relatively complete (sans keys & semi-keys) U.S. collections - - primarily from circulation - - covering cents thru dollars from the mid-to-late 1800's thru today.
One of the first coins my grandfather gave me was an Australian "kangaroo" penny, and I was hooked by the Darkside! On my own, and with the advent of the internet, eBay, and this Forum, (and picking up foreign Whitman folders on the cheap at a local, now-closed coin store), I managed to build a decent set from circulation of all 20th-century pre-decimal British, Aussie, & New Zealand coins, as well as some Mexican denominations. I also have Whitman folders with all the Canadian denominations representing some of the 19th & all of the 20th centuries (again, as with all the other countries, sans the key & semi-key dates). I've topped that off with a nearly-complete set of all circulating Euro coins from all countries & mint-marks for the first few years of their issuance, and TONS of foreign coins that have resulted from an ever-expanding definition of a "1-per-country" set.
Although I'd love to have tons of silver and slabbed silver & gold coins (as well as higher-quality ones), my style has always been collecting primarily circulated coins for blue Whitman folders. In more recent years, their condition have improved to AU, etc, either because I can get recent issues from bank rolls or trades, or they are no longer circulated, and only available in higher grades. But at heart, I love the wear & history more than the grade. That's not to say I don't still long for maybe 1 good high-grade example of some of my favorite types, but I don't obsess over that. I like to pull the coins out from storage & look at them once in a while......
In any event, I've managed to hold onto a few extra Darkside coins & folders over the years, so feel free to PM me ("extras/needs" lists welcome) if you are looking for or have extra circulated or better (but no proofs or slabs) Darkside coins. I'm always up for a trade!
I've been on this forum since about 2012. Have been collecting and studying coins since 1980. Started with US coins, but now focus on world coins and medals. The more I study, the more things I realize I've yet to discover!
My name is Roman and I'm a 26-year-old collecting different aspects of Darkside, with main focus on Mexican War of Independence and early Mexican Republic
It's neat to think about that 26 year old getting into coin collecting all those years ago. Made decent money consulting and enjoying every aspect of being a bachelor in a big city like Toronto with plans to wrap up my contract and head back to the States in a few years. 11 years later and I've moved out to the suburbs, married, bought a house and we are now expecting our first child in just a few short weeks. Lots of ups and downs, but it was nice to have numismatics and this forum as one of the constants in my life. War of Independence collecting got frustrating when it came to TPG's - back then neither service could authenticate or attribute those crude pieces correctly. (I remember being on the phone with NGC trying to convince them that the Chihuahua stamps (treasurer and comptroller) on my 1816/5 8 Reales were, in fact, applied at the Mint). After a while I sold off most of my W4I pieces and the early Republic Cap & Ray counterfeits and started to assemble a complete variety set of Mexico Mint Portrait 8 Reales. Turned out to be a rather lengthy pursuit, as I'm only about half way there. (especially since I haven't even started on Carlos III).
I think I posted here a long time ago, but could not find it. Grew up in Maine, where Canadian coins readily circulated. I started collecting Canadian cents by filling Whitman albums as a young lad in the 1960's. I still have a couple of those folders. Collected sporadically until about 1983, when family and work "readjusted my interests", both time wise and financially. Came back to the hobby in 2004 and have actively collected Canadian bronze since then. I have published four books and many articles on varieties of the Victorian cents of Canada (1858-1901). In my non-numismatic life, I served on active duty for 24 years in the U.S. Coast Guard. I retired from that in 1995, then worked for 17 more years as a public works director and deputy city manager for cities in California. I retired for good in 2012.
Numismatic author & owner of the Uncommon Cents collections. 2011 Fred Bowman award winner, 2020 J. Douglas Ferguson award winner, & 2022 Paul Fiocca award winner.
Interesting to see what was written so many years ago. Most things have not changed, still working for the same company (40+ years), still married to the same sweetheart (42 years today) but a bit more focused in my collecting. I am now exclusively focused on Conder tokens and occasionally adding to my Euro and Canadian pocket change.
R.I.P. Wayne, Brad Collecting: Conder tokens 19th & 20th Century coins from Great Britain and the Realm
I've lived all my life just south the CA border, so have been collecting Canadian for 35 years, on and off. I started in high school...it was the best thing to collect, as there was lots available because we were next to Canada, but no one wanted it as we were in US. I am now finishing my Library of Coins CA cent and nickel collections that I bought approx 1983.
Been on here for 17 years, but don't post much, unless it's comments about Canadian stuff. Like Bosox above, I was in the US Coast Guard, but for 31 years. Began darkside coinage in the early 80's heavily, but started almost strictly Canadian, mostly Vicky large cents, in the late 90's when I retired from the military. Had to come across the Northern border because I married a Canuck in '97 and been here ever since.
I'm Dmitry from NYC (originally Ukraine). I primarily collect world coins from the 18th to mid 20th centuries, though I love odd and unusual numismatic items from all eras (maybe not as much as @lordmarcovan, but the love is real). I also collect and research contemporary circulating counterfeits and study vintage/modern forgeries which were not made for currency purposes.
I'm a very friendly guy so feel free to chat me up, especially on the topics mentioned above
Highly enthusiastic about world coins, contemporary circulating counterfeits and unusual stuff
Nice! I spent most of my childhood in Zaporozhye before immigrating over to US (and consequently Canada).
Oh cool, I also came to the US as a child. I see you heavily collect Spanish colonials. I collect contemporary counterfeits of the same
Nice - I dabbled in counterfeits in my earlier days of collecting this series with a lot of conversations with Bob Gurney and time spent reading through Riddell's reference. It's a fascinating area of collecting that has seen some increased interest over the last few years due to some new references being published by John Lorenzo and Bob. If you have some CCF's to share - i'd love to see them!
Comments
FOR SALE Items
Olmanjon
http://bit.ly/bxi7py
I'm retired from being a Lumber Yard Dog, in esscence I used to stack lumber and building material by hand or with
a 30,000# lift, I'd pull, load & unload, cut, sell, deliver, etc...etc.......lumber, Anyhow, I grew up in an era when Coin
Collecting was at its peak in the 60's and as a poor but determined kid I was just priced out of most of the popular
US series, and my alternative was World Coins, so I have been a Darksider before I knew the "TERM" I got alot more
bang for the buck, and I feel thats not going to be the case much longer, I love crowns of the America's, oh hell I like
em all, And I Love this Forum, the people here are GREAT, KNOWLEDABLE AND GENOROUS as I've won a few GTG's GA's
from members in Canada, New Zealand, Scotland and here in the good ole USA. I remember it took months of scrimping
and saving to get my first Krause in 1978 an I still have it, anyway to borrow a old country term and change it a little,
I was a Darksider before Darksiding was Cool, and am Damn Proud of it
Steve
I collected as a boy, but lost interest. I picked the hobby back up when my father passed away. My plan was to thoroughly inventory his collection, then sell it.
Instead, I caught the collecting bug and have been obsessed most of the time since.
I collect mostly larger silver coins from both sides of the pond (the US & UK) : half crowns, crowns, half dollars and silver dollars.
I bought my first "nice" British coin this year. It was / is an 1894 "old head" half crown in PCGS 64 with amazing two-sided rainbow toning. I almost hyperventilated when I saw it. Good thing I can have a poker face, becaue I was able to work a good trade with the dealer for a few BU Washington quarters from the 1940's & 1950's and a couple of classic commemoratives.
As a history buff, I like historically significant dates such as from the US civil war or other "big" dates.
I really want to connect with and learn from collectors interested in my specialities.
I LOVE coin shows. I went to my first FUN last year. It was amazing. I can't wait for the upcoming show, especially since I have a broader collecting goal now.
I am a member of the Liberty Seated Collector's Club. Is there a British coin group active here whose members might be willing to accept me into the "Brotherhood"?
Growing up in upstate NY it was always easy to find Canadian coins in change. I started buying some after I first got some from my Aunt. My Ancesters came from Norway, Canada and England so I started collecting all of those especially Norway. For a while I was buying one coin for every country, and I dabbled in Ancients and everything in between. I just love them all.
Successful BST deals with mustangt and jesbroken. Now EVERYTHING is for sale.
Doggedly collecting coins of the Central American Republic.
Visit the Society of US Pattern Collectors at USPatterns.com.
8 Reales Madness Collection
DPOTD-3
'Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery'
CU #3245 B.N.A. #428
Don
World Collection
British Collection
German States Collection
Primary focus has been 16-18th century Austro-Hungarian Talers, aiming for the best quality I can find/afford. I also am building up a high grade Swiss shooting medal collection.
This is a wonderful forum and hobby.
Damn I just realized that I am now 45 and have 3 and 6 year old daughters. Time flies and the Swiss shooting medal collection is gone.
Taler Custom Set
Ancient Custom Set
I have always had the collecting bug, baseball cards, comics, autographs as a kid and now coins as an adult. I bought very few coins as a kid but inherited some of my grandpas collection when he passed. I was attracted to the history after visiting Dahalonega with my parents after college and bought my first gold coin shortly thereafter. I dove into the darkside the last two years after being enamored by the Latin American designs and then more deeply after moving to Europe.
Latin American Collection
California has been good to me, I met my wife here and I have a nice home here as well. Plus I see lots of cool coins and other collectibles each and every day.
Radiant Collection: Numismatics and Exonumia of the Atomic Age.
https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/showcase/3232
www.brunkauctions.com
I'm Terry from North Carolina. 39 years old. I collect many things, but relevant to here would be British coins, Mexican, Canadian and of course light side.
My true passion is antique silver. (American and British)
My YouTube Channel
I collect Anglo-Saxon, Italian States, German States, British (pre-House of Hanover) and nice pre-1800 type. I used to collect US, but have since stopped and sold most of it.
How does one get a hater to stop hating?
I can be reached at evillageprowler@gmail.com
Bump for any new faces on the forum!
8 Reales Madness Collection
Hi my name is David. I'm 28 years old, live on the East Coast of the US and I've worked in the Financial Services industry since I graduated college. The focus of my job has been in the legal/compliance area. I'm getting married later this year, so I haven't made too many purchases recently but she's definitely worth it!
For the Dark Side, I collect the following: Peru Sols/8 Reales, a Cuban Typeset and a 1940's Irish Typeset too. I mainly collect large silver coins, but I wouldn't hesitate to purchase anything that catches my eye. I started collecting with my dad when I was a kid and I inherited both of my grandfathers coin collections after I graduated college. My collection is about a 60/40 split between US and Foreign, however, I think foreign coins have a better chance of appreciating in value in the future.
What has drawn me to collecting coins is a combination of historical importance, being able to hold a physical/tangible asset in a digital world and I appreciate the art and the country-specific theme each coin portrays.
Hi all, my name is Rexford. I'm 19 years old and from NYC. My interest in coins started when I was about six after my mother showed me her small childhood collection of US coins. I started out by picking foreign coins out of change and drooling over a 2005 edition of the Red Book, then fell out of the hobby for a few years. About six or so years ago I made a comeback but only dealt with US coins; I branched out to foreign coins a little over a year ago and have pretty much dropped US coins completely now. In general I like very intricately designed coins in excellent condition, which leads me to favor German coins by nature (specifically German States, although I do like the Marks and 1/2 Marks of the early German Empire) as well as various British and German bronzed medals. I would not call myself a collector of German coins though - there are plenty of coins and medals from other countries that I like, but I just find German ones to most commonly match with my tastes.
Gobrecht's Engraved Mature Head Large Cent Model
https://www.instagram.com/rexrarities/?hl=en
I don't think I participated in this thread in the past. Couldn't find my name in a search, anyway.
I'm 48 and been a coin collector since I was 4. I've collected and owned pieces from all over and every era in the past. I don't care much for series, the idea of collecting the same coin over and over again has little appeal to me. Several years back, I started to recognize the benefit of quality over quantity. Shortly thereafter, I encountered the "Box of 20" concept, where you (theoretically) keep your collection to 20 pieces. This philosophy makes you carefully consider each coin you own, where it fits in your collection, what it means to you. It also necessarily emphasizes quality over quantity.
I tried it and I liked it. The box is always in flux--though that isn't a bad thing. It is reaching the point where it is getting harder and harder to weed out old pieces in favor of new pieces. I'm currently at about 50/50 lightside/darkside, though there are many pieces from the lightside which lean toward darkside:
Updated link to my box of 20 04-24-18
http://www.fourbore.com/montage21.jpg
--Severian the Lame
Maybe instead of a strict box of 20, acknowledge that as a growing collector you should get 10 per decade or 1 per year of age. Still will require being strict, but gives a little more leeway to account for duration of hobby participation.
Now, I'm going have to find my post (if I did one) and update it!
I realized that the thread is 12 years old and many names no longer frequent the forum.
Taler Custom Set
Ancient Custom Set
I'm a US government bureaucrat waiting to retire.. I love you Donald Trump, just don't screw with my pension !! (Im not with IRS, so don't worry).
Darksiders?
Just some old timey forum lingo:
Light side of coin collecting - US Coins
Dark side - World coins and medals
Grey side - Canadiana
8 Reales Madness Collection
Ah thanks.
I think I'm slowly succumbing to the dark side, those Queen's Beasts coins look mighty tantalizing.
I think exonumia might be the Far Side too
Especially the 1 Kilo ones
8 Reales Madness Collection
OK, my turn. I started collecting just over 40 years ago, but it's been off and on. I am just ending the longest period of "not collecting" since I first discovered coins. I'm waiting on a coin to come in the mail, and then I'll start an on-going thread as I fill a box of 20. (I also like that concept for collecting...I'm kind of doing the same thing with comic books, but it has more to do with how many can fit in my safe!)
Anyway, I'm an engineer with an MBA. I like business and science, so I enjoy research and coin collecting appeals to me. But I was not happy with the direction that U.S. stuff was going...at least the U.S. stuff that I could afford. You have to spend hundreds to get something interesting. I've dabbled in dark side stuff before and have a lot of books on them, and ancients, but not much left over from my old days as I sold most of it off to buy comic books and other collectibles. So I'm starting from the beginning. I do miss coins. Heck, I love coins...they move me...especially toned ones that look like they've been sitting in someone's cigar box for a hundred years. But with 3 girls who are moving into braces, college and then will need weddings, I want to purchase coins that I can sell for at least as much as I buy them for. A tall order, but at least I'm not spending money on more frivolous hobbies.
Nice to be back!
Steve
My name is Bill and live in Canada, although I retired from the US military after 31 years .. married a Canuck and moved up here in '97. I'm a greysider(Canada) and greyhairder, although I do collect 16-18th century Europe, especially German States. Been here on the site for a while, but don't post much. I'm big into Victoria large cent varieties and co-wrote the Vicky variety section for Charlton when it was published in 2011. Work with other Canada large cent folks doing research on Vickies and vetting books on the subject for fellow researchers/publishers.
hello. my name is sean. i am 9. i collect irish and british coins. my dad collects coins and he says you might know him as zar coins. he send me here to learn about coins. i like soccer, lego, gaa and swimming.
Hello Sean! Welcome to the PCGS forums!
No way! You're Marcel's son?
Welcome! And tell your dad we miss him around here
8 Reales Madness Collection
It is great to be here.I hope I learn lots and have lots of fun
Dads note: Hi all. Great to 'see' you all again.
I see that you'e still into the 8 Reales Roman. You must have quite a collection by now! Hello Stork, I still have those Japanese coins that you send me many years ago. 
Hi also to Ajaan, MrEureka, thebozz etc etc. I won't hijack Sean's thread but I will of course keep an eye on his activity on this forum.
My YouTube Channel
Time sure flies!
Bump for any new Darksiders!
8 Reales Madness Collection
What a blast from the past (and a few sad moments thinking of those not here anymore). And, what about the Darkhorse posts---I think we saw his evolution from collector to world traveler to 'hey look someone wants me to take coin pictures in England', and now PCGS photographer!
Update, 15 years as a member and now retired from the Navy by a few years. Still actively collecting Japanese coins, but have dropped the 'collectible bullion' stuff, with the exception of a few Japanese and British coins. Most significantly I have somehow amassed quite an offshoot of the One From Every Country...namely Zog era Albanian coins because it was hard to get past "A" in the alphabet with only one coin per country. My Albanians are quite the bunch these days. But I still have an OFEC binder. Now starting to look at some ancients, with an eye towards 'matching' the themes on my Albanian coins.
Funny, I posted about 1893 Victoria coins and my oddball early fascination with naked guys with/without horses on the St. George thread that just popped up.
https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/998236/today-is-st-george-s-day-post-a-coin-or-medal-of-the-british-realm#latest. Both were mentioned in my first post on this thread. Neither really a focus anymore, though I still have examples.
edited for multiple typos
I just noticed this thread, and was about to reply to it and a few of the posters who shared similar interests as me, when I finally noticed someone had resurrected a thread started back in 2005-ish!
It got me to wondering how the early-posters' lives & interests had changed since their original posts. Did they graduate with a teaching degree & are they now teaching? Did they move overseas or back to the States? Retired? Kids/grandkids? And did they ever manage to complete the sets they were working on or move on to other sets?
Would be interesting to see some updates!
In the meantime, in case I didn't already post her & just forgot about it..........
I'm Dave. I started collecting U.S. pennies & nickels in Whitman folders from my grandparents' & parents' change. Unfortunately, this was post-1964, so I missed out on a lot of silver opportunities. But over time, I was able to build relatively complete (sans keys & semi-keys) U.S. collections - - primarily from circulation - - covering cents thru dollars from the mid-to-late 1800's thru today.
One of the first coins my grandfather gave me was an Australian "kangaroo" penny, and I was hooked by the Darkside! On my own, and with the advent of the internet, eBay, and this Forum, (and picking up foreign Whitman folders on the cheap at a local, now-closed coin store), I managed to build a decent set from circulation of all 20th-century pre-decimal British, Aussie, & New Zealand coins, as well as some Mexican denominations. I also have Whitman folders with all the Canadian denominations representing some of the 19th & all of the 20th centuries (again, as with all the other countries, sans the key & semi-key dates). I've topped that off with a nearly-complete set of all circulating Euro coins from all countries & mint-marks for the first few years of their issuance, and TONS of foreign coins that have resulted from an ever-expanding definition of a "1-per-country" set.
Although I'd love to have tons of silver and slabbed silver & gold coins (as well as higher-quality ones), my style has always been collecting primarily circulated coins for blue Whitman folders. In more recent years, their condition have improved to AU, etc, either because I can get recent issues from bank rolls or trades, or they are no longer circulated, and only available in higher grades. But at heart, I love the wear & history more than the grade. That's not to say I don't still long for maybe 1 good high-grade example of some of my favorite types, but I don't obsess over that. I like to pull the coins out from storage & look at them once in a while......
In any event, I've managed to hold onto a few extra Darkside coins & folders over the years, so feel free to PM me ("extras/needs" lists welcome) if you are looking for or have extra circulated or better (but no proofs or slabs) Darkside coins. I'm always up for a trade!
I'm still here and a lot older and grumpier.
DPOTD-3
'Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery'
CU #3245 B.N.A. #428
Don
I've been on this forum since about 2012. Have been collecting and studying coins since 1980. Started with US coins, but now focus on world coins and medals. The more I study, the more things I realize I've yet to discover!
It's neat to think about that 26 year old getting into coin collecting all those years ago. Made decent money consulting and enjoying every aspect of being a bachelor in a big city like Toronto with plans to wrap up my contract and head back to the States in a few years. 11 years later and I've moved out to the suburbs, married, bought a house and we are now expecting our first child in just a few short weeks. Lots of ups and downs, but it was nice to have numismatics and this forum as one of the constants in my life. War of Independence collecting got frustrating when it came to TPG's - back then neither service could authenticate or attribute those crude pieces correctly. (I remember being on the phone with NGC trying to convince them that the Chihuahua stamps (treasurer and comptroller) on my 1816/5 8 Reales were, in fact, applied at the Mint). After a while I sold off most of my W4I pieces and the early Republic Cap & Ray counterfeits and started to assemble a complete variety set of Mexico Mint Portrait 8 Reales. Turned out to be a rather lengthy pursuit, as I'm only about half way there. (especially since I haven't even started on Carlos III).
I'll have to revisit this post again in 10 years
8 Reales Madness Collection
and we are now expecting our first child in just a few short weeks.
Congrats! Let us know when your NEWP comes
I think I posted here a long time ago, but could not find it. Grew up in Maine, where Canadian coins readily circulated. I started collecting Canadian cents by filling Whitman albums as a young lad in the 1960's. I still have a couple of those folders. Collected sporadically until about 1983, when family and work "readjusted my interests", both time wise and financially. Came back to the hobby in 2004 and have actively collected Canadian bronze since then. I have published four books and many articles on varieties of the Victorian cents of Canada (1858-1901). In my non-numismatic life, I served on active duty for 24 years in the U.S. Coast Guard. I retired from that in 1995, then worked for 17 more years as a public works director and deputy city manager for cities in California. I retired for good in 2012.
http://www.victoriancent.com
Interesting to see what was written so many years ago. Most things have not changed, still working for the same company (40+ years), still married to the same sweetheart (42 years today) but a bit more focused in my collecting. I am now exclusively focused on Conder tokens and occasionally adding to my Euro and Canadian pocket change.
Collecting:
Conder tokens
19th & 20th Century coins from Great Britain and the Realm
I've lived all my life just south the CA border, so have been collecting Canadian for 35 years, on and off. I started in high school...it was the best thing to collect, as there was lots available because we were next to Canada, but no one wanted it as we were in US. I am now finishing my Library of Coins CA cent and nickel collections that I bought approx 1983.
Been on here for 17 years, but don't post much, unless it's comments about Canadian stuff. Like Bosox above, I was in the US Coast Guard, but for 31 years. Began darkside coinage in the early 80's heavily, but started almost strictly Canadian, mostly Vicky large cents, in the late 90's when I retired from the military. Had to come across the Northern border because I married a Canuck in '97 and been here ever since.
Awesome thread idea
I'm Dmitry from NYC (originally Ukraine). I primarily collect world coins from the 18th to mid 20th centuries, though I love odd and unusual numismatic items from all eras (maybe not as much as @lordmarcovan, but the love is real). I also collect and research contemporary circulating counterfeits and study vintage/modern forgeries which were not made for currency purposes.
I'm a very friendly guy so feel free to chat me up, especially on the topics mentioned above
Highly enthusiastic about world coins, contemporary circulating counterfeits and unusual stuff
Nice! I spent most of my childhood in Zaporozhye before immigrating over to US (and consequently Canada).
8 Reales Madness Collection
@lor> @TwoKopeiki said:
Oh cool, I also came to the US as a child. I see you heavily collect Spanish colonials. I collect contemporary counterfeits of the same
Highly enthusiastic about world coins, contemporary circulating counterfeits and unusual stuff
Nice - I dabbled in counterfeits in my earlier days of collecting this series with a lot of conversations with Bob Gurney and time spent reading through Riddell's reference. It's a fascinating area of collecting that has seen some increased interest over the last few years due to some new references being published by John Lorenzo and Bob. If you have some CCF's to share - i'd love to see them!
8 Reales Madness Collection