What is is about coins that can bring out the best and the worst in people?

FoundingFather

I see them go from serving as a tool to fuel people's arrogance and superiority dysfunctions, to symbols of charity, education, history, sharing, and generosity.

I see them go from windows to the greed and selfishness of some, to windows to the finer things being appreciated by many.

I see them go from commodities to be played and abused for profit, to special collectibles that can light up a youngster's life.

So I ask - what is it about coins that can bring out both the best and the worst in people?

SilverEagles92

It's all about da money!

coinguy1

FF, you asked about coins (as well you should have, since this is the US coin forum). But, you could probably just as easily have asked about a multitude of other THINGS - cars, clothes, houses, pets, music, objects of art, jewelry, stereo systems, fill in the blank.....

It's people, not coins that are responsible for the best and worst in people.

BAJJERFAN

Thats like asking if all fisherman lie or a lot of liars fish. If it wasn't coins it would be some other thing exposing those traits in people.

TwoSides2aCoin

Diet

Some people have a lousy diet, hence : Lousy attitude.
Happy people eat their vegetables.

WoodenJefferson

Best: The willingness to share information/knowledge with someone who wants to know. It does not matter the level of expertise when it comes to sharing, any level attained in this hobby should be passed down to those on the way up. Always expound on the truths and not fiction/speculations...sharing what you know is a generous gift.

Worst: Knowing a great deal about Numismatics but only using it to dismiss/argue with another credited Numismatist.

FoundingFather

Not that coins CAUSE these things, but help bring out, or serve as tools to these things. While it is true that many things can do that, coins have some special traits. Or at least, an uncommon (not totally unique) combination of traits.

They are super detailed and super well-suited to collecting, are clear valuables, are money, have a marketing machine behind them, a Government behind them, are easy to be deceiving about or sell fraudulently, have Shows, lend themselves to be attached to emotionally since they are a combination of money, power, beauty, etc., cross ages, sex, borders, continents, and time, go back to our earliest civilizations, are an investment, the list goes on.

It seems as though they are particularly well-suited for power and money, mean a lot when given, and are extremely rich educationally (history, art, symbolism, metal content, minting technology, artifact, stories, investments, bullion, etc.).

Just my feelings.

ziggy29

<< <i>Some people have a lousy diet, hence : Lousy attitude.
Happy people eat their vegetables. >>

This reminds me of the old quote attributed to Winston Churchill; I will paraphrase the story. Allegedly, a woman once went up to him and asked: "Sir, is it true that if I eat the right foods, exercise a lot, and stay away from alcohol and tobacco, I am much more likely to live to be 100?"

"Yes, madam," Churchill replied, "but it will feel like 200."

silverpop

Depends on the person

JJM

coins bring out the good side of me personally......owing to my dislike for people who do otherwise............

pharmer

I blame the Ancient Holy Rome-ers, who went around burying their coins so they could be dug up thousands of years later by yuppies from the US, and sold for profit, profit I tells ya. They created the notion that little pieces of metal could be thought of as treasure. On the other hand, they invented chariot races, so it's a wash.

Dog97

It's because coins is money & money is the root of all evil.

shirohniichan

It's because some stupid collectors fail to acknowledge the clear superiority of double dimes and trade dollars and pigheadedly continue to collect Mercury dimes and other widgets.

DNADave

TwoSides2aCoin

you guys are good, I gotta tell ya

BlindedByEgo

Guns don't kill people - people kill people.

Apropos of nothing, yet seems to fit in an awkward way.

dpoole

<< <i>It's because some stupid collectors fail to acknowledge the clear superiority of double dimes and trade dollars and pigheadedly continue to collect Mercury dimes and other widgets. >>



You really meant "other modern clap" didn't you, Shiro?

RedTiger

Greed (money), pride (mine is bigger than yours), envy (the opposite), ego (I know better and those other folks know nothing).

Greed brings out the worst in a lot of people.

Pride, envy and ego play a large role in the basher/troll count on these boards.

DMWJR

<< <i>

<< <i>It's because some stupid collectors fail to acknowledge the clear superiority of double dimes and trade dollars and pigheadedly continue to collect Mercury dimes and other widgets. >>



You really meant "other modern clap" didn't you, Shiro? >>



Modern clap? Oh man, that's gonna open up a whole new can of worms. Where's Dan (Petescorner)?

michael

when large sums of $$$$$$$$$$$ profit are at stake there are no friends

TwoSides2aCoin

<< <i>when large sums of $$$$$$$$$$$ profit are at stake there are no friends >>



michael, have you considered entering the Statehood quarters program ?



JE

Julio

I think it's called human nature? JMO. jws

dorkkarl

<< <i>I see them go from serving as a tool to fuel people's arrogance and superiority dysfunctions . .. . >>



I see them go from windows to the greed and selfishness of some . . . . .

I see them go from commodities to be played and abused for profit >>

those things hardly qualify as "the worst" imo. coins don't turn people into rapists, murderers, kidnappers or tyrants, do they? POWER does that.

i think your overexaggerating a wee bit here

K S

Jcarney

<< <i>I see them go from commodities to be played and abused for profit, to special collectibles that can light up a youngster's life. >>



Why would buying and then selling a coin for a profit be construed as "bringing the worst out" in a person? The profit motive is the cornerstone of Capitalism and if pursued ethically, has done incredible good for mankind.

UncleJoe

It's people, not coins that are responsible for the best and worst in people.

Ding ding ding!!!! We have a winner.

Joe.

Barndog

premise of the OP is wrong, coinguy1 is correct

morgannut2

<< <i>FF, you asked about coins (as well you should have, since this is the US coin forum). But, you could probably just as easily have asked about a multitude of other THINGS - cars, clothes, houses, pets, music, objects of art, jewelry, stereo systems, fill in the blank.....

It's people, not coins that are responsible for the best and worst in people. >>

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The "multitude of other things" is only a part of something that actually does bring "out the worst" in many cases. Why?--The coin business is often a second "job" for some people

who have finished their first or second careers but not ready t0 play golf all day!. Sort of a place to hang your hat and say you're doing something

significant in business--plus you do get to meet lots of intetesting people. BUT you can also you see this typically in other secondary income type professions--real estate sales, car sales, and numerous very high competitive

job areas--- with way too many people in competition, for too few dollars.

Yea--you see it elsewhere too, but the excess number of marginal people making marginal money does --IMHO, contribute to the problems---

*edited to add--I referred to dealers, but don't kid yourself, there are plenty of cut-throat "collectors" out there too---maybe even

more trying to scam a few bucks!!