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My Birthday & Reflections on Collecting
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UtahCoin
Posts: 5,345 ✭✭✭✭✭
My Birthday & Reflections on Collecting
Sunday the 2nd marks my 56th birthday and my 47th year of collecting. I still remember that day, as a 9 year old going over to my friend Jimmy Kinsey’s (sp) house and seeing his father looking at coins laid out on a table. The two items that I remember vividly were an uncut sheet of “Hawaii” notes, and a 1799 Bust Dollar. He let me hold the Bust Dollar and it was like a surge of electricity through me as he told me George Washington himself could very well have owned this very coin. From that moment on, I was hooked.
Very soon after that, this kind man took me to a coin show in Santa Barbara where I wandered the aisles looking at coins. The only two specific things I remember are being in awe of the “Old” coins that were abundant, and the crowd around one table that had a nice bright red 1955/55 Lincoln Cent. I remember the dealer let me hold it and told me about it. This set the hook in me for sure. Two men that spent some time with a small boy set in motion a lifetime of avocation and later vocation.
My first collection goals were simple. Fill as many holes in a blue Whitman “Penny” holder and Roosevelt Dime holder as I could. The Dime collection didn’t go well. On an allowance of a Quarter (albeit a SILVER Quarter), it was hard to save too many dimes. It also seemed that every time I got ten or twelve dimes in place, I felt pretty rich and would go buy a big bag of candy or some other “necessity”.
The Lincoln Cents were another story. My father was a window clerk at the Post Office in Santa Barbara, a position he held from his World War II discharge in 1945 until he retired in 1971. He never really liked the job, but job possibilities for wounded pilots in 1945 were limited. But that’s another story. One of dad’s responsibilities was to keep the stamp machine loaded with coins for change. Since he had the access, every Friday he would bring home $5 worth of “Pennies”, I would carefully go through them, buy the ones I needed, and he would return them Monday morning. A policy that I’m sure would never be allowed today!
By the time I was twelve, I had a paper route where I delivered 188 papers every day, for which I earned the impressive amount of about $30 a month. In those days, the paper boys used to go door to door every month “Collecting”. As I recall, the subscription rate was about $1.75 a month. A lot of the people on my route knew I collected coins, and would give me a tip of a few old Lincoln Indian Cents or an old Liberty Nickel when I came by.
By the time I was 16, collecting took a back seat to cars, girls and basketball. But I still checked my change every day, and was the “Go to” guy anytime anybody in the family found an old or unusual coin. That circulation set of Lincoln Cents was complete except for the “Big Five”.
My early 20’s found me completing the Lincoln set. Granted at that time, it was more “Fill the hole” rather than buy a quality coin. By my 30’s I was more into quality, and spent some time finishing a nice VF set of Indian Cents. By my 40’s, I had a little more money to spend (although I used the term “Invest” with my wife) and completed a nice BU set on Indian Cents. Over the years, I completed many sets, but I think the first set of Lincolns was the most meaningful.
This week, I completed my Proof Set of Liberty Nickels (Pictures to follow in a few days). But I have come full circle. For the past couple of years, I have set at the dining room table with my son, and have searched bags of Wheat Cents filling old blue Whitman folders.
It has been quite the journey! So, Jimmy Kinsey, wherever you are, thank your dad for getting me started!
Sunday the 2nd marks my 56th birthday and my 47th year of collecting. I still remember that day, as a 9 year old going over to my friend Jimmy Kinsey’s (sp) house and seeing his father looking at coins laid out on a table. The two items that I remember vividly were an uncut sheet of “Hawaii” notes, and a 1799 Bust Dollar. He let me hold the Bust Dollar and it was like a surge of electricity through me as he told me George Washington himself could very well have owned this very coin. From that moment on, I was hooked.
Very soon after that, this kind man took me to a coin show in Santa Barbara where I wandered the aisles looking at coins. The only two specific things I remember are being in awe of the “Old” coins that were abundant, and the crowd around one table that had a nice bright red 1955/55 Lincoln Cent. I remember the dealer let me hold it and told me about it. This set the hook in me for sure. Two men that spent some time with a small boy set in motion a lifetime of avocation and later vocation.
My first collection goals were simple. Fill as many holes in a blue Whitman “Penny” holder and Roosevelt Dime holder as I could. The Dime collection didn’t go well. On an allowance of a Quarter (albeit a SILVER Quarter), it was hard to save too many dimes. It also seemed that every time I got ten or twelve dimes in place, I felt pretty rich and would go buy a big bag of candy or some other “necessity”.
The Lincoln Cents were another story. My father was a window clerk at the Post Office in Santa Barbara, a position he held from his World War II discharge in 1945 until he retired in 1971. He never really liked the job, but job possibilities for wounded pilots in 1945 were limited. But that’s another story. One of dad’s responsibilities was to keep the stamp machine loaded with coins for change. Since he had the access, every Friday he would bring home $5 worth of “Pennies”, I would carefully go through them, buy the ones I needed, and he would return them Monday morning. A policy that I’m sure would never be allowed today!
By the time I was twelve, I had a paper route where I delivered 188 papers every day, for which I earned the impressive amount of about $30 a month. In those days, the paper boys used to go door to door every month “Collecting”. As I recall, the subscription rate was about $1.75 a month. A lot of the people on my route knew I collected coins, and would give me a tip of a few old Lincoln Indian Cents or an old Liberty Nickel when I came by.
By the time I was 16, collecting took a back seat to cars, girls and basketball. But I still checked my change every day, and was the “Go to” guy anytime anybody in the family found an old or unusual coin. That circulation set of Lincoln Cents was complete except for the “Big Five”.
My early 20’s found me completing the Lincoln set. Granted at that time, it was more “Fill the hole” rather than buy a quality coin. By my 30’s I was more into quality, and spent some time finishing a nice VF set of Indian Cents. By my 40’s, I had a little more money to spend (although I used the term “Invest” with my wife) and completed a nice BU set on Indian Cents. Over the years, I completed many sets, but I think the first set of Lincolns was the most meaningful.
This week, I completed my Proof Set of Liberty Nickels (Pictures to follow in a few days). But I have come full circle. For the past couple of years, I have set at the dining room table with my son, and have searched bags of Wheat Cents filling old blue Whitman folders.
It has been quite the journey! So, Jimmy Kinsey, wherever you are, thank your dad for getting me started!
I used to be somebody, now I'm just a coin collector.
Recipient of the coveted "You Suck" award, April 2009 for cherrypicking a 1833 CBHD LM-5, and April 2022 for a 1835 LM-12, and again in Aug 2012 for picking off a 1952 FS-902.
Recipient of the coveted "You Suck" award, April 2009 for cherrypicking a 1833 CBHD LM-5, and April 2022 for a 1835 LM-12, and again in Aug 2012 for picking off a 1952 FS-902.
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Comments
and
Happy Birthday!
Chris
BS&T
Ebay: + <waitin'> NEG: Chameleoncoins
NonBST/Ebay:
WTB: Toners, BU Darkside, Sovs & 20 Mark, LMU/SMU Gold.
Here is hoping that your birthday is a good one with many many more to follow.
Mike
Coin Rarities Online
cool story, thanks for sharing and Happy early B-Day! Mine is the 29th of this month. You got me by 25 years.......
-wes
Too many positive BST transactions with too many members to list.
S
I had a little more money to spend (although I used the term “Invest” with my wife)
...wise move....me too... (and hey, if you do it right, it's true!)
Thanks for sharing.
My icon IS my coin. It is a gem 1949 FBL Franklin.
myCCset
Happy Birthday to me...... etc.
Can't wait to see what rarity the family got me today (Maybe something from HSN?)
Pics to follow sometime after the HUGH surprise party (I can dream can't I?)
Recipient of the coveted "You Suck" award, April 2009 for cherrypicking a 1833 CBHD LM-5, and April 2022 for a 1835 LM-12, and again in Aug 2012 for picking off a 1952 FS-902.
K
Your story confirms my feeling that
coin collecting is quite different from
many other fad collecting trends.
thanks
-Randy Newman
- Bob -
"Central Valley" Roosevelts
MPL's - Lincolns of Color
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