Did the State Quarter program bring you into numismatics? And what are you buying now?

ANACONDA

Did the State Quarter program bring you into numismatics?

And what are you interested in and buying now?

Post as much information as you would like, like, when and how did you start collecting state quarters and how did your interest evolve to the point it is today?

Batman23

No

ATB 5oz pucks

garrynot

I will go first. I have always been into numismatics, so the State Quarter program was more of a side project of mine. The intent was to get a full set in dansco books for each of my three kids. I obtained alot of the coins from circulation. Others I purchased at my local B&M. It was very time consuming, finding examples of each in circulation or at the B&M that were not banged up. Then as the program expanded into Parks and Presidential Dollars, I got bored and did not pursue those. The only coins that interest me from the Presidential Dollars are those without edge lettering. I have three examples of the Washington Dollars, courtesy of HJB. I primarily collect Morgans, Indian and Lincoln cents, mint state CWTs and elongates from both Chicago World's Fairs and my interests still lie there. I have been recently concentrating on the latter two since my coin budget is smaller these days.

BillyKingsley

Yes and no. I collected the State Quarters when they came out, I got one good example of each and pressed them into a Littleton folder. (I didn't know what mint marks were until 2008). I also saved wheat cents and anything that looked interesting.

My intent was to collect them, and I never really thought about what would come afterword. I assumed they would go back to the eagle design, which was the only quarter design I had known to exist.

I really started collecting full time in Spring 2008, when I found my late father's stash. I was excited by what I saw, 4 Peace dollars, a Morgan, several Mercury dimes, even a Barber dime, a few hundred wheat cents that were pulled no later than the 70s, and about 2 dozen Bi-Centennial quarters. Plus some paper money including a large size note, the first time I had ever seen one.

When I found them, I really began collecting. I went through all the family change jars I could find to find as many date and mintmark varieties as I could, and in May of 2008 I made my first purchase of a classic coin- an 1852 cent, that has seen better days, but was only $5. I didn't even know it was a cent when I bought it, I just knew it was from 1852, I figured out the rest later.

Today I'm collecting, well, pretty much everything. For US coins I am still trying to get as many date and mintmarks as I can, and I'm also collecting non-US coins. Anything that I can get my hands on, with my favorite purchase option being by the pound. I also am collecting currency.

My State Quarter collection is essentially complete. I was able to find at least one example of all 100 coins, although a few of them are in need of an upgrade, which I am determined to find in circulation/rolls. I know I could complete the set with store-bought examples easily and cheaply but there's very little fun in that.

Today I used the gift certificate I recieved to my local shop for Christmas and came home with:
1896 Nickel
1909 Nickel
1910 D Dime
1911 D cent
1912 dime
1923 nickel
1937 quarter
1950 nickel
1927 Canadian quarter
1951 Canadian quarter
1924 Italy 2 lire
1978 Italy 200 lire
Canada 1937 dollar note
Canada 1954 dollar note, which is in a condition that I actually paid less than face value for
US 2004 A $10 Star Note

All of them are circualted but not abused, except that one Canadian note. All told cost under $50.

All over the place, but since I am still really just starting out, it gives me, literally, decades to work on slowly filling in various sets. I have specifically chosen NOT to narrow my collection to one topic, commonly known as a focus, because I love it all, and can't bring myself to deny myself any fun this hobby could bring.

tetradrachm

I had a small collection when I was a child. The State Quarter program got me started collecting again. By the time I finished filling an album of state quarters I had gotten into silver dollars and other things. It is pure and simple fun to fill an album with pocket change!

fiveNdime

it didnt bring me in, but renewed my entusiasm.


i have since finished the washington quarter album and lincoln penny (09S VDB missing) and currently working on WLH.
there will be upgrades as time/$$ permits.


lots to learn still...

BillJones

No, I'd been a collector for 40 years when the program started.

The only thing I regret is that I didn't stand in line at 1999 FUN show to get one of the Delaware quarters they were handing out. I was born and raised in Delaware and collect Delware related coins, tokens and paper money. It's a small state, and there and not many different Delaware related coins and tokens to be had

henson4

I do admit I did collect the State quarters quite a bit as a hobby. I then transitioned into the Sacagawea $1 coins, which i thought was "gold"

ANACONDA

<< <i>Yes and no. I collected the State Quarters when they came out, I got one good example of each and pressed them into a Littleton folder. (I didn't know what mint marks were until 2008). I also saved wheat cents and anything that looked interesting.

My intent was to collect them, and I never really thought about what would come afterword. I assumed they would go back to the eagle design, which was the only quarter design I had known to exist.

I really started collecting full time in Spring 2008, when I found my late father's stash. I was excited by what I saw, 4 Peace dollars, a Morgan, several Mercury dimes, even a Barber dime, a few hundred wheat cents that were pulled no later than the 70s, and about 2 dozen Bi-Centennial quarters. Plus some paper money including a large size note, the first time I had ever seen one.

When I found them, I really began collecting. I went through all the family change jars I could find to find as many date and mintmark varieties as I could, and in May of 2008 I made my first purchase of a classic coin- an 1852 cent, that has seen better days, but was only $5. I didn't even know it was a cent when I bought it, I just knew it was from 1852, I figured out the rest later.

Today I'm collecting, well, pretty much everything. For US coins I am still trying to get as many date and mintmarks as I can, and I'm also collecting non-US coins. Anything that I can get my hands on, with my favorite purchase option being by the pound. I also am collecting currency.

My State Quarter collection is essentially complete. I was able to find at least one example of all 100 coins, although a few of them are in need of an upgrade, which I am determined to find in circulation/rolls. I know I could complete the set with store-bought examples easily and cheaply but there's very little fun in that.

Today I used the gift certificate I recieved to my local shop for Christmas and came home with:
1896 Nickel
1909 Nickel
1910 D Dime
1911 D cent
1912 dime
1923 nickel
1937 quarter
1950 nickel
1927 Canadian quarter
1951 Canadian quarter
1924 Italy 2 lire
1978 Italy 200 lire
Canada 1937 dollar note
Canada 1954 dollar note, which is in a condition that I actually paid less than face value for
US 2004 A $10 Star Note

All of them are circualted but not abused, except that one Canadian note. All told cost under $50.

All over the place, but since I am still really just starting out, it gives me, literally, decades to work on slowly filling in various sets. I have specifically chosen NOT to narrow my collection to one topic, commonly known as a focus, because I love it all, and can't bring myself to deny myself any fun this hobby could bring. >>



Nice....especially the part about you finding THEM ALL in circulation:

My State Quarter collection is essentially complete. I was able to find at least one example of all 100 coins, although a few of them are in need of an upgrade, which I am determined to find in circulation/rolls. I know I could complete the set with store-bought examples easily and cheaply but there's very little fun in that.

MrMoo

I got in the old fashioned way. Morgan Dollars.

tjc2120

State quarters got me back in in 2001. I hadn't collected since the 80s when I was in grade school.

Somehow I ended up here and now it's Dansco type. I'm still working on a full set of Lincolns. Since I am taking a long time on the type and the early Lincolns, I still really like getting nice circulated examples of the current denominations to pass the time cheaply.

Of course, bullion has been fun too. Oh, and a UHR.

taxmad

Yes and No as well. I delivered papers as a kid and filed my blue Whitman albums (which I still have and not a coin worth a tinker's dam in there). I also used my meal money on high school trips to buy silver bullion. I bought two 1999 Proof sets, one for each child (only one of whom was born), I stopped with the annual sets after the quarters were done. I started a type set, but gave up when I realized what it would cost to finish. So I naturally decided to go a cheaper route - SLQ's... That and that nice set of ATB pucks...

Obiwancanoli

What's a "tinker's dam" anyway?

The 50-State quarters got me started, too... and my Dad got a re-start.

It was geting close to Christmas a few years back, and I saw an ad from Littleton offering 45 of the 50 quarters - the last 5 were coming the following year - and thought I'd order a set for him. In the process, I decided to order one for myself, too, and began to read about coins and collecting. Voraciously. It didn't take long before I figured out LCC's approach was to set the hook, then hoped to reel me in...

I was sent - as was my father - a coin tube with 40 quarters, along with 5 more individually cello-wrapped coins. Of the 45 coins, 38 of them were "D" mint. Well, it didn't make sense to me to just wait out the other 5 coins and be done with it. No sir. I decided a true collector would have all 50 coins from BOTH mints.

The rest is history still in the making...

UtahCoin

<< <i>Did the State Quarter program bring you into numismatics? >>




No......
But the new Lincoln reverse did. That would be the "new" Memorial reverse of 1959.

Monstavet

Sort of...when I came across the first few in circulation it reminded me of my old Whitman albums from when I was a kid. I didn't care too much for the state quarters, but it got me to start trying to make whole sets of washingtons, lincolns, jeffs, and such out of change. This led me to start reading and learning about coins, buying Coinage issues and eventually got invited by Bennybravo (don't think he is around anymore) over to these forums. Currently working on a complete type set and I love working on my circulated Walker set. These forums have helped guide my collecting in a lot of ways. Don't post too much, but always lurking.

HIGHLOWLEAVES

I became interested in collecting US coins again in May, 2004 when the State of Texas Statehood quarters were released here in Texas. I was a buyer of rolls from then on. Then in Jan, 2005; I noticed an Ebay coin auction 90 miles from me in Kerville, Tx where Mr. Carlos was auctioning off a set of High/Low WI quarters. On a hunch and using a 1988 Honda CRX that got 35+ miles/gal, I was literally off to the races to find Wisconsin variety coins here in the San Antonio, Tx area in very early 2005. Though only a few numismatists will stand up and embrace these low mintage statehood quarters as interesting modern varieties and certainly no encouragement from most of the coin error experts, I still retain my few examples and many fond memories.
My WI experience reminds me of that day back in 1961 when as a young kid with little $, I met with an older coin collector/dealer in Houston by the name of W. Davis who pulled out an entire roll of 1955 Doubled Die cents in a plastic tube and proceeded to sell me a very nice example for what seemed to be a fortune at the time. This was the last Lincoln penny that I needed to complete my cent collection. To be part of the WI staehood quarter experience in South Texas was truly a lifetime experience. Though the coins are cheap compared to 2005-2006 values, I still think that they have a future as part of the ten year program. Problem is, how long will it take for collectors to feel the need to have them as I felt back in 1961 to complete my Capital Plastics Lincoln cent set ?

Billet7

The first coin I "Bought" was a 1936-S Walker in VF-XF, I paid $5 or $8 I think. I also purchased a handful of Indian Cents and Buffalo Nickels at the time. I believe this was some time in the early nineties. Fast forward to about 2002. The spark is again reignited, perhaps in part by the State Quarter program, but mostly because I started collecting Indian cents by date.

Now I collect Bust and Seated quarters and early copper. I have completed my bust registry set (sans the 1796 and 1823,) and am now in upgrade mode. I am only about 35% complete with my Seated registry set. Early copper consists of Half Cents 1793-1808 (I am missing the 1796, 1802 and 1807) Large Cents I am much further from completion. I'm missing the Wreath, and a number of draped cents. My collection runs into the Classic heads, and I am missing the 1809 in that series.

I like my sets. They are not among the finest, or anywhere near it, but as my taste matures so does my collection. I really focus on original coins, whatever the grade.