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The shoe polish tin and the YN: the making of a coin collector
RYK
Posts: 35,789 ✭✭✭✭✭
When I was nine, in 1974, my interest in collecting coins was already waning. I had been at it for about three years, mostly filling albums with coins that my grandmother had saved from circulation in the 1950's and 1960's. Nearly all of these coins were from the 20th century and the rest were from series that bridged the 20th century (IHCs and Barbers). She had her own collection of Morgan dollars, but her big boxes of loose coins, from which we would ladle coins with a coffee mug to fill my Whitman albums on a rainy Saturday afternoon, contained mostly the smaller denominations. I probably spent the first few years of my collection without having a single coin from the 19th century.
Well that changed on one Sunday night when my Aunt came to dinner with a shoe polish tin that looked like this:
In the tin was my father's coin collection, coins that were saved by him in the 1930's and 40's and some coins that his grandfather had given to him and may have been in the family since 1900 or so. My father grew up in a modest environment in the "baddest part of town", and his family would certainly not be confused with the Norwebs! At any rate, he had an interest in coins, as a boy, and my Aunt saved his collection and, knowing of my interest in coins, brought the tin with my father's coins in it to give to me.
In the tin were the following coins:
1853 25c XF (as I called it, but probably choice VF) with a cud and some glue residue
1887 10c VF
1859 IHC VG/F
1895 Morgan dollar, holed, good details
1926-S heavily tarnished Peace dollar in AU/BU
1892 Columbian half XF/AU
1857 FE cent Scudzy F
and a smattering of circulated nondescript walkers, IHCs, buffalo nickels, etc., probably less than 20 coins in total.
I remembered the seven coins listed as they were probably the first of their kind that I had ever seen. I was especially excited about the 1895 Morgan because the Redbook told me that it could be worth $3000 (!), which to a nine year old in 1974 was like saying it was worth $1,000,000. After a little further study, we determined that the 1895 Morgan was really a 95-O Morgan and by the end of the night, I was no longer rich.
That night, I really fell for the seated design and the 19th century connection of the coins, and it probably is largely responsible for me continuing and escalating my interest in coins at least until age 13. I got more heavily interested and engaged in 19th century coins and bought some very nice early copper for my collection (two of which I still own today), as well as my first gold coin, an 1890 quarter eagle. Without that shoe polish tin, there is a very good chance I would have never been the collector I am today (for better or worse).
Whatever happened to the seven coins? I sold the holed Morgan for melt (about $3) in the mid-70's and used the money to purchase the Photograde book. The 1887 dime was either sold by Russ on ebay or given away on the forum several years ago. I gave the FE cent to Russ as a gift. I do not know what happened to the 1926-S Peace dollar, but I think that I sold it as an adolescent when I was scrounging around for cash. The 1892 Columbian half is missing. I am fairly certain that I have seen it in the last ten years, but I am quite sure that I have not seen it in the last five years. It is the only coin that I have ever "lost". Now and then, I think about replacing it.
The 1853 quarter was my favorite of the group and resides in my 7070, along with the 1859 IHC.
Well that changed on one Sunday night when my Aunt came to dinner with a shoe polish tin that looked like this:
In the tin was my father's coin collection, coins that were saved by him in the 1930's and 40's and some coins that his grandfather had given to him and may have been in the family since 1900 or so. My father grew up in a modest environment in the "baddest part of town", and his family would certainly not be confused with the Norwebs! At any rate, he had an interest in coins, as a boy, and my Aunt saved his collection and, knowing of my interest in coins, brought the tin with my father's coins in it to give to me.
In the tin were the following coins:
1853 25c XF (as I called it, but probably choice VF) with a cud and some glue residue
1887 10c VF
1859 IHC VG/F
1895 Morgan dollar, holed, good details
1926-S heavily tarnished Peace dollar in AU/BU
1892 Columbian half XF/AU
1857 FE cent Scudzy F
and a smattering of circulated nondescript walkers, IHCs, buffalo nickels, etc., probably less than 20 coins in total.
I remembered the seven coins listed as they were probably the first of their kind that I had ever seen. I was especially excited about the 1895 Morgan because the Redbook told me that it could be worth $3000 (!), which to a nine year old in 1974 was like saying it was worth $1,000,000. After a little further study, we determined that the 1895 Morgan was really a 95-O Morgan and by the end of the night, I was no longer rich.
That night, I really fell for the seated design and the 19th century connection of the coins, and it probably is largely responsible for me continuing and escalating my interest in coins at least until age 13. I got more heavily interested and engaged in 19th century coins and bought some very nice early copper for my collection (two of which I still own today), as well as my first gold coin, an 1890 quarter eagle. Without that shoe polish tin, there is a very good chance I would have never been the collector I am today (for better or worse).
Whatever happened to the seven coins? I sold the holed Morgan for melt (about $3) in the mid-70's and used the money to purchase the Photograde book. The 1887 dime was either sold by Russ on ebay or given away on the forum several years ago. I gave the FE cent to Russ as a gift. I do not know what happened to the 1926-S Peace dollar, but I think that I sold it as an adolescent when I was scrounging around for cash. The 1892 Columbian half is missing. I am fairly certain that I have seen it in the last ten years, but I am quite sure that I have not seen it in the last five years. It is the only coin that I have ever "lost". Now and then, I think about replacing it.
The 1853 quarter was my favorite of the group and resides in my 7070, along with the 1859 IHC.
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Cheers, RickO
In honor of the memory of Cpl. Michael E. Thompson
My Father's collection was kept in a Dippity-Do jar in the back of our linen closet. I used to take it out periodically and stare at it in amazement, because I could see the white "pennies" in it. I never opened it. My own started in '69 with seven handpicked wheaties from my own change. I kept them in one of those cheesy combination safes on my dresser, convinced that my brothers could never get to them. I would check my Father's change whenever possible and was only permitted to take coins if I replaced them with my own. A "penny" was switched out with one of my own, etc. Good times.
I think what gets YNs started is something similar to what other posters self-disclosed above. Ie., someone turns them onto collecting by showing them some neat old coins they've never seen before, or they stumble onto something and become curious.
When I was a child, it wasn't unusual to find coins in change which the mint had discontinued, which could spark interest in a potential YN. But now, if you find a forty year old nickel, dime or penny, this is not the case. I don't know what floats YNs boats these days. Are state quarters that popular?
Maybe I'm not having a good day, but there is something intangible about a Morgan or Peace Dollar that is lacking in a Susie B or an Ike.
"Seu cabra da peste,
"Sou Mangueira......."
<< <i>Great story, an enjoyable read
I'm glad your posting here and not on the shoe polishing forum!
My memory of when I was nine was when my father brought home some rolls of nickels from the bank
and I found a bunch of liberty nickels and some buffs!
I give away money. I collect money.
I don’t love money . I do love the Lord God.
And it has the compelling impact of crossing into other collectibles
great images to capture the subject- well done
Experience the World through Numismatics...it's more than you can imagine.
that would get you interested again, esp. if it was a business strike.
New collectors, please educate yourself before spending money on coins; there are people who believe that using numismatic knowledge to rip the naïve is what this hobby is all about.
My coins were stored in my sister's Barbie Doll boxes back in the early 60's.
<< <i>Did you ever have to wait a week for a dealer to call you back?
Since you asked, I make an effort not to sweat the small stuff. It's not worth it. If I do not get a call back in a day or two, I call back myself. It's not the end of the world.
I regret selling mine to pay for a house at the beach durring the summer break while in school (amount other things). Actually no I don't, I have always talked about missing it but it was from a long dead relative and more or less all copper and melt.
I generally do not regret selling coins from departed relatives. My memories of times with them is more meaningful than trinkets they have left behind. Eventually, it all gets sold and distributed. The reason for me keeping the 1853 seated quarter was more about the nostalgia for my boyhood collection than it was about the fact it came from my father. Family who gave me coins gave them as gifts and would want me to do whatever I wished with them.
thanks for sharing
Thank you , sir.
<< <i>
I regret selling mine to pay for a house at the beach during the summer break while in school (amount other things). Actually no I don't, I have always talked about missing it but it was from a long dead relative and more or less all copper and melt.
I generally do not regret selling coins from departed relatives. My memories of times with them is more meaningful than trinkets they have left behind. Eventually, it all gets sold and distributed. The reason for me keeping the 1853 seated quarter was more about the nostalgia for my boyhood collection than it was about the fact it came from my father. Family who gave me coins gave them as gifts and would want me to do whatever I wished with them. >>
I totally agree, I guess my part wasn't well enough written. I meant to convey that I didn't have any connection to the original source and that while it was the spark that lit my collecting gene towards coins, the core collection was constructed differently than I chose to do so my self.
I have regurgitated the cliche line about regretting selling so many times, but I realized that I didn't while responding. While poorly written it was a genuine epiphany although I am sure I left some money on the table, while I knew coins, I knew nothing about business.
"Look up, old boy, and see what you get." -William Bonney.
I like those old "holders"
Love the story. Those old memories can never be replaced.
You can still have that child-like curiosity and enthusiasm, it's just a bit harder to do the older we get.
I have long fretted over the missing Columbian half, and when TomB offered one for sale last week, I broke down and ordered it from him. It is a substantial upgrade from the crusty XF/AU example that was in this little collection, but I was happy to purchase it nonetheless.
and it sets us apart from practitioners and consultants. Gregor
For me, it was an old coffee cup of obsolete silver passed from my great grandmother to my dad to me that started me on the collecting road.
I'd spend hours looking at those old coins, sorting them, comparing them to clad money, etc, then bought Coinage magazine, a redbook, etc.
Like you, I've sold most of the pieces along the way (most of the junk silver in 1979), and later bought better examples of the coins.
Liberty: Parent of Science & Industry