40 years ago, I was 11 and in sixth grade, and had just been elected student president of Los Alamitos elementary school in Almaden Valley, California.
An avid coin collector, my dad would take me on Saturdays to the San Jose Coin Shop to work on my type set. I'd sell some junk silver my grandpa had saved from circulation and buy 19th century coins. Got my 1st half cent and 2 and 3 cent pieces there.
Video games were still in the Pong stage, and wouldn't have my 10 speed bike for another year (giving access to the local malls) so coins were my main expense.
A wonderful time, while it lasted. A year later, I'd put my coins away for a couple decades..
Great story Tom, and a great legacy.
As someone who was there at the start of another wave of the grading revolution, the work created by ANACS is recognized as seminal.
"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." - Geo. Orwell
When Tom left Coin World, I was still his assistant in the Clearinghouse department. Margo Russell, the editor, asked me whether I wanted to assume his place as Clearinghouse editor or whether I wished to focus more on news writing. While I enjoyed those first two years working my way through the baskets full of unanswered Clearinghouse correspondence, and had learned a lot from Tom, I was more ambitious and told Margo that I wanted to focus more on news writing. She named Marilyn Tiernan the Clearinghouse editor and I moved out into the newsroom. I began writing more news, began covering numismatic hearings in Congress in Washington (remember when they still conducted those) and other news events elsewhere, and became the assistant to the news editor, Fred Reed, taking over his duties as chief copy editor in his absence and serving in the same role when Beth Deisher was named news editor when Fred left. Over the years I gradually worked my way up the editorial ladder to the position I hold today. In many ways, Tom's departure opened a door for me that I eagerly walked through. Thanks, Tom.
William T. Gibbs
@William said:
When Tom left Coin World, I was still his assistant in the Clearinghouse department. Margo Russell, the editor, asked me whether I wanted to assume his place as Clearinghouse editor or whether I wished to focus more on news writing. While I enjoyed those first two years working my way through the baskets full of unanswered Clearinghouse correspondence, and had learned a lot from Tom, I was more ambitious and told Margo that I wanted to focus more on news writing. She named Marilyn Tiernan the Clearinghouse editor and I moved out into the newsroom. I began writing more news, began covering numismatic hearings in Congress in Washington (remember when they still conducted those) and other news events elsewhere, and became the assistant to the news editor, Fred Reed, taking over his duties as chief copy editor in his absence and serving in the same role when Beth Deisher was named news editor when Fred left. Over the years I gradually worked my way up the editorial ladder to the position I hold today. In many ways, Tom's departure opened a door for me that I eagerly walked through. Thanks, Tom.
William T. Gibbs
Surely you are welcome!
Numismatist. 50 year member ANA. Winner of four ANA Heath Literary Awards; three Wayte and Olga Raymond Literary Awards; Numismatist of the Year Award 2009, and Lifetime Achievement Award 2020. Winner numerous NLG Literary Awards.
Comments
40 years ago, I was 11 and in sixth grade, and had just been elected student president of Los Alamitos elementary school in Almaden Valley, California.
An avid coin collector, my dad would take me on Saturdays to the San Jose Coin Shop to work on my type set. I'd sell some junk silver my grandpa had saved from circulation and buy 19th century coins. Got my 1st half cent and 2 and 3 cent pieces there.
Video games were still in the Pong stage, and wouldn't have my 10 speed bike for another year (giving access to the local malls) so coins were my main expense.
A wonderful time, while it lasted. A year later, I'd put my coins away for a couple decades..
Liberty: Parent of Science & Industry
Great story!
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Great story Tom, and a great legacy.
As someone who was there at the start of another wave of the grading revolution, the work created by ANACS is recognized as seminal.
When Tom left Coin World, I was still his assistant in the Clearinghouse department. Margo Russell, the editor, asked me whether I wanted to assume his place as Clearinghouse editor or whether I wished to focus more on news writing. While I enjoyed those first two years working my way through the baskets full of unanswered Clearinghouse correspondence, and had learned a lot from Tom, I was more ambitious and told Margo that I wanted to focus more on news writing. She named Marilyn Tiernan the Clearinghouse editor and I moved out into the newsroom. I began writing more news, began covering numismatic hearings in Congress in Washington (remember when they still conducted those) and other news events elsewhere, and became the assistant to the news editor, Fred Reed, taking over his duties as chief copy editor in his absence and serving in the same role when Beth Deisher was named news editor when Fred left. Over the years I gradually worked my way up the editorial ladder to the position I hold today. In many ways, Tom's departure opened a door for me that I eagerly walked through. Thanks, Tom.
William T. Gibbs
Surely you are welcome!
My parents were 8.......