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What year did you start collecting/stacking coins?

CoinHoarderCoinHoarder Posts: 2,705 ✭✭✭✭✭

I started around 1964 or 1965.

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  • johnny9434johnny9434 Posts: 31,888 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Around 1972 with what's went to canadian and went to American coun with the bi Centennial. My uncle gor me started with Canadian to help get my feet wet, the rest is history

  • alefzeroalefzero Posts: 1,168 ✭✭✭✭✭

    1967 or so, seriously around 1970

  • CopperindianCopperindian Posts: 3,105 ✭✭✭✭✭

    1960

    “The thrill of the hunt never gets old”

    PCGS Registry: Screaming Eagles
    Copperindian
    Copperindian II
    Indy Eagles
    Gold Rush

    Retired sets: Soaring Eagles
    Copperindian
    Nickelodeon
    Early Walkers

    Successful transactions: redraider, winesteven, renomedphys, splitaces, oreville, ajaan, Cent1225, onlyroosies, justindan, blitzdude, DesertMoon, johnnyb, Heubschgold, SunshineRareCoins, ParadimeCoins, ndeagles, Southern_Knights, pcgsregistrycollector

  • 1966

    My first coin was a 1864 2 Cent Piece Large Motto. I still have it.

  • mbr33mbr33 Posts: 463 ✭✭✭✭

    1984

  • oldabeintxoldabeintx Posts: 2,960 ✭✭✭✭✭

    About 1953/4. Cents, nickels, dimes in Whitman folders. Ruined a lot of coins.

  • GuzziSportGuzziSport Posts: 543 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @oldabeintx said:
    About 1953/4. Cents, nickels, dimes in Whitman folders. Ruined a lot of coins.

    About 1970, and I too ruined a lot of coins with baking soda, etc…. Funny to think about how often those ruined coins subsequently changed hands, were they able to avoid being melted, and are they still to be found in flea market junk boxes to this day.

    Other passions include golf, Moto Guzzi motorcycles, and Euro motorcycles in general.
    Chris

  • logger7logger7 Posts: 9,594 ✭✭✭✭✭

    The late 1990s, I was looking for an alternative to paper "investments". I started with older Euro bullion coins and silver eagles and maples.

  • SanctionIISanctionII Posts: 12,915 ✭✭✭✭✭

    1963

  • goldengolden Posts: 10,439 ✭✭✭✭✭

    February 1961.

  • WCCWCC Posts: 3,190 ✭✭✭✭✭

    1975 but consistently since 1998.

  • acelmacelm Posts: 15

    2018 after finding the YouTube channel RobFindsTreasure. Started attending clubs/shows in 2021.

  • JJMJJM Posts: 8,127 ✭✭✭✭✭

    1970-1980 stopped, 2005- present big time

    👍BST's erickso1,cone10,MICHAELDIXON,TennesseeDave,p8nt,jmdm1194,RWW,robkool,Ahrensdad,Timbuk3,Downtown1974,bigjpst,mustanggt,Yorkshireman,idratherbgardening,SurfinxHI,derryb,masscrew,Walkerguy21D,MJ1927,sniocsu,Coll3tor,doubleeagle07,luciobar1980,PerryHall,SNMAM,mbcoin,liefgold,keyman64,maprince230,TorinoCobra71,RB1026,Weiss,LukeMarshall,Wingsrule,Silveryfire, pointfivezero,IKE1964,AL410, Tdec1000, AnkurJ,guitarwes,Type2,Bp777,jfoot113,JWP,mattniss,dantheman984,jclovescoins,Collectorcoins,Weather11am,Namvet69,kansasman,Bruce7789,ADG,Larrob37,Waverly, justindan
  • BruceSBruceS Posts: 1,438 ✭✭✭✭✭

    1999, if buying junk silver counts.

    eBay ID-bruceshort978
    Successful BST:here and ATS, bumanchu, wdrob, hashtag, KeeNoooo, mikej61, Yonico, Meltdown, BAJJERFAN, Excaliber, lordmarcovan, cucamongacoin, robkool, bradyc, tonedcointrader, mumu, Windycity, astrotrain, tizofthe, overdate, rwyarmch, mkman123, Timbuk3,GBurger717, airplanenut, coinkid855 ,illini420, michaeldixon, Weiss, Morpheus, Deepcoin, Collectorcoins, AUandAG, D.Schwager, blu62vette,
  • dunkleosteus430dunkleosteus430 Posts: 509 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited June 2, 2026 3:17PM

    @acelm said:
    2018 after finding the YouTube channel RobFindsTreasure. Started attending clubs/shows in 2021.

    I love Rob! Learned a lot from him as a YN.

  • RiveraFamilyCollectRiveraFamilyCollect Posts: 848 ✭✭✭✭

    2017 went full send on a Krug when wall street bets were taking down hedge funds.

    Llamas and alpacas are camels. They aren't like camels, or related. They are camels. When was anyone going to tell me this?! How long had Bill Nye been holding out on us?

  • PerryHallPerryHall Posts: 47,481 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I started collecting coins as a young kid in the mid-1950s. I still remember when my elementary school displayed a large poster on the wall in the lobby announcing the new Lincoln cent with the Lincoln Memorial on the reverse showing a large picture of the new reverse design.

    Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
    "Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
    "Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire

  • PeakRaritiesPeakRarities Posts: 4,818 ✭✭✭✭✭

    In a serious capacity - 2021

    Founder- Peak Rarities
    Website
    Instagram
    Facebook

  • WalkerfanWalkerfan Posts: 10,237 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited June 3, 2026 2:46PM

    Collected raw coins, since I was a kid, on and off again. 1993 was the year that I fell in love with the Walker and became completely enamored with the early dates. Got serious, joined the registry and started collecting certified only (PCGS and NGC) in 2005. I’ve been pretty consistent ever since then. Have branched out into other series within the last 7 or 8 years.

    Sometimes, it’s better to be LUCKY than good. 🍀 🍺👍

    My Full Walker Registry Set (1916-1947):

    https://www.ngccoin.com/registry/competitive-sets/16292/

  • BJandTundraBJandTundra Posts: 395 ✭✭✭✭

    1955

  • mirabelamirabela Posts: 5,196 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited June 2, 2026 7:42PM

    1979-1980, third grade. Got mostly away from it ~1988 to 2003, though I tuned in enough to sell some things in early 1994 as a penniless college grad trying to get launched. I've been at it pretty steadily ever since coming back, though.

    mirabela
  • Matt04Matt04 Posts: 465 ✭✭✭

    2012 when I was 8 years old!

  • OnlyGoldIsMoneyOnlyGoldIsMoney Posts: 3,541 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Three times with long periods of inactivity. First time 1962, Second time 1972 and Third Time 2003.

  • cladkingcladking Posts: 29,888 ✭✭✭✭✭

    1957.

    My dad said I could make a collection out of his pocket change but all my older brothers had first crack at the cents so I collected buffalos. Believe it or not I sold it at a profit in 1968 when I decided girls were even more fun than pocket change. I started up again in 1972 when I had a real job and read that the mint and FED were switching to FIFO accounting and would begin rotating their coin stocks. I knew exactly what effect this would have on all the survival curves of coins that weren't even being looked at by coin collectors much less actually collected.

    tempus fugit extra philosophiam.
  • pursuitoflibertypursuitofliberty Posts: 7,795 ✭✭✭✭✭

    If you don't count 1974/5 before baseball, guitars ... and girls ... and all the things that start to happen after about the 5th grade ... B)

    I really started collecting in 1987 when I was in the USN. I have had multi-year streaks where I was involved, and a few multi-year times where I wasn't and was very much involved in other things (family, business, other hobbies).

    My current reiteration started up again right before COVID (like about a month before the "shutdown"). FWIW, I still worked full-time in-person throughout COVID, so the way it affected me was probably different than some. Anyway, right before, after a dinner helping an old girlfriend's Stepfather sorting and considering his collection, I caught the fever all over again and started reading about coins and currency, and going through my collection for the first time in about 7 years.


    “We are only their care-takers,” he posed, “if we take good care of them, then centuries from now they may still be here … ”

    Todd - BHNC #242
  • EbeneezerEbeneezer Posts: 401 ✭✭✭
    1. And never looked back. Still have every coin to boot.
  • CoinHoarderCoinHoarder Posts: 2,705 ✭✭✭✭✭

    A lot of interesting history here! :)

  • silverpopsilverpop Posts: 6,915 ✭✭✭✭✭

    2003

    Common silver graded coins for sale
    https://photos.app.goo.gl/Yn81Skb1LoKSgqDPA

  • ShurkeShurke Posts: 759 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Started with pocket change and blue Whitman folders sometime in the late 80s.

    Around 2020 I started collecting in a more serious and focused manner.

  • WildWestHalfDollarsWildWestHalfDollars Posts: 6,989 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited June 2, 2026 7:15PM

    Mid 1990's up to 2008 then stopped for a while and changed directions twice until now were I seem happy with my goals.

    Liberty Seated Half Dollars (lower circulated grades)

  • ShaunBC5ShaunBC5 Posts: 1,929 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Around 1993. War year Merc dimes and Proof Franklins. Now I buy what I feel like at that moment, but last one just happened to be a 42/1 Merc in VF35.

  • CommemDudeCommemDude Posts: 2,428 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Around 1960...I still remember the first edition of Coin World that excited me when it came out that year.

    My grandfather was a brick mason from Italy who built cobblestone streets in our town and had found a few hundred Indian Head pennies in sewers, that sparked my initial interest in old coins.

    Dr Mikey
    Commems and Early Type
  • coastaljerseyguycoastaljerseyguy Posts: 2,054 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Excluding penny collecting as a youngster, started collecting Morgans in 2004. Was a great time to buy on EBAY, some great deals were made and the older holders were plentiful without a premium.

  • CoinscratchCoinscratch Posts: 10,831 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I started hunting Lincoln’s in 2017 then moved on to making moderns, but I didn’t actually start buying coins to collect until last year.

  • pcgsregistrycollectorpcgsregistrycollector Posts: 2,302 ✭✭✭✭✭

    2020 lol newbie here

    Proud follower of Christ! I love the USA! Land of the Bright and Beautiful! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

  • stawickstawick Posts: 531 ✭✭✭✭

    A smattering of stuff pre-1976 when I was a kid, like Indian Head cents, buff nickels, wheat cents, got a few standing liberty quarters and the like. Back when they were selling in the jewelry section of dept stores. Too young to have a job, but dropped allowance $ on some of this. Nothing in that great of a condition.
    I do have about 20 or so misc 19th century coins I'd like to send in for grading. Most not really worth it tho.

    Then the Bicentennial silver proof coins in 1976 (10-11 years old) got me hooked on modern proofs, and havent looked back. So shiney!!! lol

  • relicsncoinsrelicsncoins Posts: 8,269 ✭✭✭✭✭
    1. I was seven years old and my Grandma gave me a 1977 Red Book.
    Need a Barber Half with ANACS photo certificate. If you have one for sale please PM me. Current Ebay auctions
  • 1966 or 67; not exactly sure, I was 5 or 6 years old. We were at my grandmother's cafe in Beloit KS, she gave me a Roi-Tan cigar box with a ballpoint pen, some paperclips, a few used stamps she had cut off that she thought looked neat, some wheaties and a Franklin. I don't remember the date/mint as I got several more over the years from her and it was mixed in, but I still have them. I had the cigar box for a couple of decades, but it eventually just fell apart.

  • dunkleosteus430dunkleosteus430 Posts: 509 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I was maybe 5 or 6 years old and visiting my uncle. One of his cows threw me against the fence while we were brushing it and I cried for a bit. My uncle gave me a Sacagawea dollar to help cheer me up, and ever since then I've been hooked.

  • JBNJBN Posts: 1,974 ✭✭✭✭✭
    1. Searching cent rolls for my album. Started saving all wheatstalks in 1968.
  • ambro51ambro51 Posts: 14,334 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited June 4, 2026 9:35AM

    Really excited when I got my First Memorial cent!

  • JimTylerJimTyler Posts: 4,039 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited June 4, 2026 10:45AM

    Early 60’s from change. Took me a couple decades to realize you could buy coins.

  • CuprinkorCuprinkor Posts: 375 ✭✭✭

    I claim February 1969.

  • jacrispiesjacrispies Posts: 1,484 ✭✭✭✭✭

    December 2019. Found my Dad's 20th century type album from his boy scout era and the rest was history. Had $1,000 from my grocery store job and began to flip coin collections to add to my stash.

    Earlier, I had a stint of coin roll hunting as a middle schooler. I had $42 cash that I bought rolls of nickels with at the bank. Until one day someone broke into my Dad's car and stole the $42 from the glovebox.

    "But seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you" Matthew 6:33. Young fellow suffering from Bust Half fever.
    BHNC #AN-10
    JRCS #1606

  • Glen2022Glen2022 Posts: 1,003 ✭✭✭✭

    I started probably in 1956 or 1957. I had a friend who was collecting coins and had a quite extensive collection. One thing he showed me was a lettered edge 1800's half-dollar. I thought that was the coolest thing since sliced bread. I don't know where he got his money but he did have some rather nice coins. I also had a couple of neighbors who had quite extensive collections. One in particular would take me to the local coin club one time per month. Most of my acquisitions were from circulation as I had a paper route and had to make collections from the customers. I did buy a few coins from dealers or the auction at the local coin club. Pretty much stopped while in high school, girls, sports, etc., and also in college for the same reasons. After college, joined the Coast Guard, active duty, marriage, kids and the job also got in the way. Periodically since then, off and on, have been involved.

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