Since you started collecting, how many times have ...

OchoReales · May 8, 2009 10:06PM

your collecting interests changed. Minors to Crowns, a change in country or time period or even a more narrow/broad focus on your particular area. I'll start by saying that, money permitting in the future, I'd like to branch out to all of South America from my current position of Bolivia. I've already decided to include 1813/1815 Rio de la Plata issues (Argentina) and 1836-39 North and South Peru issues (when Bolivia was part of the short lived Confederacy that was designed by General Sucre of Bolivia).

Let's really get this thread going. It seems kinda dead around here, so let's really share and enlighten others about what goes on in our numismatically driven heads!

Gary

satootoko · May 9, 2009 12:35AM

This should be an interesting topic.

Like most Americans I started by collecting pocket change, especially Walking Liberty halves, which was a real luxury when I was earning 35¢ an hour at a part-time job. (I'm not going to say how many decades have passed since then.)

At various times over the years I

Added Japanese coinage

Restricted Japanese coinage to post-1866 milled coinage

Added Japanese-dominated Chinese and Korean coinage

Added currency from places I've been

Completed my Walker collection and reverted to circulation-only for additions to my US collection

Decided to ignore Heisei era Japanese coinage (1989-on)which brings us up-to-date, when I collect Japanese coins minted from Meiji 3 to Showa 64 (1867-January, 1989), circulated US clads, and paper money from countries I've visited.

Of course, I've never sold the results of my dropped interests, so the safe contains a quantity of items I no longer actively collect.

WWW · May 9, 2009 1:03AM

I'm trying to narrow it down to Latin America, and just when I think I am focused on that, along comes something pretty from Canada or Europe.
It took a lot of willpower to recently pass on some sweet looking Basel City Views, but I did it and look forward to spending the money saved there
on some more coins from Latin America. I really like the silver crowns, and the gold; Fugetaboutit, simply stunning works. And there are some interesting
looking copper issues as well. Here is a provisional piece from Peru that I recently acquired. I love the design elements of the reverse and the obverse
has some die polish marks that look like they were created by someone using a steel brush. Exactly the kind of coin that rocks my numismatic world.

WorldTypeSet · May 9, 2009 1:05AM

Once. Started out with Canadian nickels ... then got discouraged when I found I was chasing holes and only looking for upgrades.

Switched to World coins (anything goes), and am really enjoying it.

theboz11 · May 9, 2009 1:12AM

I'd have to say at least three time. I started with US gold, and went into my world lions on coins with my smaller side theme collections, then into medals of Lions and Victoria. Don't seem to go back as often to the earlier collections as I progress.

My most recent purchases lead me to believe that my collecting may take me into other directions now that my others have grown and new quality material gets scares.

ajaan · May 9, 2009 1:19AM

Many

cacheman · May 9, 2009 2:27AM

Four

1) A 'cache' (cacheman) of Morgan dollars were left by the parents and I started there until I saw 11,000 Morgan auctions on ebay at one time...pfftttt.

2) Switched to large British crowns and actually had three gothics at one point. Got royally screwed by a self-proclaimed ethical dealer so I sold everything...pffttt

3) Collected Cityview talers (German and Swiss) and while using the German reference book saw a Ron Guth advertisement that had "The Black Shame" medal shown so I sold the talers...pffttt

4) I began collecting Goetz and other Munich Schooler medals just about five years ago and haven't looked back.

This has all taken place between July 2002 and now. Before that, I was normal.

harasha · May 9, 2009 2:42AM

Gee, a simple question. Not!

1. From childhood to early adolescence - Lincoln pennies
2. Adolescence to early twenties - ancients; mostly Roman imperial
3. Civil War tokens and Hard Time tokens
4. World banknotes with vignettes that I found attractive; spun off a bit into notgeld
5. US Type coins led to quarters led to Barber quarters and half dollars
6. British crowns, attempting one of each monarch from Henry VIII (only got as far as a Henry VIII testoon and an Elizabeth I half pound)
7. Latin American crowns led to Brazilian crowns
8. damn, I can't afford this stuff anymore and now I collect art medals; beauty on a budget!

bosox · May 9, 2009 2:57AM

Started by collecting Canadian pocket change as a small boy growing up in Maine. In the 1960's greyside coins circulated readily in Maine.

Gave up collecting when I went to college.

Started collecting again, both liteside and greyside, in the early 1980's.

Stopped collecting in the mid-1980's when the kids starting arriving. No money.

Started collecting liteside again again around 1998. Completed a Buffalo nickel date set. Still have it. Sold the rest of the liteside. Kept the greyside stuff I had.

Only one kid left in the house. More money available. Got back into greyside again in 2004 in a pretty big way and haven't looked back. Completed a Canada, Newfoundland, Maritime decimal bronze date set, with varieties.

Around 2005 I started a collection of WWII coinage as a side interest. Now have an pretty good collection of occupied country, government-in-exile, and defunct country coinage from that era (try to find high grade zinc coins without corrosion).

It is a great hobby. I especially love the historical connections.

WWW · May 9, 2009 3:33AM

Before that, I was normal. Yeah, right.

BTW: I was fortunate enough to buy one of Scott's Basel City Views when he switched up to Goetz.

Syracusian · May 9, 2009 4:51AM

<< <i>Once. Started out with Canadian nickels ... then got discouraged when I found I was chasing holes and only looking for upgrades.

Switched to World coins (anything goes), and am really enjoying it. >>

This covers me too.

davidrj · May 9, 2009 5:05AM

I started out with UK pennies, then Commonwealth pennies, now any bronze copper in the range 28-32mm, though I have boxes of other stuff I've accumulated when buying mixed lots, plus stuff I've bought just cos it was pretty or took my fancy at the time

Really must have a clearout when I retire, become an ebay seller perhaps

Iosephus · May 9, 2009 12:16PM

A general view of my collecting over the last 4 or so years:

> Started collecting Vatican coins and medals, followed soon by earlier papal coins and medals

> Decided that coins are too pricey and not as artistic/historical as medals; changed focus to medals only

> Discovered so-called dollars, started collecting them

> Discovered U.S. Mint medals, started collecting them

> Realized the SCDs were (generally) not as artistic/historical as the U.S. Mint medals and there was too much emphasis on slabbing and 1-point differences; stopped collecting them

> Became interested in general Renaissance and Baroque Italian medals

> Still intereseted, but decided there's too much to try and collect; reverted back to just papal medals (plus U.S. Mint medals)

> Currently (past few weeks) decided to focus the papal medals collection on just the Renaissance and Baroque eras, currently selling later (19th century - present) medals

mudskippie · May 9, 2009 12:22PM

I started collecting US coins, then I started venturing to the darkside, then boom I was hooked and these world dealers kept reeling me in!

farthing · May 9, 2009 1:30PM

For my primary focus I've moved from UK minors 1806 to present with a focus on farthings to UK tokens 1787-the very early 1800's

Not much of a change time-wise but a world of difference in history!

wybrit · May 9, 2009 2:27PM

Zero. Started with British coins growing up there and still collect them.

I have been latching on to SA farthings recently, because I like the blackened pieces.

FilamCoins · May 9, 2009 3:07PM

Hong Kong when I lived there for 3 years, Philippines when I lived there for 5 years, and now that I'm back in the States, U.S. Type. Will also occasionally buy high-grade world coins with great eye appeal (clad, silver or gold).

Sapyx · May 9, 2009 3:59PM

Mine have never really changed. I collected "everything I could afford" as a kid, and I still do. Perhaps in the last 10 years or so, I'm less interested in banknotes and more interested in tokens and medals, but that's about it.

sumnom · May 9, 2009 6:35PM

My interests have changed many times. In fact, they continue to change. I tend to work on one are for a while and then put it down, sometimes for years, and then go back to it.

OchoReales · May 10, 2009 9:18AM

I started out at age 11 with XF (AU by today's standards) Indian Cents - 1973.

I never did do much with the set until 1992 when I built an entire FE/Indian set in XF/AU (minus the 1856) in a year and a half!

In the late 1980's, I started collecting HRE coinage (almost entirely Austria) but never did anything more than accumulate.
I still have the minors and they are all UNC. I'm sure that I will be selling them one day soon to help finance my 2004 to date endeavor- Bolivia.

I was a full time Florida dealer from 1991-2000 and my inventory was my revolving collection of sorts.

Starting in the early 1990's, I began building a set of Palestine Mandate. I now have a complete UNC set. I did complete a type set of 500 Mils, 1, 5 and 10 Pound Palestine Currency Board and Anglo Palestine (1948) Bank notes (most from Bill Rosenblum's father's personal collection). Unfortunately, the early 1990's were tough on me (divorce) and I had to part with the eight high grade (Ch XF to UNC) notes. Still, one of my biggest regrets. One day...

I began collecting ANA badges/ribbons a few years back and have purchased some very early ones (1920's) as well. I'm probably 1/2 way complete and also started buying the ANA 2 and 3 piece medal sets from 1963 to date (just missing a few of the later ones). I buy both as they become available.

Along the way (1990's to date), I have accumulated many US items including a full UNC Wash 25c, Gem UNC and Proof Roosie 10c, UNC Frankie 50c set, UNC and Proof Kennedy 50c set and UNC and Proof SBA $1 set (all for my 4 yo son).

I've made and sold some of the rarest VAM's including the 1926 S Dot reverse in MS65 and MS64 (both PCGS), 1923 Tail on O, late die state in PCGS MS64 and early die state in NGC MS63 and the 1902 O Vam 26A in PCGS MS65 (all finest known at the time). I made the finest known 1926 S SLQ Tear Drop variety (MS63). It currently resides in my good friend Jay Cline's personal collection! I also made an 1897 1 in neck Indian Cent in NGC MS65BN and PCGS MS64RB (sold by B&M in Baltimore 2007). I also own over 100 more, that's right, 100 '97 1's in neck. I guess that, for a time, I was a variety collector of US!

Gary

PS. I'm sticking with Bolivia and the rest of the Spanish New World (eventually).

rec78 · May 10, 2009 4:51PM

TOO Many-I started out with Lincoln cents in 1958 when i was 7. About every two years i moved, to jeffs then roosevelts then washingtons then Franklins. In the 1970's i was into Morgans and bust halves and to a limited extent seated halves. In 1979 I sold my morgan set to get a down payment for a house.
Along came 1980 and the prices were so high for even run of the mill circulated silver coins that i went to the darkside and started many collections-British, Canadian, Mexican, Australian. At one time i collected condor tokens, world paper money, national bank notes, civil war tokens and hard times tokens, even sports cards, postcards, comic books and old records, Jukeboxes and pinball machines. When prices came back down i got back into liberty seated halves, then quarters, now dimes. I have collected almost every US series except gold and half-dimes and bust dollars. (I do collect half-dimes to a very limited extent-they may be my next quest.) I sold off most of my National bank notes and civil war tokens. I got into ancients about 2001. I am currently collecting Phillippines (1903-1945), Chile 1851-1941, Russia 1860-date, South Africa.I gotta be nuts.
Fortunately I never saw a reason to purchase rolls of modern coins in the 1960's-one coin was, and still is, enough for me, so i missed that craze, and also the silver bar craze was not for me-I just did'nt get it. Bob

IloiloKano · May 11, 2009 2:08AM

First as a kid, Lincoln Wheat Cents - I once found a 1919 cent, which was tossed by a school bus rider in 1970, along with other pennies, during a bit of horseplay.
Then Indian Heads, then War-Time Silver Nickes and Buffalo Nickles, then Mercury Dimes and V Nickles, then just about anything US that I could find.
Then I stopped collecting for a couple of decades, followed by multiple spurts of activity, (thinking that I might at least complete one set eventually).

Finally in 1999, I switched to solely US-Philippines (1903-1945), when I married a Filipina, and I finally found something I could stick with.

The only modification of my collecting of the latter was when I decided to focus only on high grade items about 4 years ago, and most recently when I decided to focus on completing (or almost completing) a respectable collection of the bronze issues, before venturing to concentrate on another of the minor issues. I'll probably begin focusing on Five Centavos sometime in the next 2 or 3 years, but I will always consider opportunities to pick up nice US-Philippines issues of any denomination, if given the opportunity at a good price, and if my budget allows.

TwoKopeiki · May 11, 2009 3:43AM

I think I've stuck with the original focus of 8 Reales (Mexican War of Independance issues was just narrowing it down more) since I started collecting. Not to say that I don't own quite a few examples of other series, but it would have to be a pretty amazing piece for me to spend money on it at this point.

Speaking of which, anyone knows where I can find a nice profile eagle in VF-XF for under a grand?

garsmith · May 11, 2009 12:52PM

Hmmm, well lets see I started with stamps age 10 until 18, to busy with school for anything else age 18 to 22, went to casino dollars age 22 to 36 and been at US and world coins for 10 years now.

Since you started collecting, how many times have ...

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