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I think we all have one or more coins that stick out in our memory, whether we still own them or not. For me, it's kind of a fun story to tell and I think it would be just as interesting to hear from others, so here goes:
I've actually got two.....First, when I was 7 years old, I was on my way across the field to the woods behind my parent's house. The field had been plowed for planting a few days before, and after a little rain, had dried out. I've always been lucky in finding things, from a large wad of cash in a retail store to muliple gold rings and other valuables, some people are just lucky. I looked down and right in front of me was a penny. Way cool! Another treasure. After getting home later that day, I emptied my pockets and looked over the coin again. It was an 1899 indian cent. The imagery that this coin evoked was incredible- native americans using the coin to buy goods, oh, I had an imagination. Anyway, that single coin started an obsession that is just as bad to this day as it ever has been. I could never get my fill. In school, kids hid and read comic books inside their text books, but mine were coin books, magazines and anything relating to coins. Research projects were always somehow related to coins, even jealous lovers later in life- coins were my first love and always will be.
Second, I was 12 years old, using Ken Potter's cut-out die variety advertisements from COINage magazine as a guide to search for the rarities he offered and depicted. But I looked at everything. I came across a 1965 quarter. It had something weird going on with the motto, showed parts of additional lettering underneath. I was jacked when I took it to my local coin dealer, I was convinced for sure I had discovered an incredible rarity. The dealer patiently explained that "unless it's as strong as the 1955 Doubled Die, it's just spending money". From the eyes of a kid, coin dealers know everything, so spending money it became. A few months later, another dealer loaned me a VHS tape of an ANA presentation and slide show put on by Bill Fivaz an JT Stanton. Captivated, I watched intently. Then, all of a sudden, I saw MY quarter!!!!! This was before the Cherrypicker's Guide, but the coin is now listed as FS-101, a major doubled die. Even back then, Fivaz and Stanton related that is was very valuable, worth $500!! I can't describe what I felt, but from that moment on, I decided to educate myself, not rely on other's views of subjects they may not know much about. For years, die varieties were looked upon as error coins were in the 1950s, as in "Who the heck cares?". Dealers regularly laughed at my pursuit, but the best of them opened up their inventory for my searching. A few years later, I met a local gentleman who was an avid collector of die varieties. He started buying from me and provided me with many reference books. Being 14 years old and having a couple of hundred dollars in your pocket that didn't come from an entire summer of mowing lawns was a pretty special feeling. Die varieties are still my obsession, as they've allowed me to quit working for someone else years ago, have been the only thing to pay my mortgage and allow incredible me freedom of time and choice in my life. I get to be home all the time and watch my boys grow with nobody but myself in control of what I chose to do. What an amazing "hobby"!
I know you've got your own story- sorry mine was so long, but it'll be great to hear other's experiences-
I've actually got two.....First, when I was 7 years old, I was on my way across the field to the woods behind my parent's house. The field had been plowed for planting a few days before, and after a little rain, had dried out. I've always been lucky in finding things, from a large wad of cash in a retail store to muliple gold rings and other valuables, some people are just lucky. I looked down and right in front of me was a penny. Way cool! Another treasure. After getting home later that day, I emptied my pockets and looked over the coin again. It was an 1899 indian cent. The imagery that this coin evoked was incredible- native americans using the coin to buy goods, oh, I had an imagination. Anyway, that single coin started an obsession that is just as bad to this day as it ever has been. I could never get my fill. In school, kids hid and read comic books inside their text books, but mine were coin books, magazines and anything relating to coins. Research projects were always somehow related to coins, even jealous lovers later in life- coins were my first love and always will be.
Second, I was 12 years old, using Ken Potter's cut-out die variety advertisements from COINage magazine as a guide to search for the rarities he offered and depicted. But I looked at everything. I came across a 1965 quarter. It had something weird going on with the motto, showed parts of additional lettering underneath. I was jacked when I took it to my local coin dealer, I was convinced for sure I had discovered an incredible rarity. The dealer patiently explained that "unless it's as strong as the 1955 Doubled Die, it's just spending money". From the eyes of a kid, coin dealers know everything, so spending money it became. A few months later, another dealer loaned me a VHS tape of an ANA presentation and slide show put on by Bill Fivaz an JT Stanton. Captivated, I watched intently. Then, all of a sudden, I saw MY quarter!!!!! This was before the Cherrypicker's Guide, but the coin is now listed as FS-101, a major doubled die. Even back then, Fivaz and Stanton related that is was very valuable, worth $500!! I can't describe what I felt, but from that moment on, I decided to educate myself, not rely on other's views of subjects they may not know much about. For years, die varieties were looked upon as error coins were in the 1950s, as in "Who the heck cares?". Dealers regularly laughed at my pursuit, but the best of them opened up their inventory for my searching. A few years later, I met a local gentleman who was an avid collector of die varieties. He started buying from me and provided me with many reference books. Being 14 years old and having a couple of hundred dollars in your pocket that didn't come from an entire summer of mowing lawns was a pretty special feeling. Die varieties are still my obsession, as they've allowed me to quit working for someone else years ago, have been the only thing to pay my mortgage and allow incredible me freedom of time and choice in my life. I get to be home all the time and watch my boys grow with nobody but myself in control of what I chose to do. What an amazing "hobby"!
I know you've got your own story- sorry mine was so long, but it'll be great to hear other's experiences-
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