
A Priceless Morgan Dollar
I was inspired to write a “how I got started in collecting” post by iccoins’s cool blog on this subject.
Unfortunately, it’s a little hazy in my mind as to how it all started for me... Was it when I started finding Buffalo Nickels and Mercury Dimes in change and wondered about them? That’s probably how the seed was planted, but I have so many other great early memories as well, like starting a circulated set of Lincoln Cents with my best friend, and in the process meeting a helpful local dealer who taught us a lot. And I’ll never forget the hours we spent stuffing our new treasures into Whitman folders at his mom’s kitchen table. And, of course, all this lead me to voraciously read everything about coins I could get my hands on. I’ve put my numismatic endeavors on the back burner now and then over the years as life unfolded, but I’ve found that, for me, once the spark was struck, it has never really gone out.
But it was this 1878 7TF EF Morgan Dollar, a gift from my grandfather, that I will always be the most proud of. It was a coin I hadn’t even known existed. One Saturday afternoon, while pouring over his box of circulated Roosevelt Dimes one more time, he handed the silver dollar to me. He told me it was special, he’d had it for years, and that he knew he could trust me to take good care of it. I’ve treasured it since that day. I’ve since owned much rarer and more valuable coins, but I could never put a price on this one.
Maybe this is when it truly started for me, when this special man taught me that we’re really just caretakers of what we collect, and must preserve them for the next collector to learn from and appreciate.
Comments
Big Nub Numismatics
Level 5
Coins from fail members always seem to be the most valuable. I will never sell anything my family gave to me as a gift.
"SUN"
Level 6
It is not when and how you started. It is that you still enjoy the hobby.
Longstrider
Level 6
Very nice. I also have a similar story. Good old Grandpa. Thanks
Kepi
Level 6
Your blog really touched my heart, as it was my Grandpa who got me interested in collecting too. He had boxes of old coins and exonumia that I looked through again and again. Thanks for sharing your story.
CoinLady
Level 6
I enjoy stories like this. I started w/a 1921 Morgan $1 and a 1922 Peace $1.
Mike
Level 7
Great story I love hearing how we all got started. There all great. Family, grandfathers,parents, friends there are great stories. Now we add yours to the great start of the hobby. Keep them coming good blog Mike.
FortWorthCollector
Level 4
That was a great blog post . I think a lot of us got a similar start.