It's a small world sometimes.

I don't know if I've ever mentioned/discussed this before -- looking back I don't think I have. If I have I'll apologize to anyone I bore but this came to mind when I was looking through the registry today...

The 1932 mint set that I built with my step-father, several years ago now, has enjoyed several years at the top of the NGC registry rankings. Before we built our set another set had dominated the category for 3 years. You can still see Penny Man's set in the registry if you're interested - it's a nice one.

The year we were building the set, (2008, I think) my step-father and I went to a coin show in College Station over the summer to see what we could find. While we were there we met this great old guy that was also shopping around - who just happened to be Penny Man. It was shocking - bordering on bizarre - to go to a coin show and randomly meet the guy that owns the set you were hoping to compete against face-to-face. He seemed like a great old guy and looked to be only somewhat older than my step-father.

He actually had the quarters that are the backbone of his set with him at the show and let me look at them. This isn't to say he had any interest in selling them but he let me look at them!

Of course, as gloriously awkward and clumsy as I was at that moment (and honestly still am if I'm being honest) I accidentally dropped one of them when he tried to hand it to me. I think it was the 1932-D quarter. I think we all got a laugh out of that one even though I was horribly embarrassed - The joys of slabbed coins and soft carpet.

That was the same day we bought the MS66 1932 quarter for our set (from someone else at the show).

It's such a strange thing to think about now - several years later - and a really cool part of the history that that set that I'm surprised I almost forgot. It's such a small world some days.

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