"Don't enjoy leaving town unless it has to do with Numismatics"

Greetings Collectors,

A very dear friend who I grew up with, and actually started collecting coins with, called me last week to invite me up to Charleston S.C. to do a day of offshore sport fishing. As I got ready for my Thursday through Saturday mini vacation the excitement was coming and going due to the fact that I would be away from my computer and my coins for several days. I tried to minimize the discomfort by bringing my latest issues of my weekly and monthly coin mags. Still I was aprehensive due to the fact my laptop met an unfortunate early death in a construction accident only last week.

Thoughts of calling and backing out not only entered my mind but were very seriously conteplated. On the other hand, I was borderline disgusted that those thoughts were thought. I realy had a discussion with myself, thinking it sad that coins mean that much to me. Anyway I arrived mid afternoon and the rest of our group trickled in in the late afternoon and early evening.

Once I checked in, one of the first things I did was to look in the yellow pages and check out for local coin shops. I was in N. Charleston/Mt. Pleasant area and while there were at least a half dozen, all but one shop was in the "old city" area of town and with rush hour traffic already starting, I would not have made the shops in time to do any looking, much less buying. I guess my point being, is that I can't even go on vacation for a few days without wanting the trip to revolve around coins. That old "I may have a problem" thought was dancing through my brain.

Anyway I made the trip, caught up with some friends and caught some fish as well. ( landed a 27 pound kingfish and several grouper and snapper) Having said and done all that, I was ready to head back on Sunday.

I had no sooner hit town and then a quick stop for some milk/bread ect. and was back in front of the computer seeing what I couldn't live without on the Sun. pm auctions with Teletrade and Heritage. What I saw was a "sight for sore eyes".

I was able to get two more Mercury dimes from each site. I was really glad to see that they were available and the four were in the "old green holders" 1st generation "PCGS Rattlers". I picked up a 1938-D and a 1939 in MS65 full bands and a 1942 and 1942-D in MS66 full bands. I am now a little over 50% toward completing my Merc. middle date set (34-45) all housed in the old green holders. I have said this before and will say again that NGC is my favorite of the "big two" but I have found that most of the Mercury dimes I have seen in the old green "rattlers" appear to be under-graded in the time these slabs were being used,(1986-1990) Anyway while I enjoyed myself getting away for a spell, it was good to be back doing what I enjoy doing.

Today, Monday has been a good "coin day" so far as well. UPS just delivered a quarter ounce gold eagle that the US mint owed me and one that I have been waiting on for some time and having come home from my trip to a "pink slip" for a missed parcel from Teletrade and just maybe my '07 no-motto Indian will arrive this afternoon when the USPS makes their stop on my lane. Gosh! I just can not begin to express how nice it is to be back. Dorothy was right in that "There's no place like home". Happy Collecting to all! WKF