As most of us in the hobby know, once bitten it gets in your blood. Talk about going Viral!

Most of the collectors I have met have one thing in common--we started as kids and never outgrew our love for the hobby. To bad that the coins of that era were worth more keeping than the new editions, for if we knew that, we would have never parted with a single dime. We took silver for granted. Well, those days are gone, and when I compare the prices in my "Stars and Stripes" newstand Whitman blue coin book, so are those prices. But today's coins in spite of thier lower metal value still present quite a few challenges. Like I never thought that I would not be able to get a 2009 nickel or dime out of circulation. I grew up as an Air Force brat, and part of the education I got was learning the new money I was having to spend in different bases around the world. Uncle Sam sent us where ever the need was, so I did get hooked on some countries more than others and yes those US coins were always number one. So while many of my early collectables will never be in a registry, I know where they have been for over 40 years now and would never dream of parting with them. Still in the holder from that time and with the penmanship of my youth, they remind me of humble beginnings. Try finding a 2 x 2 holder in Libya, yet I managed! And as I look at the 1964 Whitman bluebook, I notice that over the years, not only has the metals in our coins changed, so have the values. Yes, now I buy coins, but the thrill of going through dad's change each night in search of a new mint mark or coin I yet did not have was fun. And those coins will not show up in a registry, but are memories of success in finding a Mercury dime or Standing Liberty quarter or Franklin half that was new to me. And yes, I can buy those coins today and have the same thing, but it is not like getting it for face value or if I got lucky for free, when dad was in a good mood. Later, while stationed in Greece, my grandmother discoverd my love of coins and gave me my first British Gold Pound. Now that really got my attention, my first gold coin. It was explained to me that the hoard she had was from all of the economic turmoil of living in Europe through wars and rebellions, that made gold such a stable asset, as it never was worthless. She told me of stories of using them to have Nazis soldiers look the other way and not harrass her and her family and discovered that yes these coins were used in many of ways, and that it probably saved them from several perilous situations, and today, I know why, as both she and my great grandmother were inducted into the Greek Holicost museum for their efforts of getting Jewish children out of Eurpoe and to safer parts of the world. So as time passed, I did inherit most of the hoard which was meant to save the lives of the kids she was sheparding to safety. You can not put a price on what they mean to me. And while this entry will not get read by many, if any, it is a tribute to her that I am here today and am proud to be her grandson. So for my first entry, I will end here. This is where I started and while I will never have a well known collection that goes down in history, it has, already, for me and my family as it has given me something I can touch and know she held it too--in fear, hopes and good times after the war. I hope to pass these down to my kids and hope they value them for what they really meant.

Thank you for reading. More entries to come!