Have you ever really contemplated the loss of one of your "major senses"? Such as being able to see???

Greetings Collectors,

I want to thank all who have written me of late. I never tire from hearing from a fellow collector. I have a real passion for this hobby as I'm sure most of you do. In fact, it's such a passion, rarely a day goes by that I don't pull out a past issue of Coin World or Numismatic News or the many other monthly publications and read or re-read an article. I will also sometimes go into the many penny rolls I have bought "by the box", down through the years and look for "wheaties" or errors.

It's been quite a few years since I have had to "watch my money". Actually that is "technically a contradiction as I watch (look at) my money, as in coins every day. But I know you know what I mean. Economic times are uncertain and I have finally stopped spending like I had grown accustomed to. After hearing that a person I respect as a great American and one who many believe has caused our country to wake up and get involved, has been told he has a condition affecting his eyes, (the medical term escapes me at the moment) that will eventually cause him to go completely blind.

It made me "REALLY" stop and think, what if that were me? I then started to think of all the senses I had, if I had a choice, and had to lose one, which one would it be. Well, I can sure tell you that it wouldn't be my eyes that I would choose. We as collectors "CAN NOT" do without our eyes.

I'm going to end that there as all of you know, I am, as a general rule, long winded. The purpose of this post is that I have found nearly as much joy, reading, doing research, and perfecting my meager photography skills as I had when I was purchasing 2-6 coins per week. Going to the bank and grabbing a couple of pieces to study and re-shoot pictures has been a "boat load" of fun. I am looking at coins more closely and for longer periods of time than I ever have. I thought that when I put this "self imposed" moratorium on purchases, that my world, as I have come to know it, had ended. This couldn't be farther from the truth. The joy is far in excess of anything I had thought possible. It has allowed me to start to accumulate a vast storehouse of knowledge for one, and to try different picture taking techniques. The use of background and side lighting along with varied distances to name a few. But having said that, my only obstacle has been taking a shot of, "ironically", my very 1st coin of any significance. I have an 1810 over 9 Classic head large cent given to me by my uncle who worked for the railroad in S.E. Georgia. He found it just laying on a x-tie between the two rails. I have often wondered just when that coin was lost there? Surely by the early 60's (when he found it) that section of track had been re-worked/replaced even though that line existed before the Civil War. The coin is as dark a coin as one can be and I can't get a picture decent enough to post to the gallery. I am going to keep trying until I get a worthy enough example to post. Just one more aspect of how a collector can have fun without spending any money. But to have a set of eyes is a "must"

I leave you with a gorgeous example of one of the rarer dates in the Franklin series, one of my last purchases (late July) and was from a Teletrade auction. It took a long time to get it as it was sent, lost in the mail, found, then returned to Teletrade and then shipped again, only to sit in my locked mailbox for almost a week. But any way here it is. The "Franklin half Guru" Rick Tomaska said this 1960-D was selling at the 1980's high at around $3000 and that was just for an MS-65 "without" full bell lines. This is "hands down" the scarcest (and possibly the most expensive) Denver date of the series. At least from the 60's. It absolutely "blows my mind" that with over 18 million coins minted, the coin you see here is the highest grade in full bell lines at NGC. I am unsure of the pops at PCGS but NGC has seen 71 at this grade and "NONE" higher. Wow what a coin. I feel very fortunate to own one this nice.

I hope everyone is having fun with their coins. I know I am. Keep all those interesting journals coming. I, for one, really enjoy reading them. Happy Collecting!

WKF