The Early Years of a Collector

[Mokiechan]

Sometimes your Birthday makes you ruminate about the past

 

After reading Bullys excellent writeup on Coin Security/Preservation and DM Merrills nostalic walk back in time, I had to provide my own experiences (circa 1968-1970).

 

Silver had already all but disappeared from circulation except those stealthy war nickels and the occasional Kennedy Half, but wheat-back cents were still in abundance to include dates as early as the Teens. Like many of you, the earliest album I had was a Whitman tri-fold for Lincoln Cents, then as my collecting interests evolved, I got the Jefferson Nickel album and managed to get most of the coins out of circulation although I had to buy the 1950-D somewhere along the way.

 

Coins that were not in albums, duplicates, or other denominations, including foreign coins, were kept in a plastic sewing box with those nice half circle troughs for spools of thread, or in my case, coins. Since thread came in different sizes, the sewing box accomodated coins up to quarter size without any problems. the lower portion of the box was for magnifying glass, Red Book, whitman albums, and coins that did not fit in the spool slots.

 

I carried that box to Scout meetings, Friends houses, and even school show and tell. What a time, I sometimes miss those heady early days of collecting.

 

44 years of collecting, time flies when your having fun.

 

Later,

Malcolm

 

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[SPHansen]

Oh, how I remember those days! I still have my Whitman albums as well Thanks for sharing

[coinsbygary]

Those were the days! Happy Birthday Malcolm! I reach the big five-four in May. I always remember the innocence and fun of those early days of collecting. I still remember finding a 1919 Lincoln cent in the woodwork of the old house we lived in as my parents remodeled the kitchen. I remember working as a teen just to buy coins after my parents made me save half my income. Oh those were the days!

Gary