Coin collecting

“I could have sat and looked through that treasure chest for hours! I picked out a few “wow” coins—common things, really, but eye-catching, like Italy’s big silvery 100-lire coins, some World War II–era French coins, British large pennies. That was the first time I experienced the magical lure and fun of a “junk box.” I remember it like it was yesterday. And I still have those coins.”

“When I first began collecting my parents encouraged me to collect the 50 state quarters, so I went to a coin shop and bought a folder for the 50 state quarters along with the District of Columbia and Territories. Also, I was presented by the owner a few wheat cents since I was a beginner collector. That hooked me on coin collecting.”

“My late grandfather got me started collecting coins when I was 13 years old. He was an extremely talented wood-worker/machinist by trade and was going to build a grandfather clock using small Canadian 5-cent silvers in the face as a design. I had never seen coins so small. After a brief history lesson about coins and (the value of money) he gave them to me.”