My brother and I began collecting American coins a very long time ago. I believe the first active interest began when, as kids of perhaps ages five and six, my mother would take us to the bank in Michigan, and we exchanged paper currency for rolls of fifty pennies apiece. These we took home and examined for old Lincoln cents. Today such a pursuit would disappoint, as the older coins have been removed from the general circulation by thousands, if not millions, of coin seekers.
After moving to California Dale and I collected coins in a more organized fashion. We went to various coin dealers in the San Fernando Valley and purchased, somewhat piecemeal as allowance became available, old coins individually.
We concentrated our efforts on the smaller coins, e.g. the one cent piece (the penny), the five cent nickel, and the ten cent dime.
It is noted that the value of an old coin depends critically on its condition which can range from "about good" (AG), through good (G), very good (VG), fine (F), very fine (VF), extremely fine (EF), about uncirculated (AU), uncirculated (U) and brilliant uncirculated (BU). Thus a 1931-S mercury dime might fetch a price of seven dollars in good condition, twenty dollars in fine condition, and perhaps three hundred dollars if uncirculated.
At times some coins have been minted as "proof" condition wherein special dies ensure extra sharpness and clarity of features, whence intentionally held from the general circulation.
The American penny has had the image of President Lincoln on its front (the "obverse") since 1909 early in this century. The back ("reverse") has had the Lincoln memorial since 1959, and before then had a pair of wheat stalks.
Prior to 1909 the penny had the image of a stoic Indian chief in full headress on the obverse, the "Indian head cent".
Our collection of Lincoln head cents is nearly complete, the exceptions being rare oddities such as the 1909-VDB and the 1955 double die. The former has the initials of Victor D. Brenner following the year, the latter has the year accidentally stamped twice. The coins vary from good to uncirculated condition. We lack the 1914-D penny ("D" for Denver mint), which, owing to a very low output, commands some $700 even in good condition. Although Dale and I are no longer active coin collectors, at least he can easily afford this purchase, even though at the time such a sum would have appeared monumental.
Our collection of Indian head cents is sparse but contains some real beauties. We participated in a nationwide mail auction and purchased two or three Indian head cents in perfect uncirculated condition. At the time, some twenty years ago, these coins were valued at from one hundred to two hundred dollars each. I should like to learn their current market value!
Prior to the Jefferson nickel, there was, prior to 1939, the buffalo nickel for most of the early part of this century. Dale and I maintain a fairly complete collection of this genre, and, as with the 1914-D noted above, it would be a fairly simple matter to complete the collection in its entirety. Our coins range in quality from good to extremely fine.
Prior to the Roosevelt dime, there was, prior to 1945, the mercury dime with the likeness of a winged angel on the obverse. Dale and I own a nearly complete collection of this variety, the exceptions being two or three rare dimes owing to unusually low circulation.
The Barber dime was minted prior to the mercury dime, and enjoyed currency in the last half of the nineteenth century through around World War I. It is difficult to find these in anything better than fine condition without exceptional financial expense. Our collection consists of some two dozen barber dimes in roughly good or very good condition.
My family owns perhaps ten or twenty silver dollars in the bank vault. These coins were in vogue last century and have become well known as a financial investment.
I have kept foreign coins whenever I travel abroad. However I cannot say that I have a veritable "collection".
The Washington Mint, a private business not to be confused with the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, sells huge reproductions of famous American coins. When I was rehired by MSI in January, 1996, I treated myself to a one-half pound 4-inch silver coin with the likeness of "Miss Liberty" on the obverse. Composed of 99.9+ % silver, it is enclosed in lucite and stored in a blue velvet case. It is beautiful beyond words.
Click here for photographs of rare and very rare coins.
Click here for numismatic (coin-related) sites on the WWW.
There is little doubt that the familiar yellow-jacketed monthly journal is one of the most celebrated magazines of our times. It is replete with incredible photographs and articles that document people, places, and items of general natural, scientific and technological interest. Full size maps open up to be studied, and, on occasion, even a phonograph record has been provided.
National Geographic began with its first issue back in 1888 and has published on a monthly basis ever since. Dale and I share a collection which is complete through about 1955. Prior to that the early 1950's are about one-half completed, while things get sparse indeed in the 1940's and 1930's. Virtually all of the issue prior to the 1970's were obtained at Goodwill Industry and Salvation Army stores, as well as a used book store in the San Fernando Valley called Personal Books.
The collection sat in my apartment until December, 1995. At that time I mailed Dale the entire set, some 400 pounds, to be proudly displayed in the master bedroom of his home in Pebble Beach.
I recently learned from Dale that National Geographic has available for sale back issues in mint condition! They range in price from ten dollars PER ISSUE in the 1950's, to around thirty or forty dollars PER ISSUE from the early part of our century. I suggested to Dale that he make the modest purchase of the few dozen missing issues from the early fifties, and consider further purchasing on an occasional basis should this initial purchase bring satisfaction. He would at that point be the majority owner of the collection.
My perennial birthday gift from my parents is a renewal subscription to the National Geographic for the next year (apart from other presents).
I love to read this magazine, with a focus on high places, Latin America, and the polar regions.
I also own several books and atlases from National Geographic, including a satellite portrait of our North American continent; a photographic album of the earth as seen by Skylab astronauts; and a historical atlas of the United States.