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As most pastimes go, it’s always better to share coin collecting with the ones you love than to go about it solo.
I have learned this as I have grown into the hobby I have loved since my boyhood and now enjoy as a young man.
Now in my early 30s, I find immense value in sharing my coin collection and my passion for numismatics with the people in my life who are most important to me.
Mixing Coins And Romance Can Be A Beautiful Thing
Take, for example, my girlfriend, who at one point seemed perplexed that a single penny (the 1909-S VDB cent) could have a value upwards of $1,000.
After I explained the story about the coin, of which far fewer than 500,000 were made at the San Francisco branch of the U.S. Mint because of public outcry about the prominence of designer Victor David Brenner’s initials on the reverse of the piece), she understood not only why such a coin could be worth so much, but also such a piece is so highly sought after by coin collectors in general.
It hit home even more for her when I told her I grew up wishing and hoping I could someday own the relatively elusive coin. After all, everybody has that one special item they have always longed for. As my life has gone forward with her, she seems to appreciate coins even more, and has even become more interested in her dad’s coin collection, which she grew up seeing.
Sharing The Hobby With Those In My Family
Before meeting the love of my life, it was my sister with whom I largely shared my coin collecting interests.
She and I entered the hobby at roughly the same time, when we both learned of our young cousin’s coin collection — which was passed down to him from his dad.
My sister and I both were initiated into the hobby in the manner that most young numismatists are – by being given a blue Whitman coin folder, which would eventually be filled with the various Lincoln cents and Jefferson nickels we pulled out of our (and mom’s and dad’s) pocket change.
As time went on, sis diverged more into topical collecting (mainly coins with depiction of animals), whereas I delved more into type collecting (19th and 20th century U.S. coins).
Though my sister is far more interested in music and science than coin collecting, she and I can still share the occasional, numismatically tinged conversation with each other.
Should children be in my future, it would be a pure joy to extend my love of coin collecting to them, too.
But no matter what my future holds, I know one thing – I feel more enriched as a coin collector and as a person when I can teach others about the hobby, have engaging verbal exchanges about numismatics with friends and family, and, most of all, share this lifelong pursuit with those who are most important to me in my life. But, of course, that’s just my two cents…
My love for coins began when I was 11 years old. I primarily collect and study U.S. coins produced during the 20th century. I'm a member of the American Numismatic Association (ANA) and the Numismatic Literary Guild (NLG) and have won multiple awards from the NLG for my work as a coin journalist. I'm also the editor at CDN Publishing (a trusted source for the price of U.S. rare coins), editor at the Florida United Numismatists Club (FUN Topics magazine), and author of Images of America: The United States Mint in Philadelphia (a book that explores the colorful history of the Philadelphia Mint). I've contributed hundreds of articles for various coin publications including COINage, The Numismatist, Numismatic News, Coin Dealer Newsletter, Coin Values, and CoinWeek. I've also authored nearly 1,000 articles here at The Fun Times Guide to Coins — and I welcome your coin questions in the comments below!
