Coin Collecting: A Way of Life by Samuel

Coin Collecting: A Way of Life by Samuel - December 2019 Scholarship Essay

“How much for all three?” I asked as I pulled three mint state Morgan dollars from a box of several hundred.

“For you, kid, 115 bucks.”

“I’ll give 80,” I sounded back.

We settled on 90, and I’m sure he made enough profit for a nice lunch. I glanced down at my score. Not bad. After combing through several boxes of the massive silver dollar estate, I had found the needle in the haystack: an 1897 Morgan dollar with a production error that made it extraordinarily rare. Pitting corrosion had eroded the reverse die before it struck the coin, leaving small pock marks around the eagle’s tail feathers. I recognized it as one of the hottest coins in error market, with a soaring value due to a recent influx of collectors. I walked gleefully to Mr. Bill Fivaz, author of the Cherrypicker’s Guide, who mentored me in my search for variety coins. “I miss having those young eyes, son. Keep it up!”

I still have the dollar in my collection, although I could have flipped it for a profit. To me, the story adds to its value.

My grandfather, Pop, introduced me to numismatics at birth, giving me a silver dollar upon my entry to the world. I attended my first coin show when I was just five years old and I enjoyed the hobby right off the bat. It appealed to my innate curiosity and enthusiasm for history. Viewing coins helps me to form a vivid, movie-like conceptualization of the past. Coin shows are far more interesting than museums because each dealer is eager to explain the history of his wares, eliminating the need for lengthy placards and lots of squinting. “You gotta check out this half dollar. It was recovered from the SS Republic, which sank in a hurricane during the Civil War….”

Conversation is integral to the numismatic community. Of course, history isn’t the only thing we numismatists discuss. I’ve heard dialogues about nearly every topic under the sun and from multiple perspectives. Liberal or conservative, Christian or atheist, black or white: it doesn't appear to matter. The goal, solving the world’s problems, is always at heart; we just go about it in different ways. Since I started hanging around the bourse floor at shows and chatting with fellow collectors, perhaps the most important lesson I’ve taken away is never to be afraid to say what I mean. Tiptoeing around the most important point only wastes time for all parties involved. Nothing worth being said can be voiced effectively without the chance that it offends someone. I try to take risks when I’m talking, and sometimes they pay off; other times, I quickly learn my idea stunk.

The current culture within numismatics is warm, open, and welcoming. True, it’s definitely full of old friends and deep connections, but new collectors are also heralded in with gracious generosity. Its like a lunch table that always finds an extra seat for the transfer kid. I got a taste of this firsthand a few years ago when my local coin club offered me a scholarship to attend Summer Seminar, a program hosted by the American Numismatic Association that provided awesome classes and allowed me to meet experts in the hobby. The club also sponsors exhibit competitions at nearby shows, which I usually lose — I’m not a great decorator — but still enjoy participating in. I love the atmosphere of collaboration. Though coin collecting may be a little old fashioned, it seems progressive in its spirt of “we’re all in it together!”

I don’t rave about numismatics all the time when I’m around my friends and family. Directly conveying the interest is close to impossible. But even if all of the coins in the world were suddenly blinked away, I’d still be a numismatist in my soul because, to me, it’s not just a hobby; it’s a way of life.