Hello fellow coin collectors! My name is David, and I have been collecting coins ever since I was a kid in the 1960's. Back then, we would take the Whitman coin folders and try to fill them. We could go to the bank and get a roll of pennies, nickles, dimes or quarters, and search through them. After we pulled out what we needed, we would trade them in for new rolls! The employees at the bank supported this, much like the Post Office supports stamp collecting.

In the early 60's, the U.S. Mint stopped making the silver quarters and dimes, and started making the clad coins. Back then, you could still pick up silver coins in circulation. In the early sixties, you could still find Mercury dimes in pocket change!

This early interest led to me buying a few decent coins as a young teenager. I would buy coins like a proof Franklin Half or Mercury Dime. Common dates of these were reletively inexpensive. At that time I tried build a type collection, and doing it was possible even though I could only spend $5-$10 per coin. I was a member of a large local coin club, and I could work trades to improve the collection, even though I didn't have much income.

Well, eventually it came time to go to college, and 90% of my collection got sold. Priorities were different (tuition, fun, cars and dating come to mind). I ended up holding on to a dozen or so of my better coins, and that fueled my interest as an adult. Priorities changed again, now it's financing a house, family and children's college educations! But I still manage to pick up the occasional coin, and still enjoy the hobby. My collection is not worth a lot, but I have a lot of fun with it.

One thing that has struck me through the years is that this is one of the very few hobbies there is that pays for itself. As long as you are buying fairly desireable coins, they should hold or grow in value, especially over long periods of time. Indeed many people have made their riches from investing in coins.

I hope you enjoy my site and come back often.

Thanks!

David