The Christmas Coin Massacre

My daughter, Adriana, was born in 1996. Three years later my Father-in-Law informed me that he was starting a collection of the State Quarters series for each of his grandchildren. He told me that he had bought a map display board for each child, and would give them the coins once the series was complete. At the time there were four kids, but the crew grew to five as my Brother-in-Law's brood grew.

Mr. and Mrs. T gave the kids their state quarter collections this Christmas Day. Each child got a map and a plastic bag of coins, which needed to be inserted into the slots in the maps.

As a coin collector, I was really happy with the quality of coins that Mr. and Mrs. T gave the kids. These were business strikes, nothing special. This was really important because the kids were not interested in the real numismatic value of their newly acquired collections. They were interested in the pictures on the reverse of the coins and where they went in the maps.

As is typical with folders, from whatever manufacturer, the coins were quite difficult to put into the appointed slots. And unless the coin is soundly snapped into place it is likely to come loose and fall to the floor. Fingers on the coins were something I expected. I was totally unprepared for what happened next.

First, my daughter placed the map on the floor and decided to stomp a coin into its slot. I was horrified, but then I saw the enthusiasm in the kids' eyes. The stomping stopped when they realized they might scratch the coins with grit on the bottoms of their shoes. But the kids soon decided that a butt bouncing up and down on a carefully placed coin might force it into place. Finally one of the kids brought in some screw drivers, and using the rounded butt end of the handles the coins were pressed into the proper locations.

I'm pretty certain there weren't any gems there before the Christmas Coin Massacre. And afterwards I can assure you that had there been any gems they weren't that way anymore. But there are five kids who now have a bit more interest in coins -- and maybe in collecting them.

Thanks

Pennies on the Pavement

I've been having a pretty tough time with several things recently. Home, work, you name it. I got this in an e-mail today, and I thought I'd share it since it is coin related. I don't know the original author, but I don't think he'd mind.

You always hear the usual stories of pennies on the sidewalk being good luck, gifts from angels, etc. This is the first time I've ever heard this twist on the story. Gives you something to think about.

Several years ago, a friend of mine and her husband were invited to spend the weekend at the home of her husband's employer.

My friend, Arlene, was nervous about the weekend. The boss was very wealthy, with a fine home on the waterway, and cars costing more than her house.

The first day and evening went well, and Arlene was delighted to have this rare glimpse into how the very wealthy live. Her husband's employer was quite generous as a host, and took them to the finest restaurants. Arlene knew she would never have the opportunity to indulge in this kind of extravagance again, so was enjoying herself immensely.

As the three of them were about to enter an exclusive restaurant one evening, the boss was walking slightly ahead of Arlene and her husband. He stopped suddenly, looking down on the pavement for a long, silent moment. Arlene wondered if she was supposed to pass him. There was nothing on the ground except a single darkened penny that someone had dropped, and a few cigarette butts. Still silent, the man reached down and picked up the penny. He held it up and smiled, then put it in his pocket as if he had found a great treasure.

How absurd! What need did this man have for a single penny? Why would he even take the time to stop and pick it up?

Throughout dinner, the entire scene nagged at her Finally, she could stand it no longer. She casually mentioned that her daughter once had a coin collection, and asked if the penny he had found had been of some value.

A smile crept across the man's face as he reached into his pocket for the penny and held it out for her to see. She had seen many pennies before! What was the point of
this?

"Look at it," he said. "Read what it says."

She read the words, " United States of America .."

"No, not that. Read more."

"One cent?"

"No, turn it over."

"In God we Trust?"

"Yes!"

"And?"

"God is holy. God is faithful. Whenever I find a coin, I see that inscription. It is written on every single United States coin, but we never seem to notice it! God drops a message right in front of me telling me to trust Him. Who am I to pass it by? When I see a coin, I pray. I stop to see if my trust IS in God at that moment. I pick the coin up as a response to God; that I do trust in Him. For a short time, at least, I cherish it as if it were gold. I think it is God's way of starting a conversation with me. Lucky for me, God is patient and pennies are plentiful!"

When I was out shopping today, I found a penny on the sidewalk. I stopped and picked it up, and realized that I had been worrying and fretting in my mind about things I cannot change. I read the words, "In God We Trust," and had to laugh. "Yes, God, I get the message!"

It seems that I have been finding an inordinate number of pennies in the last few months, but then, pennies are plentiful! And, God is patient.

It made me think for a couple minutes. I hope it helps you, too.

More about Lincoln Cents at http://www.squidoo.com/lincolnpenny

That's-My-2-Cents
Art Haule

Coin Show This Weekend -- Woo-Hoo!

I enjoy going to coin shows. And this weekend there is going to be a show in Grapevine, TX. That's just 9.6 miles from my house! That's great news for me!
How do I prepare for a show? Before the show I will have decided what types of coins I will concentrate on. (This time it will be Lincoln Cents, Indian Head Cents and Mercury Dimes.) I read up on them so that I know what to look for, and I know if a dealer is being honest. They almost always are. The addage, "Read the book before you buy the coin," is great advice.

I like going to the shows early. If I get to the venue within the first half hour of the show's opening there are usually not many people there. The aisles are clear. The dealers are ready to sell, but don't have anyone to do business with yet. That's great because most of them are willing to chat.
I usually try to talk with dealers who are knowledgable and friendly. I talk about coins that I don't know very well. I tell them that I don't really know what I'm looking at, and they are almost always willing to spend some time with me. I'm amazed at the depth of knowledge that some of these dealers have! They usually don't make big sales with me, but you can be sure that I remember who it is that treats me well. And you can be sure that if they treat me well, they have a much better chance of getting future business from me.

What do I take with me?
1. A list of coins I am looking for.
2. A magnifying glass.
3. A pad on which I can take notes.
4. An attitude which says, "I don't have to buy anything here today." Too many people rush in and buy something from the first dealer they see, whether they want the coin or not. And too many people just can't walk out the door without a new coin in their pocket. The world will not end if you don't spend your money. Make wise decisions!

I promise, I'll try!

Thats-My-2-Cents
Art Haule
http://www.squidoo.com/icollectcoins
http://www.violinstudent.com/

National Coin Week Challenge April 19-25

The American Numismatic Association has issued a challenge--
Find 5 coins related to Abraham Lincoln, submit your entry and be entered into a drawing in which you can win Lincoln-related prizes, including 1918 commemorative half-dollars featuring Lincoln, Civil War Fractional Currency, 2009 Lincoln commemorative silver dollars.
Information can be found at http://www.money.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NumismaticEvents/NationalCoinWeek/default.htm

By the way, don't forget the Lincoln Cent Information available at my Squidoo lens! http://www.squidoo.com/lincolnpenny

Shiny Silver vs Dull Gray

I was at a Coin Show in Fort Worth, TX about a week ago. I was chatting with a dealer when a gentleman carrying a Whitman folder stepped up to the table. Since I was chatting rather than doing business, I stepped aside. But I remained at the table looking at some of the coins in the display case.

I wasn't really eavesdropping, but I listened to the conversation that ensued. The potential customer had begun thinking about the coins he had when he was a boy and dug through his possessions to locate the collection. He was amazed to find that one of his folders was almost complete. He brought the folder with him with the intention of filling in one or more of the empty slots.

He showed the dealer his collection. Mercury Dimes. Four empty slots. (I didn't pay close enough attention to hear what was missing.) From what I could see, the coins probably ranged in condition from Fine to one or two coins which may have approached AU, with the majority of coins toward the lower end of the scale.

As the dealer looked over the coins, the customer was amazed to find that the dealer had one of the missing coins prominently displayed in the case. A nice coin. MS-63. The customer asked to see the coin. As the dealer handed him the coin I noticed that he looked the coin over briefly. He didn't have any kind of magnifying glass. He looked at the obverse of the coin, never turning the flip over to look at the reverse. The dealer watched the customer closely, and didn't say a thing.

"How much?"

The dealer quoted him a price and the customer said that was within his price range.

Done deal? Nope!

"What are you trying to do with your collection?" asked the dealer. "What's your goal? Why are you collecting?"

The questions were asked very conversationally, and the customer indicated that he had enjoyed having coins when he was a boy. He thought it would be kind of nice to be able to "complete" the collection by "filling in" the empty slots.

The dealer began to talk to the customer. He was teaching as he went along. He described the grading process. He told the customer what he could expect in a coin which was graded MS-63. He lent the man a magnifying glass and told him how to look at the coin. The man turned the coin over and looked at the back of the coin. He turned the coin so that he could look at the coin from different angles, and he began to understand what he was seeing.

Then the dealer picked up another coin. Same date and mint mark. MS-60. "Look at this one, and tell me what you see. What is the difference?"

The customer looked carefully, but told the dealer that he really didn't notice much difference between the coins. Then he looked at another dime, this one an MS-40.

"What do you think of that coin?"

"It's pretty nice too. Just not as shiny"

Then the dealer began anew. He told the man that he would be glad to sell him any of the three coins. He told the customer that one of the things to think about was consistency within the collection. If he intended to begin upgrading the collection it would probably be very appropriate to invest in the coin with the higher grade. If he was simply "filling in slots" it may not really make sense to put the money into the better coin, especially since he really didn't notice the difference. In fact, if it were him, he'd probably purchase the MS-60 rather than the MS-63.

"You know, I often tell people to collect 'dull gray' rather than 'shiny silver.'" Make a decision based on what you want to do with the collection rather than just buying the "best" coin available. In fact, the 'dull gray' often has 'more character' than the 'shiny silver.'

The customer nodded, and said that the MS-40 really was more like the other coins in the book. But he really did want a 'nicer' coin. He put the MS-40 aside and looked at the two better coins. The price difference was almost $200.

"Think about it, I'll hold 'em both for you for 30 minutes. Go ahead and look around, I'll still be here."

The customer walked away, folder in hand, with the slot still unfilled.

"He'll be back," the dealer said to me. "He'll be a whole lot happier with the MS-60. It's a better match for his collection. And if he buys the MS-60 and comes into my shop next week wanting the higher grade, I'll give him credit against the new coin for what he paid for it."

The customer came back fifteen minutes later and made his purchase . . . the MS-60 rather than the MS-63. He walked away smiling, promising to "come by the shop" in a couple weeks to look at some other coins.

Good Teacher. Wise Dealer. Good business.