| It took the 50 States quarters program, | | | | never regained the influence they enjoyed in the |
| introduced in 1999, to breathe new life into the | | | | hobby at that time. This drop in importance |
| coin collecting hobby. Millions of American people | | | | reflected a growing knowledge that coins that |
| began once again to check their pocket change | | | | could be purchased in roll or bag quantities were |
| looking for tougher dates and a prolific number of | | | | not likely to become scarce or desirable to |
| error coins. Regardless of where you live, in good | | | | serious coin collectors. The coin collecting emphasis |
| times and bad, using coins as a means of making | | | | began to shift to single coins with low mintages |
| a profit has been a key factor in many people | | | | and superior quality. |
| being involved in the hobby. It is exciting to the | | | | The ending of silver minted coins in the 1960's |
| metal detecting hobby too as thousands of users | | | | also led many US hobbyists to back away from |
| in the US are competing to be the first to | | | | coin collecting. Almost overnight the silver coins |
| complete a set of all 50 states. | | | | disappeared from circulation and could not be |
| I got started coin collecting in the boom era of US | | | | found in pocket change. The inability of finding |
| coin collecting back in the 1960's. Coin prices | | | | scarce collectibles in their small change removed |
| soared to all time highs as the uncirculated roll | | | | the most important factor for participation in the |
| market was a phenomena unequaled in its power | | | | hobby and the marketplace. In 1999, it happened |
| to attract collectors and investors. The 1950 D | | | | again! These popular 50 States quarters have all |
| Jefferson Nickel rolls are a classic example of this | | | | of us looking at our change again. My 80 year old |
| boom. This roll sold for as much as $1200- a price | | | | Mom has purchased BU rolls of all issues for her |
| of $30 per coin in the 40 coin roll. As a college | | | | and her grandson. Children of all ages have folders |
| student, I would go to coin club meetings and | | | | and albums for their coins and some of them are |
| purchase BU rolls of Morgans and Walking Liberty | | | | also educational tools that geography and history |
| halves for $30 to $40 and double or triple my | | | | teachers are utilizing. As a treasure hunter, every |
| money the very next day. Good spending and | | | | new one I find brings almost as much excitement |
| expense money for a student who was working | | | | as a good silver or gold coin. If you are new to |
| about 30 hours a week to help pay for my | | | | the hobby of metal detecting or to coin collecting, |
| education. But the roll boom sputtered in the | | | | the 50 States quarters are a good place to begin. |
| second half of the decade and late-date rolls have | | | | Here's to "diggin' it"! |