| You might think that a numismatist, or hobby coin | | | | more along the lines of “stats” that |
| collector, would be somewhat informed about the | | | | sports enthusiasts rattle off about their favorite |
| general history of coins, but this is not usually the | | | | players: dates, values, quantities produced, etc. |
| case. Many, if not most coin collectors, know | | | | Very little was known to me about the |
| nothing about the actual history of coins in | | | | “how, where, & why” of coin |
| general, and very little even about the coins in | | | | collecting; how were coins developed, where were |
| their own collections. I reached this conclusion | | | | they first used, why are there similarities in coins |
| after a friend had asked me a question about the | | | | across dissimilar societies, etc. |
| origin of silver dollars after he had found one in a | | | | And so began for me the “real” |
| drawer. Beyond acknowledging that his was old | | | | hobby of coins – the history behind them. I |
| and that they weren’t produced anymore, | | | | researched the history much like I once |
| I could tell him little else. | | | | researched the value of my collection, though I |
| So I asked a friend who also collected coins. Like | | | | relied more heavily on libraries than coin dealers |
| me, he could not provide much information | | | | this time around. |
| beyond the obvious. I began to wonder if all coin | | | | I have found a renewed interest and appreciation |
| collectors were as ignorant of their hobby as my | | | | of my hobby, and continue to pursue information |
| friend and I were. It turns out that most | | | | about coins of different cultures, time periods, and |
| numismatists, at least all the ones I talked with, | | | | types. And I have found I am now among the |
| were mostly in the dark. | | | | minority of numismatists: if you ask me about |
| As did many collectors, I began the hobby as a | | | | silver dollars, I can spend 30 minutes enlightening |
| young boy, perhaps 7 or 8 years old, after finding | | | | you about where and when silver first came to |
| odd-looking coins amidst the everyday change | | | | be used in coins, what relative importance silver |
| one comes in contact with. Encouraged by my | | | | coins held, and what events and people were |
| parents, I explored the topic in our local library, | | | | immortalized in silver. All in all, I have found an |
| and visited some local coin dealers. | | | | entirely new avenue of interest within an old |
| Over time, I developed what I thought was good | | | | hobby! |
| body of knowledge about my hobby, but it was | | | | |