Wear and tear is part of life. Like wrinkles on an aged face, smoothed surfaces tell you that a coin has lived. A worn coin is tingling with spirits. A mint state coin is silent.
As collectors who are fascinated with yesterdays, we muse about the life of a circulated coin. Imagine all the fingers that have touched it until now.
Consider a few slender dimes from the mid-nineteenth century. Once liberated from a mint bag and passed from an unnamed bank teller to a depositor, these dimes were widely dispersed. They passed from purse to cash register and back again. Shoppers fumbled to dig them from purses and pockets, and store clerks stacked them in tens at the end of the day.
Savvy children hoped for one with open hands and forlorn eyes.
With each cycle, the dime became thinner. The folds in Ms. Liberty's dress were softened. The shield lost its face. But the call of commerce continued. Prices rose over time. The dime was passed for a meal, then just a soda, and finally only a newspaper could be had.
Eventually, a curious hand paused to take note. In this moment, the would-be collector caught a glimpse of his own destiny: broad rims, washed out lettering.
As necromancer collectors, we freeze time, or so we like to think. We have discovered something marvelous. We are captivated by the wear. Story-lines swirl in our heads. And now, we are part of it: center stage.
One way to cultivate our necromancy is to form a Wear Set. Some like to call it a "grading set" -- but we do not want to go that far. We are not doing this to learn about grading.Sure, you may be tempted to consult one of the many grading guidebooks that have been published, but I urge you to resist. Instead, let your eyes and fingers lead the way. There will be plenty of time to assign letters and number later -- but why would you do that?
In the same vein, do not restrict your hunt to the preordained grading categories established by the experts. Rather, make your own discriminations based on what you see and feel in front of you. As your collection grows, you will learn how these dimes (or any coin) tend to age over time. No book can teach you this. Plus, you will also discover just how subjective the whole grading enterprise is.
Let the hunt begin! Allow your curiosity be your guide. Just pick out some worn coins over the next year or so that appeal to you. Find some that are heavily worn -- at the precipice of oblivion. Compare them. Take in the damaged coins too. And finally, do not be in a hurry; take your time and pick the ones that speak to you.
This is the way of the necromancer. And if you are a bit squeamish about these worn pieces, just remember this: part of being a numismatist is to appreciate how coins wear from use.
