Like Historic Coins? What Kind Do You Like?

What kind of history do you like?

Many coin collectors are interested in history.
Or, so they say.

"I want to touch the past," is a common refrain.

"I want to hold a coin that was used by my grandmother, or her grandmother!"

   At first glance, any old coin is stirring. A well-traveled Mercury dime is fascinating. It is fun to explore the smoothed surfaces with your fingertips. Each worn dime is unique. It wears its history of use for all to see.
   For some of us, a worn Mercury dime conjures up memories of finding one in change, or memories of discovering one in a drawer at the family homestead. Or, maybe we just looked down at the precise moment to discover one on an overgrown baseball field.
   Yes, there was a time when we enjoyed the simple pleasure of holding something that traveled from purse to register and back again -- just imagine, it was touched by thousands of folks who were saving and spending. Folks like many of us.

   But then we got indoctrinated. Brainwashed. Ahhhhh!

Do you want a dime that was here? Or, in the bag at the bank?

   Proper Collecting is about getting the "best" dime. Best dimes are shiny dimes. We learn to use a magnifying glass to examine split-bands and count cap-feathers. We learn codes: MS-67 or MS-68. We learn to obsess over these details and codes.
   All this obsessing leads to worry. Oh, the anxiety. Did I get the best one? Is the band split deeply enough? Is each feather defined well enough. Did I get a good enough deal? And of course the ultimate question is: Am I enough?


   Well, it all depends on what kind of history you like. Do you want a dime that was actually there? Or, do you want a dime that could have been there (but was sitting in a roll or bag instead)? For the coin collecting necromancer the answer is obvious: a dime that was there is always better than a dime that could have been. We don't know where "there" was, but the wear tells us that the dime traveled, and traveled for a long time.
   Now I have to admit that I have a few shiny dimes. I tried to love them. But I cannot. I keep going back to the ones that were there. I like to touch them. I like to hand them to folks to pick at. I like to give a few of them away as gifts -- a piece of history that happened.