Like Miss Liberty on the Walking Liberty Half Dollar, outstretch your arm to others in your family and welcome them into numismatics.
By Joshua McMorrow-Hernandez - September 23, 2024
Original link: https://www.pcgs.com/news/when-collecting-coins-is-all-in-the-family
I’ve written before about how numismatics is something I enjoy best when others close to me in my life are involved in the hobby with me. I think coin collecting is something best done with the people you love, and it’s how – frankly – we help keep our hobby going beyond this generation.
It’s a time when many public polls and sociological studies suggest that people are more isolated and lonely than ever, especially among younger generations. Therefore, I take this opportunity as a Millennial – on National Family Day at that – to suggest that you reach out to someone in your family and encourage them to join in on the hobby with you.
It's not exactly a novel idea. In American numismatics, it seems a pseudo-tradition was such that many young collectors got their start in the hobby because of an introduction to coins through a sibling, a parent, a grandparent, aunt or uncle, or someone else close to them in their families. I can relate in that my initial introduction to collecting coins came from a cousin younger than me.
I often wonder what my life would have been like had this cousin not exposed me to numismatics. The 1941 Lincoln Cent I later received in my allowance change – the one I credit toward getting me actively involved in collecting coins myself – might have passed right through my hands without much, if any, regard by me. I probably would have never spent countless thousands of hours over the last 30-plus years reading numismatic books, magazines, and later webpages. And I doubt I would’ve ever had the professional opportunities to proudly serve as a writer and editor for numismatic publications such as PCGS Market Report.
This all goes to show the impact that one family member can have on another when they introduce them to the world of numismatics. Opening the door of this hobby before someone else who is close to you can unfurl a path filled with untold lifelong enjoyment for them. And sharing your numismatic passion with someone you love just might leave you feeling enriched beyond belief. |