Just joined

[hebronian]

1st time in a coin forum and hoping to enjoy everyone's posting. Started collecting cents in 1948 when I had a paper route. Wish I had the extra cash in those days as the prices were incredibly low. My Dad and I would buy from Gimbels dept store in NYC every now and then but 99% of my collection was from circulation. Example of early 50's pricing--bought my 1931-S Uncirculated cent for $1.50. My uncle's response was: "Are you crazy, paying that much money for a penny?"
Hebronian

[Dick]

Welcome to the forum, hebronian. You will find answers to your questions, from those who are wellversed in "our' hobby.
I can appreciate your uncle's thoughts when he commented on the price you paid fior the 1931-S cent! i feel that way today, even though i know the prices they are asking, is "out of sight", for a"penny". But consider which "penny," and one inderstands. I paid much more for mine, and feel I got a bargain!
Dick

[eagames]

A big welcome!

Your story reminds me of 2 stories.

First about the paperboy that got the rare 1943 copper cent on his paper route:

http://www.icollector.com/2462-1943-Lincoln-1C-Copper-Cent_i7235526

The other story was an old episode of "My Three Sons" when Ernie Douglas found a 1914-D cent. Ernie looked it up in a red book and was happy that it was worth $37.50 and he put it on his desk. Later the paperboy came to collect and Ernies brother went around the house to gather change to pay and he accidentaly paid using Ernies 1914-D so it was lost.

[hebronian]

That's a neat story about the 1943 copper. I hadn't seen it before. Thanks. Regarding the 1914-D, I also found mine in circulation but do not remember the date. (probably around 1950)

The elusive one for me was the 1909 S-VDB. Gimbels was selling a circulated one for about $7 in the1950-51 era. (more than a weeks pay) I checked my Max Mehl 1952 catalog this morning to see they offered a Unc. 1909 S-VDB for $10. Wish I had $7 to $10 bucks to spare back then. Finally bought a AG-3 recently for over $500.

[hebronian]

Hi Dick,

Thanks for the welcome. I still go through about $25 in cents a week, but find very little exciting. About 25% in coppers and about 1 wheat in every second roll.

I still enjoy the hunt.

[Dick]

I used to go thru about a box a week, too, but slowed down, when i joined the forum, and found that there were a lot of varieties. I was "hooked", and hace gone into the varieties whole time. I don't find as many as I iotherwise might, but I don't see as well as I once did, so..... There is no hurry, I'll be around a good long time. I am still young enough to enjoy the hunt! BTW, I fecame a great-great grandfather, the 21st of this month! I'll try to get a scan of him, and post it.
Dick

[hebronian]

You sure beat me--Grand father and Great grand father, but not great-great. Congratulations!
Varieties never caught my interest. I decided to start to save a tube of each cent seeing it was so hard to find a cent I do not have from circulation. It's cheap to do and passes the time on rainy days. Like you, the eyes no longer work as good as they once did, so a magnifying glass is my favorite tool.

[Dick]

I have had to go to the scope, to see the details, and then only barely! I use the camera software to project amn image on the 27" tv screen, or on my 20" CCTV screen. The smaller is best, because it is a flat-screen, and I can pit an artist's grid there, and "Zoom" to the size for die checking, and otherwise see all the details. I have holes in the images, (retinas, due to a cindition called "Macular Deterioration". I din't drive any more, because of this., but it only slows down the coin searches!
Dick

[Bennie]

Welcome to the forum! You can search the net, but you've come to the right site if cent's are your thing. All the info you need resides here...again, welcome!