Villarreal's Bio
Like many collectors, I started collecting coins in my youth. My first job, as a paperboy, was a great place to get coins at face value. I was serving papers when the silver coinage changed in 1964, and I watched as our silver morphed into the clad coins of today.
I had complete sets of most coins of the day, with keys being my only stopper. My paperboy earnings were limited to buying a coin here or there if I couldn't get it out of circulation. I was also fortunate to have a great collector/dealer right on my route. Little did I know how big he was, until years later when I was older. He extended me credit and as you might guess, he was never charged for his paper. I USED that credit!!
My favorites were Indian Head pennies and Buffalo nickels. I also liked the odd coinage and to this day, it fascinates me that this coinage circulated in the 1800's.
Condition requirements were different, and the unc., slider, au/xf terms were mostly used. Coins were raw, and handled with care. Whitman albums were the standard for housing your collection. You always knew where your collection was.
Years flew by, and I held on to those coins through thick and thin. I still have some that I bought in those paperboy days. I still have my raw Indian cent and Lincoln sets from those days.