Tiny Gold Dollar Collection's Bio
I first started collecting coins in the late 1950's, when I was in the Cub Scouts. We had different activities to earn badges and at that time, I chose to collect Buffalo Nickels. Back in those days, the tellers at the bank were not only employees, but friends who knew the families and children of thier customers. I remember one Friday afternoon, going to the Bank of America and one of the bank tellers motioning for my mom and me to come over to her window. When we got there, she pulled out 10 to 15 rolls of nickels that an older lady brought in a few days earlier and the teller was pretty sure they had mainly Buffalo Nickels in the rolls. She had saved them just for me. I thanked her and we left the bank. I could not wait to get home. On the way home, I opened one roll and lo and behold, they were all BUFFALO NICKELS! After opening all the rolls. I had a table full of Buffalo Nickels from Fine to AU. I will never forget that day. I did put together a short set of Buffalo Nickels from 1930 to 1938, although I never found a "3 legger". From that day on, I knew COINS would be a big part of my life. A few years later, my dad's friend showed me a Twenty Dollar Liberty Gold Piece. He told me that this $20 gold coin would always be worth $20 or more. Boy was he right. As he spoke, I noticed he had a ring on his right pinkie finger with what looked to be a small Liberty Head Gold Coin, mounted in the center. I asked him if I could see his ring. He took it off and handed it to me. I told him this looked just like the $20 gold coin he had just showed me. He said that this coin was a $1 Gold piece. I was amazed at the quality and beauty of such a small gold coin. I now know this coin was a Type 1, One dollar Liberty Head and that was the first time I had ever seen a $1 US Gold Piece. Now in High School, I started going to coin shows with my dad. At these coin shows, there were plenty of $2.50 to $20 BU gold pieces, but very few BU $1 gold pieces .This was the 1960's and as the years went by, that little gold coin I so admired, got put on the back burner. During the 70's and 80's I enjoyed collecting Indian Head Pennies, Buffalo Nickels, Full Head, Standing Liberty Quarters, Cameo Proof Frmaklin Halfs, Morgan and Peace Dollars coins to name a few. Then in 1986, the granding services began to pop up, from PCGS to NGC. After a few years of sending coins in for grading, I realized I was accurate in my assesment of my perceived grade and the actual grade by the services, I felt it was time to start my BU $1 gold set. Timing could not have been better because from the mid 80's to the early 2000's, some of the greatest collections of $1 BU US gold coins were either auctioned or sold to major dealers through out the country. So from my first gold dollar an 1888-P to my last an 1857-S and after more than 20 years of Coin World dealer ads, auctions, coin shows, a few major coin dealers and most of all, my very understanding wife, this Tiny Gold Dollar Collection is COMPLETE! It may be complete, but it will never be done. I still plan to upgrade from time to time.