I remember when I was a young lad noticing that some of the coins in my mothers purse were really shiny and new looking. I had never previously thought about it. Money was simply money. It never occured to me that it had to be made and that new coins were being manufactured every day.

I was allowed to keep those few shiny coins and that was the start to my hobby of collecting coins and from those small beginnings I have built up quite a large collection over the years.

My favorites are o longer the newest or the shiny coins. These days I am more likely to value and appreciate an old ad grubby penny but I always remember my excitement at seeing those shiny new pennies and I still have them today.