Mission Specialist

WOW! OK this is my first post. and what a thread! This is the first forum I have come across where people seem to love the beauty and history of coins rather than hawking their coin businesses or just trying to be numismatically [is "numismatically" a real word - and if so is is spelled right? ] ... numismatically pedantic. What beautiful and interesting coins! I have a few hammered coins I picked up herd and there, like a Henry III long cross, but I don't see dates on these coins. However, I do have a decent Hungarian coin dated 1541 if you get down that far. Most of my collection is US including: 1838 Type 2 gold Eagle in near XF, a no-problem 1797 small eagle reverse $1 in Fine, a nice 1838-O Dime in VF [with tiny scratches in the Obv field], 3 Leg Buffalo [cleaned ], some super nice DMPL Morgans, 1876 Trade $ in Gem Unc with a single chop [i think the chop adds to this coin though many will not agree], 1909 proof liberty nickel [superb], 1938 superb proof mercury [also superb], various pre-80's commemoratives, to name a few. I also have about 20 pounds of Russian coins. Though my collection is nothing compared to the folks on the Russian forum, I spent a summer with the University of Florida in Moscow and was able to acquire a few decent coins. I was also there on business in 2000 but about half of my coins were confiscated at the airport. I have one of those mega sized Catherine 5 kopeck steering wheels that is AU+ and a nice LOOKING Siberian coin. I think it may be fake though, because when I got it home and was able to put it under a loupe, it appears cast. Great cast job though, because the details are awesomely "struck". But the tiny microscopic blobs on the fields close to the devices give it away. NO way to see them without 10X though. Most cast coins I can spot drunk with my eyes closed. Anyhow, I collect other coins too if I find them aesthetically attractive or historically significant. So I am not a specialist, nor am I competitive, nor am I an investor. I rarely sell a coin unless I acquire a better one. I just love coins. [An odd hobby for someone who loves the outdoors, huh?] The problem these days is that both American and Russian coins have gone up so much I don't buy much anymore. I have it or I can't afford it. Recently I have been buying foreign proof coins, strictly because they are dirt cheap and usually quite attractive, so I have had a bit of fun with them. I have also been buying some cheap BU coins too. I've had a lot of fun with the Africans because, in spite of them being cheap, some issues are difficult to find - and the countries are 'born' and 'die' with such terrible frequency that some of them produce coins for just a single year. So while my collection - such as it is - has some coins worth thousands - and quite a few worth hundreds - I have stepped back to the days of my childhood where I do it for no other reason than for fun and learning. When my economy gets back in line [i am studying again - a very expensive "hobby"] I may try to find a proof buffalo or maybe a proof 20 cent piece. But, the two 17XX coins I have now may be my last. When I bought mine they were very pricey, now they are only affordable to medical doctors and Forest Gump. Well I have rambled long enough and I am WAY off topic, but I just wanted to let y'all know how much I have enjoyed browsing these threads. Thank you! Steve