Whenever I'm downtown--and I go as often as I can--I enjoy stopping into my favorite coin shop and looking in the windows, browsing, talking about coins. It's a nice place for a longtime collector to dream.

The first time I walked into this store, the first coin I spotted was a 1793 Chain cent. Every time since, I see at least one coin that gets me dreaming.

On my last trip, I saw three lovely Bust dollars, 1798, 1799, 1800. The oldest was a workhorse coin that went out into circulation and did what it was made to do. The coin was graded AG, but showed major detail, no nicks or scratches I could see. It had an even color and was, as they say, nice for the grade. The other two dollars were also worn, not Mint State.

These coins showed a lot of character. Bearing that classic design, these three Bust dollars were a joy to behold. They had everything a true numismatist could want. These three coins could have formed the beginning of a collection of Bust dollars. What a specialty! Yes, there are such collectors.

Checking out these three silver dollars was a good experience, and got me dreaming. Maybe in my next life, I will specialize in early dollars!