I don't have to list all the benefits of this great hobby; they are very well known to all of us on this board.  I do want to write about the one benefit that transcends our individual collections and truly makes it all worthwhile.  Friendship, it's the sometimes-overlooked aspect of this great hobby that ties it all together.  Friendship, there is nothing better than show and tell at your local club meeting.  Friendship, going to the regional show and enjoying time with fellow volunteers that you may not have seen for a whole year.  Friendship, having a random stranger approach your table and start a long enjoyable discussion about the KidZone and how they got started in the hobby.  It fills my collector heart to the brim when all those things happen. 

There are many U.S. coins that have sold for over 1 million dollars and in fact, some of them have sold for at least that amount on several occasions.  When I speak of million dollar coins the 1913 nickel, the 1933 Double Eagle, the 1804 Dollar, the 1894-S dime, and the 1794 Dollar come readily to mind.  One reason for this is their obvious scarcity but another less obvious reason is the overall U.S. collector base which is arguably the largest in the world.  Most of these collectors are of relatively modest means but some of them are fabulously wealthy and can afford a million-dollar coin as easily as I can afford a hundred-dollar coin. 

The Tough start innovating.  In that spirit, Mr. John Rebic has come up with an outstanding freebie for his Cleveland Coin Expo this coming Saturday, September 12th.    Seems like a simple concept, we’re in the midst of Covid 19, most municipalities at least highly recommend wearing masks while out in the public. Why not make your coin show, your coin club, your coin anything more attractive by giving away free affinity masks?   I think their mask design is outstanding.  It features an image of the Cleveland Great Lakes Exposition Half Dollar and the URL of the Cleveland Coin Expo.   ANA, are you listening?  I would LOVE to have a mask with the ANA Logo on the side.  I betcha a lot more of us would also Love an ANA mask, or T-shirt, or Polo Shirt, or Mug, or .........................................................  

One of my favorite first generation commemorative halves is my 1936-D San Diego Commemorative Half which I picked up at a small coin show in Suburban Pittsburgh in February, 2019.  San Diego is near and dear to my heart because I lived near there for almost 40 years.  For those of you not in the know, San Diego County holds the highest concentration of Navy and Marine Corps assets in the world.  San Diego also has a truly world class Zoo and Safari Park along with the honor of hosting the largest comic and pop culture convention in the world, an event I attended for 15 straight years.  The reverse of the San Diego Half shows the beautiful California Tower and St. Francis Chapel, still standing today in Balboa Park, the site of the California Pacific Exposition.   It truly is a remarkable area of the country but one I really don't miss since I am back where I always wanted to be.