A couple weeks ago I found a couple old coins that were very worn, had a date of 1897 on one, and 1787 on the other. It really brought back memories of my childhood and reminded me, once again, how I am wired and why I am here.
Many of you know that I am an avid treasure hunter, however over the last couple of years I have really lost the thrill of the hunt, so to speak. It isn’t that I have grown out of it, it’s just that the last couple years have been extremely busy. Running a business, working a corporate sales career, starting a family, etc, etc. Life has been down right taxing and it has just taken a toll on me. Today reminded me of who I am.
I walked into a local coin shop here in Charlotte and decided to see what my rare coins were worth. While waiting to talk to the man with the eyeglass, I decided to browse the coin cases. My eyes were wide and I sprouted a 1 one man tent while drooling over all the rare and exotic coins. Buffalo nickels, dimes, oversized pennies, silver dollars, 1800’s coins, and on and on! It was amazing! I felt like I had walked onto a pirate ship and Captain Eyeglass was waiting to serve me. Captain Eyeglass finally finished up with his customer and examined my latest treasure.
“Well”, said Mr. Eyeglass. “I have good news and bad news. Bad news is that your spanish coin here is a fake. Good news is this silver dollar is worth about $125 bucks. My heart skipped a beat, a bead of drool hit the counter, and I grew to a 4 man tent. “Wow” I said, “Are coins like this pretty rare, or is it just old enough that it carries that kind of value.” Mr. Eyeglass went into a huge disertation on the history of coins and the minting process, P vs D prints, proof prints, etc. During this speech I had a brief flashblack……..
My flashback took me through the experiences in life that have led me to an eventual life of treasure hunting. Goonies in the mid 1980’s, my first metal detector, The Hardy Boys, choose your own adventure books, blowing up the mountain behind my house, asking my friend Jeff to lower me in a hole in the mountain I thought had gold in it, buying silver coins with my dad, trips to Las Vegas, and many other encounters.
It seems like throughout my life I have always been on a hunt, not always coins or gold or treasure, but always hunting. Maybe that’s why I am always on the look out for new business opportunities, hagaling for deals, buying and re-selling, etc. It’s just something that has been bred in me for so long. It’s also why places like Vegas, Atlantic City, and the corner bookie, always give me a natural high. There is just something inside of me that wants to obtain the “Treasure”!
All of these life experiences have made me the way I am today. Everyday could be my day, and that’s the way I will continue to live it. Not only that, but everyday is a treasure in and of itself. Never going to know how it will end, or what you will find. And that my friends, is why I love treasure hunting.
