Hobby, Coin Shop Lifted Spirits After Hit- and- Run
Back in early December I was struck by a car while riding my bicycle. I was knocked out for 30 minutes before the ambulance arrived and would find out that I had a broken collar bone while at the hospital. It was a hit- and-run, and the car responsible was never caught. I felt demoralized in the following weeks after. Despite this, I still looked for ways to uplift myself from feelings of exhaust, the most significant of which was where I wrote to Numismatic News about my experiences in cherrypicking. They published my letter in the Jan. 30, 2024, issue, titled “Experience in Errors and Die Varieties Worth Sharing.” A month after initially being struck, I finally had surgery done for my collar bone. I’ve since recovered, and I’m doing well now.
During the intermediate period between the hit- and-run and surgery, I went to my local coin shop to sell some of my coins, due to being out of work. While there, I spoke to one of the employees, John, about what had happened. He asked me if I would be interested in working at the shop. At first I was unsure, but after speaking with Sarah, one of the owners, I said yes. I didn’t begin work until two weeks after surgery. It was rough at first due to pain, and wearing a sling made working awkward and difficult. The work itself mostly consisted of re- stocking displays, selling to and buying from visitors, and re-organizing stock. It has been a great learning experience in all things coin business-related.
I feel I must now give proper accreditation to the individuals responsible for my new claims of success. I consider John to be a intentive mentor, as it relates to the dealings and tasks in the business. He has worked at the shop for the last five years, and I have grown fond of our conversations within those years. He has eluded to the idea or desire to start a business as a coin dealer. I suspect he will have much support behind him when he does. My second mentor, Terry, is accomplished in many ways: retired college professor, Ph.D. holder in educational psychology and contributor to The Cherrypickers’ Guide, the list probably goes on. I had wondered why he chose to work at the shop instead of continuing his work in the classroom, or even as numismatic researcher; however, the cause is clear to me now. It’s his connection to the original owner, Emory Robinson, and his three granddaughters, which is what cements his commitment towards it’s success. In my first letter I said “Who if not for their [Terry’s] influence I doubt I’d have progressed to this point” in regard to my new pursuit and success in cherrypicking. I know now with complete certainty that I could not have made it this far without his influence.
My boss, Sarah, is one of the three owners. I know that if she were to read this, she would be abashed for being referred to as “boss.” You must know, I write it with feelings of admiration. She has chosen to add upon the foundation left to her, and I choose to look favorable on her while she does so. I hope in the time I spend working for her that I am able to prove myself helpful. The shop’s success is of great importance to me; I must take this opportunity to prove it true. There are many more who I could mention, but that will have to wait for another time. For now, I will do what I can for the shop, meanwhile looking forward to attending community collage and waiting to see if my scholarship application will be accepted for the ANA Summer Seminar. Sincerely, a proud worker of Edgewood Coin Co.
Stephen. E. Erwin Address withheld