I did something this week, I hope, for the future of coin collecting. I tried to influence a distant relative to start collecting coins.

My sister told me her great grandson was nine years old and she wanted to start him collecting coins. She wanted me to write him a note to become a new collector. Instead of writing something Idictated a tape to listen to. Kids are more auditory, I reasoned, than visual, if they can put down their cell phone long enough.

I was nine when I first started collecting coins. So many collectors I know started about this age. Some lose interest in mid teens for sports and dating. Often, however, they return as an adult,age 35 or later.

A co-worker of my father, Allison Lowe, influenced my father to buy for me a "penny board," the flat kind. It was February 1939 - the portholes were only dated up to that year. I filled in everyone, even the 1922 broken D, but without the S-VDB, all from circulation.

Despite our age differences, Allison Low, was a friend. He specialized in buffalo nickels, making up sets from circulation. You could do that in the 1930s and 40s. I bought one set from him for$20. I still have it, more than 75 years later.

Collectors are not born spontaneously. They need someone to introduce them to the hobby. I hope my great grand nephew becomes a lifelong collector.