Lianna Spurrier
Lianna started collecting over 10 years ago and started working in the field professionally in2018. She's the creative director for Numismatic Marketing and is also an avid collector who'sin the process of researching for a book about Japanese bar money.1. When and why did you become a coin collector?When I was little, I got foreign coins from the Tooth Fairy instead of spending money. Ikept them all in a ceramic bank and called myself a coin collector, but I didn't really knowanything about them.

When I was 11, my parents cleaned out a relative's house who was a hoarder. I got to go with them and was oddly excited about spending my Saturday's inside a musty old house with rubber gloves and face masks in August, but it was like a treasure hunt to me. We found a few little stashes of coins tucked away - a jar of wheat pennies here, a metal tin with a Seated Libertyhalf dollar there - and, since I already thought of myself as a coin collector, I asked to keep them.

Pretty soon I had the wheat pennies sorted out by date and mint mark on our living roomfloor, telling anyone who would listen why the 1909 S VDB was so special. I was very investedin collecting for a few years until high school sucked up all my free time and replaced all of myhobbies with homework. Near the end of college, when I finally had time for hobbies again, Idove back in and have no intentions of leaving.

2. What are you currently collecting?
My main collection is Japanese bar money; it's a series of gold and silver rectangularcoins issued from 1599-1869. They're very unusual looking, and also very difficult to find andresearch. I've always been one for a challenge, so I've sunk my teeth in and eventually plan towrite a book on them to make them more accessible for English speakers. For now, I have awebsite with a basic intro to the series at rectanglecoins.com.

In addition, I have a few cheaper, fun sets. I started a Dansco 7070 type set back inmiddle school, so I've been gradually filling that in. I also recently started a registry set of tonedFrench Sower francs. When shows are happening, I have a Canadian type set and Fiji Danscoalbum that I fill in by hunting through bargain bins.

I like to have multiple sets going at different price ranges. The general advice in theindustry is to buy fewer, more expensive coins, which is valid; however, there's also a lot to besaid for the fun sets. I started off by digging through bargain bins of wheat pennies at fleamarkets, and that's still one of my favorite things to do at shows. I'm a strong advocate thatcollections at all budgets are valid and worthwhile.

5. You're the ANA President, name one thing you would do to make coin collecting moreattractive to young people?

Man, that is the question, isn't it?

I think one part of the equation that I haven't seen talked about much is putting moreemphasis on cheap parts of the hobby. Let's talk about collecting a Dansco album of Jeffersonnickels or a 20th century Canadian type set. As a kid, the fancy, high grade pieces were nice tolook at, but for me, they were so far out of my budget that they lost my interest. I think any shopthat's hoping to attract young people should have some of their cheaper inventory out anddisplayed right alongside the fancy pieces.

If I hadn't found Don's, with cases full of raw coins that were close to my price range,there's no telling if I would have kept collecting. The fancy shops seemed to say to 11-year-oldme, before the owner even had a chanceto say hello.

Another aspect to that is making those same pieces a bit more glamorous. For example, ifyou have raw pieces in plastic flips, print off some nice labels for them instead of scribbling onbits of cardboard.

I fully realize that's a large commitment of time, effort, and valuable display space, but ifour goal is attracting younger people, we need to make their budgets feel legitimate. If it works,they'll eventually come back with more money and buy the fancier pieces.

Translating that to what I could actually do if I were the ANA President, I would makeattractive and editable flip labels easily available, and distribute guides to dealers regarding arecommended amount of coins under $100 or $50 to display. Pamphlets could also be distributedto dealers with introductions to inexpensive and accessible sets, so they can then give those toany young people who enter their shop.

For more information on PAN, see:
https://pancoins.org/