My Battle with Numismatic Phobias: A 6-Month Journey of Fear, Mistakes, and Lessons Learned

I Almost Quit Coin Collecting – Here’s How Fear Took Over My Hobby

Six months ago, I nearly sold my entire coin collection. Not for financial reasons, but because paralyzing fears turned my passion into a source of anxiety. If you’ve ever lain awake worrying about your coins, you’ll recognize these struggles.

What began as simple caution spiraled into full-blown phobias that made me question every purchase. Let me walk you through my rocky journey – the mistakes I made and what finally brought me back to enjoying numismatics.

When Caution Became Crippling Fear

Collecting should bring joy, right? Yet I developed three specific phobias that transformed my hobby:

1. Numisphobia: Missing Hidden Treasure

I’ll never forget the 1955 doubled die Lincoln cent that got away. After finding one in a bulk lot I’d sold for face value (it later auctioned for $1,500), I became obsessed. For weeks, I examined every wheat penny under 5x magnification, terrified of overlooking another rarity.

2. Unslabbophobia: My Raw Coin Panic

Raw coins became my kryptonite. I stopped buying them entirely – until an estate sale forced me to confront this fear. An elderly collector offered me his raw 1916-D Mercury dime for a song. My hands actually shook as I held it, certain I’d damage this irreplaceable piece.

3. BNphobia: Copper’s Colorful Betrayal

Watching my prized 1909-S VDB cent transition from fiery red to warm brown felt like failure. I tried every preservation trick until a mentor chuckled: “Coins age like we do – with character.” That simple truth changed everything.

Security Measures Gone Wild

My safety concerns escalated to ridiculous levels:

• Bought a biometric safe after imagining burglars 24/7
• Created “display protocols” worthy of Fort Knox
• Panic-searched for hours when I misfiled that same 1909-S VDB

What Actually Calmed My Collector Anxiety

Preservation Peace of Mind:

Through costly trial and error, I found these solutions stick:

// My non-obsessive preservation routine:
1. Intercept Shield boxes for silver (no more plastic baggies!)
2. Silica gel packs changed quarterly
3. Cotton gloves + acetone wash ONLY for gunky coins
4. Basement closet converted to 40% humidity storage

Authentication Confidence Boosters:

My three-step gut-check before buying:

1. 10x loupe inspection right at the dealer’s table
2. Digital scale in my pocket for weight verification
3. Third-party grading for anything pricier than my mortgage payment

The Mindset Shift That Changed Everything

My breakthrough came during a local coin show. As I watched children happily handling circulated Morgan dollars, I realized:

“These coins survived world wars and recessions. They’ll survive my collection if I stop treating them like nitro glycerin.”

That day, I bought a raw 1921 Peace Dollar – and didn’t even glove up to hold it.

Where My Collection Stands Today

Six months later, here’s what worked long-term:

• Specialist insurance ($200/year) erased most theft fears
• Monthly coffee meetups with veteran collectors kept my worries in check
• A simple spreadsheet with photos lets me sleep knowing my family could handle things

The hard-won lesson? Coin collecting phobias are normal, but they shouldn’t steal your joy. Manage risks practically, embrace imperfection, and remember – every scratch on that Mercury dime tells a story worth preserving more than mint luster.

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