James Usher's goal is to collect at least one of every coin that circulated in the United States during the 20th century. Usher, general manager of Dillon, S.C.-based manufacturer Herald Multiforms, is fewer than 200 coins away from accomplishing the feat.
Note that Usher's goal is to collect at least one of every coin. Much of his collection consists of duplicates--lots of them. Usher's collection of 1-cent coins is huge: He has more than 2,000 with wheat ears on the back, and more than 3,000 with the Lincoln Memorial on the back. He also possesses more than 50 mint bags of quarters. One bag contains 100 coins, so the bags are worth more than $1,250. Where does he keep all those coins?
"My most valuable coins are in a safe," Usher says. "The others are in dresser drawers and closets--to the point where my wife can't even store shoes," he says, laughing.
Usher began collecting coins when he worked in a grocery store at age 12. One day, a customer handed him an 1847 large cent as part of her payment, thinking it was a quarter. Having never seen such a coin, Usher pointed out her error and offered her 10 cents for it. She agreed.
After that, Usher says, he looked for old coins constantly. His mother worked in a bank and allowed him to sort through her change and take coins he wanted to keep. Usher's few coins quickly turned into a large book full of them.
Usher's coin collecting recently became more challenging. Because he plans to pass along his collection to his three grandchildren--16-year-old James, 4-year-old Dylan and 3-month-old Carson--he searches for at least three of each new coin he obtains. "I had a good collection for two grandchildren," Usher says, but he wants more now that Carson has entered the family. "I don't want my children to have any more children," he says jokingly.
Usher's grandchildren will have an impressive collection one day. His stash includes an 1818 large cent (Usher's oldest U.S. coin) and a few coins from the 1700s that were rescued from shipwrecks.
Usher also is involved in the new state quarter program. He collects at least three rolls of each new quarter, trying to possess ones with both the "D" mintmark and the "P" mintmark. The "D" mintmark signifies coins minted in Denver; a "P" or no mintmark signifies coins minted in Philadelphia.
Because Usher is from the East Coast, coins minted in Philadelphia are easier for him to find than ones minted in Denver. According to the United States Mint, coins produced in Philadelphia usually are distributed east of the Mississippi River, and ones made in Denver usually are distributed west of the river. So when Usher travels west for business, he always finds time to stop at a bank.
Although Usher has added thousands of coins to his collection since childhood, he says he still finds joy in his hobby. "Every time I find a new coin, there's the same excitement there was 50 years ago," he says.
--Kara Gebhart
James Usher, general manager of Dillon, S.C.-based manufacturer Herald Multiforms, has collected coins for more than 50 years. His collection includes a few coins from the 1700s that were rescued from shipwrecks. One day, he plans to give the collection to his three grandchildren, including 16-year-old James (right).
