My grandfather collected coins since he was a kid. He got me interested in numismatics by telling me there could be "hidden treasure" in every bag or pocketful he'd empty out onto the kitchen table.

He used to buy bags of coins from friends, dealers, antique markets - wherever he could find them. We'd sit under the bright light at the kitchen table searching for the dates and mint marks that might identify a rare and valuable coin. More often than not, we'd found one or two coins to add to his collection or mine. Once we even found a rare 1913 Liberty Head Quarter, which was so exciting that we started to whoop and holler until my grandmother came running into the kitchen and made us "shush up".

Even then, the quarter was worth a lot of money, but my gramps wouldn't sell the prize piece in his collection. When he passed, he left his coins to me, including that rare quarter. I can't bear to sell it, either. It's become the centerpiece of my own collection. Not because of its value, but because it's a sweet reminder of that day in my grandparents' kitchen when we actually found a hidden treasure among a pile of ordinary coins.