I missed this one... hope it was a great day!
I too used to collect coins, though I don't know when or why I got out of it. I had a few of those steel pennies, but my crown jewel I came into by accident: I was probably 8 years old or so, and went to the neighborhood grocery. I bought a Dr. Pepper and a candy bar, and gave Mrs. Berger a dollar. She handed me a silver half-dollar as change (that dates me a tad, huh?). I was disappointed at first, then looked closely at it: a 1964 JFK silver half dollar--the real silver edition. Years later, I sold it for $45.
I still look at coins, but I don't collect them. If I find something interesting, I pass it along to someone who does collect.
This makes me wonder if my Mom still has Grandpa's money collection. Bills and coins from all over the world, nothing newer than 65-70 years old. There were even some old wooden coins that I think are WWII Japanese money.