Welcome to the Tarnished Truth. YOUR newsletter. In 1949 my father brought home this large box that had a glass window on one side. After doing some dangerous looking acrobatics on our two storied roof and running this flat strap wire down the side of our house he hooked that wire and electricity to that box. He pushed a switch and the glass window lit up showing white and grey 'snow' running across the screen. At 3:00 however the thing got quiet and a picture came on the screen of a round wheel with spokes and the word 'TEST' written across it's face. At 3:30 the test went away and for the next three hours we had entertainment, we had television, and we were AWED.

Now over 50 years latter armed with remote control I surf over 50 channels in color and stereo, and am usually bored. Where can one find that awe that came so easily in ones youth? Well I find it now by holding a near perfect coin of a type and or series not known for perfection, or a coin not perfect but of rare beauty, or a coin that is only just plain rare.

I Was born Feb. 23rd, 1941. My Daddy was stationed at Pensacola Naval Base during WWII, and we moved there in 1942. We finally were able to move back to our hometown of Columbia, TN. in the latter part of 1945. I spent my early years delivering the local newspaper and working for different construction companies in my late teens. Just for comparison purposes, I cleared around $2.50 per week on my paper route, and was paid $ .65 cents per hour on my construction jobs.

My Dad got me interested in coin collecting in the mid 50's, looking for Buffalo nickels. They were fairly easy to find during those years. But, my main interest today is Morgan dollars, and I am still trying to complete the collection. My favorite coin right now is a 1893-S Morgan in VG condition, that I recently acquired. The coin I covet the most at present is a 1895 proof Morgan, which is the only coin I lack in completing the Morgan series. My wife and I have been married for 40 years. We have 2 children, a boy and girl, and we have 5 grandchildren( 3 boys & 2 girls ). We were fortunate, to be able to move back to our hometown of Columbia, TN. We were in the tire business for 37 years. 25 years as an employee of Goodyear, and 12 years as a Goodyear dealer. We sold our last location in Franklin, TN. in 1997. I knew that I would have to do something to keep me busy, and out of trouble, so I started a small coin business on the internet. It has served that purpose. We live about 60 miles south of Nashville, and our current claim to fame is we are the home of the Saturn Automobile Plant. We used to be known as the "Mule Capital of the World". I'm not sure which is best.