In truth, there are probably substantial numbers of traditional collectors who prefer to acquire coins destined to increase in esteem and value over time; treasured heirlooms and a source of pride to be passed from one generation to next. On flip side of this equation, it seems implausible that anyone would buy a coin with hope or expectation to see it stagnate or decrease in value. Indeed, any commentator who suggests words “investment” and “coins” should never appear in close proximity to one another is ignoring a heavily populated segment of our hobby.

Now that we’ve established that it’s not numismatic heresy to seek coins with strong upside possibilities, let’s get down to basics. The guiding principle is simple: Any coin that has demonstrated solid, consistent gains over a long period of time is likely to show continued growth in years ahead. Easily said, but as we shall soon see, not so easily put into practice.

I recently received an interesting question in a photography email group that I subscribe to, and felt compelled to share it with fellow Notebook readers. It read basically like this: ?I am interested in knowing what purposes all of you feel photography serves. In other words, what place in your heart does photography fill?? A rather simple question at first glance- or so I thought. As I began to sort out reasons I enjoy photographing outdoors, it occurred to me that camera in itself is one of most powerful tools we have at our disposal when it comes to preserving our country?s natural heritage. The inspiration that photography provides in people makes it a medium unlike any other. Whether you decide to share your works with friends and family or broadcast them far and wide, fact remains that our natural areas are indeed being preserved in one way or another.

In researching for this article, I came across a fascinating story of Gordon River in Tasmania. A photographer by name of Peter Dombrovskis captured an image of what is known as ?Rock Island Bend? (Check out ?Conservation Corner Online? forum on HeartlandOutdoorsmanCom for a glimpse of this remarkable photo, as it is truly amazing!). As story goes, it was decided that a dam should be built to harness power of river, and public outcry quickly ensued. This one single frame became an important symbol of fight to save river, because it depicted wild untamed beauty of this ecologically significant waterway and people instantly embraced it while coordinating their efforts. Not everyone goes out with camera to use it as a tool for conservation, obviously?but sometimes we overlook how important sharing these memories can be, and residual benefits that often go unseen. Remember old adage ?Take only memories...Leave only footprints?? The next time you are out and about, focus of this article will become much more evident while keeping that thought in mind.