HSSR Publisher at Camden Coin Show March 22 and 23

From Staff Reports 

Moncks Corner - When the Pandemic hit the nation in March, 2020, forcing the closure of all schools in South Carolina for several months, HSSR Founder & Publisher Billy G. Baker was forced into unemployment for the first time in his life. 

At the time, Baker was 66, and was about to draw Social Security for the first time. Baker was declared a "non-essential employee" by a decree released by the Governor's office,.and he was not too happy with the situation. He remembered as a teenager visiting his Aunt in Lake City, over several summers, he mowed the lawn of her neighbor EB Bailey, a retired rail road man, who was an avid coin collector. 

"Long story short, Mr. Bailey showed me his vast coin collection, and told me to buy coins over my life every time when I had the opportunity, and to store them until I got in my 60's like a retirement program," said Baker.

"Needless to say when the Pandemic hit me like a ton of bricks, I went into my attic, searched every closet in my house, and after about two weeks I was shocked at how many old coins I had purchased over a 50-year period," said Baker. "I visited my adviser and mentor Bill Latour, at his coin shop in North Charleston and he told me to quit loving my coins and to start selling them as a coin vendor!" 

Now, Baker attends coin shows to promote coin collecting as a long term hobby that has the potential for retirement benefits.  But, coin collecting really brings to the hobbyist a sense of excitement in searching for coins to complete a collection or in finding a scarce coin.

Baker amassed a collection of over 400,000 old wheat pennies over the years, along with some Morgan and Peace Silver dollars. At coin shows, he shares his love of coins and how he got started collecting pennies over the years.  He also helps youngsters get started by showing off his collection and helping these new coin collectors get started on their own penny collection.

Baker will be at the Camden Coin Show at the Camden City Arena, adjacent to the Camden High Bulldog Stadium in Camden SC on Friday and Saturday March 22-23. He will set-up as the "Penny Man" in the vending Hall and he would like to invite all high school coaches, student athletes, and scouts to stop by and visit with him at the show.