Congratulations to Joe and the Sermarini family!
20 years is an incredible milestone and one that deserves to be celebrated!
Whilst my registration shows that I joined in 2015, my original commencement is dated in the early 2000s. I took a break from collecting for about a decade whilst focusing (exclusively) on my full-time career. Consequently, my original user registration, much like my social life, was cancelled for inactivity, though there do remain posts from that time. At least one of them is
still stickied which is a proud reminder to me that I was once here 'back in the day'.
In returning, I am pleased to say that I was made to feel welcome by Joe and the
members of this
discussion board. As fans of the Australian movie 'The Castle' might say: 'It's the vibe!'. The vibe here is great. There is no question too small. There is no shortage of experts prepared to generously devote their time to assisting others, like me, in learning about ancient
numismatics and all things related, which to some is merely a hobby, but to others a devoted passion or profession. For that I am grateful. I do not know of anywhere else where one can readily access the top minds in a particular
field. This should never be taken for granted. It is a
rare privilege.
The resources available to beginners reduce barriers to entry in a particularly complex
area of
numismatics. Undoubtedly this has assisted in the growth and retention of ancient coin collectors worldwide. I check the
Fakes board and reports routinely and use
Numiswiki regularly. Both are more than just useful - they have proven to be
tools essential to the hobby for beginners and experts alike.
I wish
FORVM, Joe and the Sermarini family, and the
discussion board community all the best for the years to come!
Peter