got what I deserved

I have a funny story to relate of something that happened to me recently.

I am a full fledged coin nut..I always check my change and recently I checked some change that wasn't even mine. I was at a convenience store, and you know those little plastic trays or cups at the check out counter? You may have seen one with a little sign..." Take a Penny or Leave a Penny". I assume they are there in case you purchase something whose total comes to $1.01 or $1.02....or conversely, if my total is 99c then I'll just leave a penny there for the next guy.

It's a simple convenience thing, primarily to speed up the line I assume. Well, for a numismaniac for me it is a potential search.

The other day at our local Quik-E Mart I spied a penny in the tray--facedown--with very nice wheat lines staring up at me. With all of the smoothness I could muster, after I received my change from my purchase, I promptly ( and I like to think very deftly and casually) dropped a penny in the mini-tray and scooped up the wheatie and pocketed it. When I got to the car I looked at it--nope, no early date, not an "S" mint coin...so I stuck it in my pocket and drove home.

However, something kept gnawing at me...then it hit me !! Cosmic justice had been served !! I was trying to be slick and get myself a free wheatie for a cheapo zinc penny in exchange..and the joke was on me. My wheatie was fake !!

I got home and double-checked the date, sure enough..it said 1943-D..however it was a copper coin !! I had finally realized/remembered that in 1943 that pennies were made of steel. Oh well, I got a chuckle out of it..and I'm saving the fake as a souvenir to remember this funny episode....

Otherwise, I also finally bought my final Mercury dime for my set..although it's not here yet. I'll write a little about that once it arrives about how anti-climactic that turned out to be...for now,

Happy hunting everyone..and don't take any wooden nickels or fake wheaties..