The Braille Silver Dollar

[RI AL]

Good afternoon, guys. Hope everyone is well.

 

I was reading the July 21st edition of Coin World today (something I look forward to each week) and found several things that I would like to "discuss" here on the BB. The first thing that caught my attention was on page 14, "Seeing silver Braille commem may destroy value of coin"

 

Here's the section of the article that bothered me a bit: " If blind people purchase the commemorative coins they will naturally want to "see" their coins. But in doing so, they will have to remove the coins from the capsules and touch them. And touching the silver coins will greatly reduce their current and future value".

 

While this may very well be true, somehow the enjoyment a blind collector might get from "seeing" his coin has a far greater value in my mind than the "current and future value" of the coin. I guess sometimes the commercial side of the hobby loses its focus. I am grateful that I am blessed with good vision (especially after the 2 cataract surgeries) but I sure would never tell a blind person that he can't "see" his coin unless he wants to reduce its value. Somehow this seems so unimportant when compared to the enjoyment he would receive in experiencing the coin.

 

While the suggestion that a base metal issue of the coin could be packaged and sold with the silver piece is a good one, (and I hope this happens), something just bothers me about the attitude that the silver coin shouldn't be touched by the blind. I certainly know how I would feel if I were unable to see and a Braille coin were issued. I would certainly want to touch and explore the entire design and "value" would be the last thing on my mind.

 

Just venting a bit here in hot Rhode Island.

 

Oh, my pellet stove has been installed and 3 tons of pellets (150 bags) of pellets are neatly stacked in my garage. Maybe with the money we will hopefully save on heating oil, I might be able to add a new coin or 2 to my collection.

 

RI AL Be well, everyone. Alan...maybe a little too sensitive today.

[PerryHall]

RI AL---How many blind coin collectors do you know?

[RI AL]

Perry-Hall.

 

Of course you're right. I don't expect that there are many collectors who can't see. The point is, at least in my mind...the article I quoted placed so much emphasis on "value" of the coin being reduced if a blind person were to touch it to get a sense of the design. I'm thinking that the opportunity for a blind collector to "see" a coin especially one honoring the Braille system is worth far more that the collector value of the coin.

 

I guess it's just the retired school teacher in me. I've worked with kids with all types of handicaps and a special learning moment was sometimes priceless. Let's not deprive the blind a bit of happiness by telling him that the coin won't be worth as much if he touches it. I mean...what RAELLY is more important here?

 

RI AL

[pendragon1998]

Just put the braile on the capsule as well

[PerryHall]

The Alabama quarter with Helen Keller has braille on it.

[just-john]

don't all the blind coin collectors work for the tpg or cac.Come to think of it a all blind coin grading company would take all guess work out of grading it would be less subjective and coin doctoring wouldn't matter once they got the feel for it .My guess is a MS65 feel much nicer than a MS63 and a a MS70 would feel perfect.The eyes are easily fooled ask any magician BLIND IS THE FUTURE OF THE HOBBY

[astrostu]

The Alabama quarter with Helen Keller has braille on it.

 

Yes, but it was too small to be readable. At least, that's what the Mint says since they're marketing this as the "first Braille-readable coin" (or something like that).

[Jeffrey Cardona]

don't all the blind coin collectors work for the tpg or cac.Come to think of it a all blind coin grading company would take all guess work out of grading it would be less subjective and coin doctoring wouldn't matter once they got the feel for it .My guess is a MS65 feel much nicer than a MS63 and a a MS70 would feel perfect.The eyes are easily fooled ask any magician BLIND IS THE FUTURE OF THE HOBBY

 

 

Way funny!! Especially TPG CAC part!!

[MTHead-migration]

Some good questions; already raised here.

[pendragon1998]

How many blind coin collectors are there anyway??

[Conder101]

Not many but there are a few. We have one in the Ft Wayne Indiana coin club. He's not totally blind but he does either have to be lead (tight areas) or use his white cane to get around.

[pendragon1998]

Now please don't take this as me trying to be insensitive...but what is the point of collecting objects whose sole distinguishing feature between quality and can, in some cases, be difficult to see (I'm thinking of hairlines) - if you can't see them in the first place?

 

I mean, I love - LOVE - to bird. I do it a lot. I spend money at it. I'm serious, you know? But if I was in a bad car accident and I lost my sense of sight and my hearing was damaged...I can't say that I see the point of continuing to do it.

 

That said, I once saw a piece on a blind painter who felt his paint consistencies to tell color and felt the thickness of the paint on the paper to see where he was...but that's still a tactile experience, whereas I really don't think that a blind person can pick up on hairlines or tell a whizzed coin from a heavily worn one.

 

Maybe I'm just underestimating them. I really don't mean to be insensitive, like I said. I'm genuinely curious what they would get out of it. Now if they're only partially blind - say, with bad cataracts, but with limited sight - I can get it. But are there any totally blind collectors?

[just-john]

if Ray Charles liked to drive then I could imagine blind people collecting coins.I know for a fact that vision can get in the way of seeing beauty.But if I were blind I would certainly want a friend with sight to come with me to any BM coins store if I were buying or selling anything.Seen or heard of to many horror stories. So I guess what I'm saying I would trust a blind collector more often than a BM owner

[Conder101]

Now please don't take this as me trying to be insensitive...but what is the point of collecting objects whose sole distinguishing feature between quality and *spoon* can, in some cases, be difficult to see (I'm thinking of hairlines) - if you can't see them in the first place?

 

but that's still a tactile experience, whereas I really don't think that a blind person can pick up on hairlines or tell a whizzed coin from a heavily worn one.

I've highlighted the important parts.

 

We are looking at a different mindset and reason for collecting. What you consider *spoon* is what the blind collector wants. The blind collector is often more of a history buff or interested in a particular time period and collects the coins as a physical connection to that time. For them it IS a tactile experience and they WANT to handle and feel their coins and rub their fingers over their surfaces. Hairlines and whizzed coins are not a concern for them. They are collecting for a personal enjoyment and not for any concern of a return on their investment or even getting their money back out of the coins. One thing they are not interested in are coins in slabs. No physical connection.