About a Century Old posted by Electric Peak Collection

[CSJournals-migration]

In the spare penny tray

 

One of the secondary collecting goals that I've had, but never put any effort (i.e., $$$) into, is every year to add a 100 year old coin and a 200 year old coin to my collection. The higher priority goals simply took all the money, and I haven't had the time to search for and research those "century" coins.

 

This past Saturday my wife and I made our annual trip to visit my mother at Christmas-time, in Bethlehem, PA. The tradition is for us to chat for awhile and take her out to a local restaurant for dinner. This year's eatery had us paying the bill at a counter by the door. While standing there, I noticed the extra penny tray. I collect coins, after all.

 

One of the cents caught my eye. It wasn't flashy like most of the others. It was brown, but with a bright border. I picked it up to look at it, and saw that it was a wheatie. But because I can't see well up close with my contact lenses, I could not read the date or be certain if there was a mint mark or not. I asked if I could take it, was told "yes", and put it in my pocket.

 

Later that night, I traded contacts for glasses, took the coin out of my pocket, and examined it. All of the wheaties I've found in recent years have been from the 40s and 50s. But this one was older. The date is 1916, and I could see a mint mark. Taking off the glasses for a good close-up view, I saw a tiny S.

 

That had me mildly excited. I have my childhood Lincoln Cent collection in a pair of Whitman albums. I shouldn't call it my childhood collection though, because I have improved only two of them during my adult collecting. There is a decent 1916-S in the first album. (Only the 09-S VDB, 09-S, 14-D, 22 no D, and 31-S are missing).

 

But I also had a Whitman folder for my second bests. I knew that it was far less complete. Sure enough, the 1916-S hole was empty. So my new find has a new place of honor. Well, it's a better place than the coffee can that holds all my other extra wheaties.

 

It isn't exactly 100 years old, but close. And it was a pleasant little experience to start the new year. The bigger numismatic experience so far was getting four half dimes and a dime in Heritage's FUN Show auctions. More on them later.

 

I hope you all had a great Christmas holiday season, and wish you all the best in the coming year. Oh yes, and Congratulations to all the Registry Award winners. Well done!

 

Alan

 

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[CBC]

One of the benefits of using cash. I got a 1935 Mercury dime in change at Lowes last September. That was the only silver coin I got in change in at least 10 years.

[tommy44]

I took a few worn out aluminum lawn chairs to a local re-cycler a couple of years ago and whoda thunk I would get a 43-S war nickel from them as part of my payment.