A little stream of consciousness...

[jtryka]

My father's birthday is coming up in a couple weeks, so I found a nice Mercury dime from the year he was born that I thought would make a nice gift. I hate to buy him really splendid coins as they usually end up clanging around in his pocket as he likes to carry these sorts of things around with him. So this coin, though nice is not very expensive.

 

This morning as I was looking at the coin, I got to thinking how sad this coin was. Not because of it's poor condition, but because of its unfulfilled purpose. This coin was meant to be spent! How many cups of coffee would it have bought over the years? How many bottles of pop? How many phone calls home for the holidays? How many smiles of the faces of so many kids from the Hershey bars it could have bought? Not this dime. No, this one did none of those things. Instead it was probably left in a vault these many years to fail at its one pupose for existence.

 

And as I thought about this, I started to ponder how much coins are like people. So many of us, myself included, spend our lives in selfish pursuits, sitting in a vault that we create for ourselves instead of circulating and bringing happiness to those who we come in contact with. Sure, a nice BU dime is a pretty thing to look at, but wouldn't you rather live your life as the beat up old merc that's accomplished its purpose so well that you can barely make out the date? I know I would.

 

That's all for my philosophical moment, now back to your regularly scheduled numismatic banter.

[jtryka]

just to keep this in the realm of coins, here is the reverse of the coin attached above.

[braddick]

Or, look at it this way. The coin was minted to bring us joy. That joy may have been accomplished being spent on that cup of coffee OR it is currently bringing you joy as a collectible and soon your father joy as a gift from you.

 

That is a much more noble purpose for that Mercury, don't you think?

[Beijim]

I'm inclined to agree with Braddick. Another of the coin's purposes was to be aesthetically appealing, perhaps even beautiful. Otherwise, it would be a plain disc of metal bearing only those indicia mandated by law. In my estimation it's achieved this secondary purpose magnificently, and you're its custodian in this accomplishment. So be at peace, good sir!

 

On the analogy to people, I agree. I'm stealing a line when I say I'd rather burn out than rust. Within limits, of course. Heh heh.

 

Beijim

 

[keithdagen]

This morning as I was looking at the coin, I got to thinking how sad this coin was. Not because of it's poor condition, but because of its unfulfilled purpose. This coin was meant to be spent! How many cups of coffee would it have bought over the years? How many bottles of pop? How many phone calls home for the holidays? How many smiles of the faces of so many kids from the Hershey bars it could have bought? Not this dime. No, this one did none of those things. Instead it was probably left in a vault these many years to fail at its one pupose for existence.

 

And by keeping it pristine, think of all the fishes that were spared because the coin didn't find it's proper use.