I apologize to my readers for the extended silence. It has been an interesting two weeks. Now that it is over, I can go back to searching the numismatic world for interesting stories.
Well… I have not exactly been silent. Those following me on Twitter (@coinsblog) have seen a some stories of interest—other than the flurry of posts from the US Mint’s broken RSS feed. I tweeted about the following articles:
- Coin Collecting – A great hobby for young and old alike!
- History of Coins: TWO-BITS, FOUR-BITS, SIX-BITS, EIGHT… is a good article that explains where the cheer “Two Bits, Four Bits, Six Bits, a Dollar” came from.
- Bad Bears: The Panda Counterfeit Report. If you buy Chinese Panda coins you want to read this!
In other personal news, I found two 2009-D dimes in change. Considering where I was, I suspect that the dimes could have arrived in the area from a visitor to celebrate Independence Day. I also found a few S-mint cents from the late 1960s which might have also arrived in the pocket of a visitor.
While making a purchase in the suburbs, I was given a 2002 Canadian quarter and a 1964-D Washington Quarter. It was clear that the cashier did not know what she was giving me, but offered to buy them back. I explained to the cashier the difference between modern quarters and those minted before 1965. As I was leaving, she was going through the draw dropping quarters on the counter listening for that distinctive “ping” of a silver coin.
The next day I was buying supplies for my dogs when the clerk questioned one of the notes I handed for payment. When I looked at the note I noticed it was a Series 1957A Silver Certificate with a blue seal. It was a worn note that I might have received in change but did not pay enough attention to notice. I was asked how much it was worth and I thought it would be about $2 in its condition. Rather than keeping the silver certificate, I sold it to the clerk to $1 who could not believe how cool it was. Before taking the dog’s treats home, I told him where he could buy a sleeve to better save his new find. Who knows… I could have piqued the interest of a new currency collector.
At work we have a finicky soda machine. It will take paper dollars only if smooth and inserted in one direction. Rather than fight the machine, I have been using Presidential Dollar coins purchased by the roll from a local bank. While a coworker was having problems with his note, I traded his note for a coin to find it worked without issue. After doing this a few times, I convinced some to purchase their own rolls of Presidential Dollars. It may not increase the circulation of dollar coins by much, but it is a start!