Posted on 06/24/2009 9:35:04 AM PDT by nickcarraway
PENNY FOR YOUR THOUGHTS:
Ever looked at your spare change before you spend it?
There may be a treasure or two lurking about.
Such was the case of a friend of mine who works in retail.
Part of his job is to make sure the automatic change dispensers are working.
Recently, however, he was called down after one of the dispensers became jammed.
On closer inspection, he discovered at first glance what appeared to be a slug.
Imagine his surprise when he pulled from the dispenser, an 1865 Indian head U.S. penny (see photos to the right).
I must admit I am equally impressed when a 142 year old penny survives in circulation – although that is highly unlikely.
Instead, it might have been a person’s lucky coin used for scratch and win tickets, or an old, but good luck charm.
If only the penny could talk.
Since it can’t, the next best thing is the Internet, where a quick search unveiled a few interesting tidbits for things that took place in 1865.
Headlines for the day include several U.S. Civil War Confederate veterans forming the Ku Klux Klan, U.S. president Abraham Lincoln is shot by John Wilkes Booth, Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland is published, the world’s first maxium speed law comes into effect in England, slavery is abolished in America with the enactment of the 13th admendment of the U.S. Constitution.
While it might be the oldest coin I have ever seen, the penny reminded me of a story my dad Jerry, told me about his gambling exploits in Reno several years ago.
He was down to his last few dollars, and decided to take his chances at one of the one-armed bandits.
He put the silver dollar in, pulled the lever and won.
He was going to push his luck a little farther, and he was just about to pour the silver dollars into the slot once again, when he noticed the dates on a few of the silver dollars.
One was from the early 1920s and the other was from the late 1800s.
The ose old blue folding books are Whitman coin folders—they are still made today.
1915-D(Denver). That was the year the Lusitania was sunk.
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