Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Imagine If This 1865 Penny Could Talk
Wetaskiwin Times ^ | 6/23/09 | Jerold LeBlanc

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.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; History; Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: coins; godsgravesglyphs; history
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021 next last

1 posted on 06/24/2009 9:35:05 AM PDT by nickcarraway
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: nickcarraway
Headlines for the day include several U.S. Civil War Confederate veterans forming the Ku Klux Klan,

One of them being a young Robert Byrd from West Virginia.

2 posted on 06/24/2009 9:37:49 AM PDT by Moonman62 (The issue of whether cheap labor makes America great should have been settled by the Civil War.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: nickcarraway

Just found the other day a 1916 penny in a roll of pennies, in extremely fine condition.

93 years old.

Last year, found a 1910 penny in change.

Makes you wonder where its traveled and who has held it throgh the years.


3 posted on 06/24/2009 9:38:56 AM PDT by exit82 (The Obama Cabinet: There was more brainpower on Gilligan's Island.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: nickcarraway

I found a penny in Crandon, Wi. dated 1860 and it’s in good shape!


4 posted on 06/24/2009 9:43:02 AM PDT by devistate one four (Back by popular demand: America love or leave it (GTFOOMC) TET68)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: nickcarraway

I found a penny in Crandon, Wi. dated 1860 and it’s in good shape!


5 posted on 06/24/2009 9:43:12 AM PDT by devistate one four (Back by popular demand: America love or leave it (GTFOOMC) TET68)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Moonman62

No Robert Byrd was a spry age 51 in 1865


6 posted on 06/24/2009 9:44:02 AM PDT by Jim from C-Town
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: nickcarraway

And just imagine what that penny could actually buy in 1865...


7 posted on 06/24/2009 9:44:12 AM PDT by SandWMan (Even if you can't legislate morality, you can legislate morally.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: nickcarraway; exit82
I must admit I am equally impressed when a 142 year old penny survives in circulation – although that is highly unlikely.

A detective on burglary detail once told me that when you find a coin like that, especially in decent condition, it is likely some wasteoid stole a coin collection and spent them as common change.

8 posted on 06/24/2009 9:44:54 AM PDT by Oatka ("A society of sheep must in time beget a government of wolves." –Bertrand de Jouvenel)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: nickcarraway

I found a 1997 penny the other day. Does that count for anything?


9 posted on 06/24/2009 9:46:54 AM PDT by SLB (Wyoming's Alan Simpson on the Washington press - "all you get is controversy, crap and confusion")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: exit82
When I was a kid...I collected pennies..in those blue folding flat books.

I recently moved and "found" the books again....Among many others...I have a 1915 D in pretty good shape.

Fun to look at...and wonder where it traveled.

FRegards,

10 posted on 06/24/2009 9:46:57 AM PDT by Osage Orange (There ought to be one day-- just one-- when there is open season on senators. - Will Rogers)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: nickcarraway
I must admit I am equally impressed when a 142 year old penny survives in circulation – although that is highly unlikely.

Most likely it was either a child raiding their parents coin collection, or a coin collector having extras and deciding to spend it on purpose in order to "seed" the field for future coin collectors.
11 posted on 06/24/2009 9:47:35 AM PDT by reynols
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: nickcarraway
Flipside --

I find it depressing to look at my change and see a old, battered penny: "Boy!" I say. "This must be really old! Let's check the date!"

And then I see it's the year I was married. Sigh.

12 posted on 06/24/2009 9:48:44 AM PDT by ClearCase_guy (We are a ruled people, serfs to the Federal Oligarchy -- and the Tree of Liberty thirsts)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SandWMan

From measuringworth:

Current data is only available till 2008. In 2008, $0.01 from 1865 is worth:

$0.14 using the Consumer Price Index
$0.12 using the GDP deflator
$1.18 using the unskilled wage
$1.67 using the nominal GDP per capita
$14.44 using the relative share of GDP


13 posted on 06/24/2009 9:51:40 AM PDT by Old Professer (The critic writes with rapier pen, dips it twice, then writes again.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: nickcarraway

A friend of mine used to work as a toll taker on a bridge. He came across a lot of interesting coins that way. He’d just swap the dime or whatever he got with a newer coin from his pocket.


14 posted on 06/24/2009 9:56:36 AM PDT by Southside_Chicago_Republican ("During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act." --Orwell)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: nickcarraway
Headlines for the day include several U.S. Civil War Confederate veterans forming the Ku Klux Klan,

Belonging to the DEMOCRAT party. Today Michael Moore would refer to such post-war terrorists as "insurgents" who were fighting the Northern "imperialists" in their midst during Reconstruction.

15 posted on 06/24/2009 10:23:59 AM PDT by a fool in paradise (There is no truth in the Pravda Media.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Old Professer

Don’t forget the value of the copper in it. Our pennies have been made of copper plated zinc for decades now.


16 posted on 06/24/2009 10:24:42 AM PDT by a fool in paradise (There is no truth in the Pravda Media.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: nickcarraway
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.

If he was putting SILVER dollars in rather than Sakojaweas, he was throwing away good currency.

On the other hand, if he was playing with half dollars, some are silver and some are not.

17 posted on 06/24/2009 10:27:50 AM PDT by a fool in paradise (There is no truth in the Pravda Media.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: reynols

“Most likely it was either a child raiding their parents coin collection...”

When I was but a wee tot, my dad kept a stack of real silver dollars on top of his dresser, too high for us kids to reach (yeah, right.)

I remember hooking a few to buy cigarettes when my allowance wouldn’t cover the price of a pack.

Please don’t tell him...


18 posted on 06/24/2009 2:27:39 PM PDT by mrs. a (It's a short life but a merry one...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: nickcarraway

· join list or digest · view topics · view or post blog · bookmark · post a topic ·

 
Gods
Graves
Glyphs
Thanks nickcarraway.

Just adding to the catalog, not sending a general distribution.

To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list.
GGG managers are SunkenCiv, StayAt HomeMother, and Ernest_at_the_Beach
 

·Dogpile · Archaeologica · ArchaeoBlog · Archaeology · Biblical Archaeology Society ·
· Discover · Nat Geographic · Texas AM Anthro News · Yahoo Anthro & Archaeo · Google ·
· The Archaeology Channel · Excerpt, or Link only? · cgk's list of ping lists ·


19 posted on 06/24/2009 2:34:38 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (http://www.troopathon.org/index.php -- June 25th -- the Troopathon)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: a fool in paradise

The pennies before 1982 are made of 95% copper.

1982 was a hybrid year. Since then, the pennies are mostly zinc with a copper wash. That’s why they are lighter than the older pennies.

The older pennies have about 1.5 cents of copper in them now.


20 posted on 06/24/2009 6:46:11 PM PDT by exit82 (The Obama Cabinet: There was more brainpower on Gilligan's Island.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson