A Coin for Your Life!
I am a coin collector. I have been one for many years, since I was young enough to look through loose change and find a rate coin or two.
My grandfather would come over now and then, and would give me coins that were no longer in circulation. I still have most of those coins in my collection - they are more of sentimental value than actual numismatic value but I still enjoy looking at them occasionally.
I have become more interested in Morgan Silver Dollars. These are coins that were made from 1878 to 1921 in the United States at various mints throughout the country. The coin is named after its designer, United States Mint Assistant Engraver George T. Morgan.
Some of the rarest coins were made in Nevada in the Carson City Mint. :The Carson City mint mark always gives a coin more value because so few of them were made.
These coins contain nearly an ounce of silver, and are some of the most beautiful coins ever made.
I bought got a coin from my dealer a few days ago from 1880. It is in excellent condition which I thought was quite remarkable. It is about 140 years old and has only a few blemishes on it from being bagged originally at the mint with many other coins. These coins are remarkable as most of them cost only a few dollars.
Then it occurred to me that this coin was about two lifetimes long. That coin would have outlived two human lifetimes - 140 years.
The Shortness of Life
When you are young, you can't wait to get older. Getting out of school, out of your parents' house and actually starting to earn money seemed to be a wonderful thing.
Then you actually get older, and take on all the responsibility of life including raising a family, buying a home, having to work all day - and you realize how fortunate you were as a child. Then as you get older (like me!), you realize the shortness of life.
When you are a child, you think anybody over 30 is old; then you get to be 60 and realize the foolishness of your childhood thinking.
Life goes by quickly -
And that brings me back to the Morgan Silver Dollar I just got that was in near perfect condition but two human lifetimes old.
We all need to make the most out of life - it goes by fast.
Dave.
Recent Comments
39
How true - depressing but true.
My mother used to say you are too soon old and too late smart!
Dave.
Very interesting post on coins and time relatively speaking very informative thank you! ;
R.
Thanks for the comment - it is something different I thought about while handling a coin that is two lifetimes long!
Dave.
I can imagine the gravity behind the thought it does not surprise me though as you are a thinking man... most would think how much is it worth ; Your most welcome.
R
Thanks so much for the kind comment! It is interesting to think that a coin could be two lifetimes long and still look so good.
Dave.
Hi Dave
Life goes past way to fast, more so as you get older
I remember as a 16 y/o I thought about the year 2000 and that I would be 43 when this happens and could not believe i would be that old, now it 2020..😁😁🤣🤣
Enjoy your day
Ross
I have similar memories wondering what the world would be like in 2020 - and here I am!
Time goes by fast - that is one lesson I have learned!
Dave.
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Thanks for that interesting post. The coins are a good way to talk about life. I had coin collections that my grandfather had started and my father continued that were somehow lost a couple of decades ago in the move. I don’t know whether there was any value, But I missed the connection with my grandfather and dad.
Coins are an interesting connection to another generation. My father got me interested in coin collecting.
Dave.