My most prized numismatic possesion. A trinket to most but priceless to me.

Craton · July 25, 2005 8:54AM

It's one of those big cheap pot metal coaster sized Franklin Half Dollars. I recieved it in my stocking on Christmas morning in 1980. It was one of the many items that my Grandfather slipped in there in the middle of the night on Christmas Eve. Here it is 25 years later and I still have it. It means more to me then any of the real coins in my collection because my Grandfather died that same evening on Christmas. I was 9 years old and heard the paramedics working on him outside of the bedroom that I was sleeping in that night and I heard them pronounce him dead. I have somehow managed to hang on to it after all of these years and after all of the different moves that I have made in my life. I must have moved well over 10 times easy. I better double up on my meds because I'm getting teary!
Here is a pic of it.

DorkGirl · July 25, 2005 8:56AM

Thanks for sharing, now pass me the kleenex

mirabela · July 25, 2005 9:03AM

Aw jeez, that's touching. Seriously.

I bought a Saint Gaudens $20 like that on my sixth grade trip to our nation's capital, and the other kids made fun of me because I was a dork, and this was their proof.

KentuckyJ · July 25, 2005 9:11AM

Nice pic, Craton. Thanks for sharing. What a tough thing for a nine year old to go through. Everyone with a heart has some of that teary stuff going on somewhere.

KJ

mustbebob · July 25, 2005 10:27AM

I agree. Sometimes, the sentimental value far outweighs anything else. I am sure you will keep it forever. If it were me, I would do the same.

tmot99 · July 25, 2005 11:18AM

Very touching story. It would mean a lot to me too. I don't know how you store it, but it would be cool in a small shadow box along with any other trinkets from your Grandfather and a picture.

I'm sure you consider it the most valuable piece in your collection.

fountainheadgold · July 25, 2005 11:27AM

Craton · July 25, 2005 11:52AM

<< <i>Very touching story. It would mean a lot to me too. I don't know how you store it, but it would be cool in a small shadow box along with any other trinkets from your Grandfather and a picture.

I'm sure you consider it the most valuable piece in your collection. >>

A shadowbox is a great idea. It is though one of the few items that I still have that I recieved from him. How do I store it? That is really funny. I just keep it along with either my coins or in a box of other keepsakes/momentos and that is the way I have done it since I was 9 somehow. It is really amazing that I still have it.
Another item that I recieved in my stocking that year was an old "camp king" pocket knife. A dirtbag stepfather of mine "borrowed" it and never returned it ....... He died at a very early age so I got the last laugh

Craton · July 25, 2005 12:02PM

I just found an old story that was written by my Grandfathers co-workers when he passed away. He worked in the "plate room" at the Tacoma News Tribune and when he died, they gave the story to my Grandmother and to their children. It's small so here it be:

Did you ever get to meet Ole Country? Well if you didn't, you sure missed a treat because Ole Country was something else! I've been a lot of places and seen a lot of things and met a lot of people, but in all that seein' and meetin', I never met anyone just like Ole Country.
He had a heart as big as all outdoors, he'd give you the shirt off his back and then help you put it on. If he liked you, he'd tell you so and if he didn't, he'd tell you that too.
He had a lot to say and spent his life saying it. Yes sir, if you wanted to know about something, Ole Country could tell you about it. He knew about pickin' apples, hunting and fishing, collecting stamps & coins, politicin and every other darn thing. I guess the only thing he didn't know about was how to fix a car that wouldn't run and he sure had a lot of them.
Ole Country was a big fella and strong as an ox. Those who shook hands with him thought they had been caught in a vise. He loved to tease and there was never a dull moment when he was around, just ask tired Blood Stokes or poor little Minnie.
Yes sir he was a good ole country boy and he had a lot of friends because he knew a lot of people and as long as any of us are still alive he'll be remembered with a smile. To everyone else he was Bob Craton, but to us he was Ole Country.

Craton · July 25, 2005 3:51PM

TTT for the late night crew. I was feeling all emotional today but now am back to my normal self. Still a cool post if you ask me

Craton · October 22, 2005 5:36PM

Had to edit my initial post do to a server failure a few sweeks back. I wanted my image to be shown again so there it be.

TomB · October 23, 2005 3:58AM

That is a very touching story. I still have two coins that were given to me upon my maternal grandfather's sudden death in 1990. These are a 1932 Washington quarter and a 1922 Peace dollar, both of which are high grade AU, possibly MS coins and both were saved by my grandfather out of circulation. This was quite a bit of money at the time and he always held onto them. They are currently my raw type set coins for those series.

rainbowroosie · October 23, 2005 4:00AM

I have the 62 proof set my mother gave me that year.

cho10 · October 23, 2005 4:12AM

Before reading the entries in this thread I had completely forgotten about 4 coins my parents gave me as Christmas presents starting when I was 7 years old until when I was 10 years old. I have no idea why they didn't continue. They are a 1904 Nicholas II 5 Rubles gold coin, a 1955 5 Pesos Mexican coin with Benito Juarez on the obverse, a 1915 Austrian Gold coin with Franz Josef on the obverse and a Roman silver coin with a lion on the back. I want to thank all of you for making me go and look at them again.

MFH · October 23, 2005 4:54AM

I was twelve when my grandfather passed away; he collected coins and I never understood their allure until I was thirteen. He saved anything choice found in circulation. Also having assembled uncirculated early commemoratives from Boston coin shops. His circulation finds of Barber dimes, quarters and halves were exceptional, most being at least AU 55. Old V Nickels, and a few Shield Nickels were also set aside; each at least AU 50-55. Occasionally he would come home with three cent nickels that people tried to pass off as dimes. ( he was a Boston street car conductor thru the depression and had to account for his fares at the end of the day; he cherry picked quite a few unusual coins, alot more so than the average person. Before the Depression, he rembered some old fool dropping two nickels into the meter, and when he counted out his change at the end of his day, there was a five dollar gold coin in the machine. My elderly father ( 88 ) still has that coin. Its one of his most treasured posession...its not a raer coin, but it holds strong sentimental value to the entire family.

I wish I was more into coins while he was alive, and what a collection of things we would have amassed.
My passion and his finances would have proved a mighty force. I treasure each and everything he bequested to me. ( I was the oldest grandson.)

These coins will be passed down to all the other grandsons' children when my time comes....not for a long time to come, I hope !

Craton · December 23, 2005 2:51PM

Just bringing this to the top as it will be 26 years ago on Christmas that my Grandfather passed away. If it wasn't for his passion in coins, I would not be a collector today.

zeebob · February 26, 2009 6:26AM

Great story. Photo is gone, but the sentiment remains. Neat.

Connecticoin · February 26, 2009 6:31AM

Crap, I thought Craton was un-banned.

frnklnlvr · February 26, 2009 6:55AM

Since your pic is gone I'll post a pic of one I have. I picked this up in D.C. when I was a kid before I even knew anything about coins. I just thought it looked cool. Now the Franklin half is one of my favorite coins.

My most prized numismatic possesion. A trinket to most but priceless to me.

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