Look what I found while cleaning my garage...

EVillageProwler

These are mine, just long misplaced in a large box full of other coin-related stuff sitting in the garage. So it's not like I got a windfall at someone else's misfortune. I merely averted some misfortune of my own.

There is a special story to the Chinese coins: they were given to me by my Mom in my 30's. She got them from her Mom some time after my Mom became an adult (probably also in her 30's). My Grandmother took these from China when her family escaped the Civil War that resulted in the Communist takeover. Those Fatman dollars have far more sentimental value to me than actual retail value. In fact, I will do my best that they stay in the family as long as possible. I have no children, so I am eying giving them to my niece who is the eldest of the next generation in my family. But, it is not a decision I need to make yet.

(The US coins are half dollars.)

coinpro76

Fantastic re-find, those Fat Man halves are a hot market right now.

Weiss

Super cool testament to the reasons we collect what we collect: longevity, history, preservation. Tangible memories.

coinkat

Terrific story... it is exciting when something out of sight and out of mind is rediscovered

tonedSilver

Very nice assortment of coins and a great story. The Fatman dollars appear to be toned on one side but not the reverse. How did you store them that they toned this way?

Nap

Nice (re)discovery!

EVillageProwler

@tonedSilver said:
Very nice assortment of coins and a great story. The Fatman dollars appear to be toned on one side but not the reverse. How did you store them that they toned this way?

Everything pictured was in a small cardboard box that (likely) used to hold a felt box for a ring. I have no good recollection of the coins before the rediscovery except that my Mom kept the coins wrapped in tissue paper. Not individually wrapped. And I am not sure from where I obtained the British and French Trade Dollars. Could've been also from my Mom, but I think it more likely that I got it during a vacation to Angkor Tom in Siem Reap, Cambodia, a couple of lifetimes ago. While there, we went to a local market (for locals, not tourists) and saw some coins sitting in a dish. Then I asked if they have more. I basically bought every piece (possibly -- I am pretty sure they're all genuine) worth buying.

I remember negotiating with them on price, halving their asking price and then stopping. They were so poor, and my money was, relatively speaking, so cheap to me, that I didn't want to think back and feel ashamed of my behavior that day.

At the end of our trip there, we tipped our guide (he was amazing!) and driver a substantial amount. I think we tipped them USD 100, in the late 1990's. A street-side lunch platter of chicken, vegetables and rice cost around USD 0.65. And, a local boy brought us a cold bottle of water from one side of the temple complex to the other where we were -- for USD 1.00. That includes paying for the water. And, yes, it was extremely hot and humid then. So, you do the math.

As an aside... I have the usual bunch touristy pictures from that trip. But what really got seared into my memory that trip was seeing so many victims of landmines and human conflict. They were unavoidable, because they were simply part of the local populace. In today's superheated political climate where one side argues about moral leadership and the other argues about caring for oneself, I just want to say that the two sides are essentially talking past each other in large part. Both arguments are correct in large parts, there is much common ground, and for the regular good folk amongst us we are actually a lot more alike than we are unalike -- even politically.

EVP

Namvet69

Great find, I "lost" my coin collection for 40+ years because of PTSD. Found it when I regained my sanity thanks to my wife, the VA and a program of recovery. Peace Roy

NLL

That must have been fun to find. Especially those bust halves!

EVillageProwler

@NLL said:
That must have been fun to find. Especially those bust halves!

Those Bust Halves only have financial value to me. The Fatman Dollars have sentimental value. The Trade Dollars evoke memories of yore for me.

Stork

What a wonderful find--sentimental and numismatic

291fifth

It's a lot better than finding spider webs and rusty nails.

EVillageProwler

@Stork said:
What a wonderful find--sentimental and numismatic

Absolutely!

@291fifth said:
It's a lot better than finding spider webs and rusty nails.

Found them too, but no pics of that.

NLL

@EVillageProwler said:

@NLL said:
That must have been fun to find. Especially those bust halves!

Those Bust Halves only have financial value to me. The Fatman Dollars have sentimental value. The Trade Dollars evoke memories of yore for me.

I read what you said about the Fatman dollars and they certainly sound priceless! How long have you had those coins?

EVillageProwler

@NLL said:

@EVillageProwler said:

@NLL said:
That must have been fun to find. Especially those bust halves!

Those Bust Halves only have financial value to me. The Fatman Dollars have sentimental value. The Trade Dollars evoke memories of yore for me.

I read what you said about the Fatman dollars and they certainly sound priceless! How long have you had those coins?

I don’t really know. Maybe 15 years.

NLL

@EVillageProwler said:

@NLL said:
That must have been fun to find. Especially those bust halves!

Those Bust Halves only have financial value to me. The Fatman Dollars have sentimental value. The Trade Dollars evoke memories of yore for me.

Can you please take some pictures of the reverses of the Fat man dollars and the bust half dollars. It is always cool to see such nice looking coins. Thanks for your time.