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Circa 1915 women's coin purse found in demolished Chicago theatre

"Men who had never shown any ability to make or increase fortunes for themselves abounded in brilliant plans for creating and increasing wealth for the country at large." Fiat Money Inflation in France, Andrew Dickson White (1912)

Comments

  • HemisphericalHemispherical Posts: 9,370 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited April 24, 2019 3:42PM

    That is cool! Thanks for the article @secondrepublic.

    “...while small, the leather change purse contained a fair amount of coins dating from the 1880's. the diminutive purse, coins, and single silver dollar bill remain in great condition, considering age. judging from the dates, the purse was lost by a theatergoer in 1915.”

  • kevinstangkevinstang Posts: 1,517 ✭✭✭

    Look at that half and nickel ! Sweet!

  • Dave99BDave99B Posts: 8,332 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Fantastic story. Very interesting toning on the Barber half.

    Thank you for sharing!

    Dave

    Always looking for original, better date VF20-VF35 Barber quarters and halves, and a quality beer.
  • BroadstruckBroadstruck Posts: 30,497 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Cool... Wonder if it's a Philly Barber Half?

    To Err Is Human.... To Collect Err's Is Just Too Much Darn Tootin Fun!
  • RogerBRogerB Posts: 8,852 ✭✭✭✭✭

    If lost during or after WW-I, one would expect several coins from the large wartime production.

  • ECHOESECHOES Posts: 2,974 ✭✭✭✭✭

    That is freaking cool!

    ~HABE FIDUCIAM IN DOMINO III V VI / III XVI~
    POST NUBILA PHOEBUS / AFTER CLOUDS, SUN
    Love for Music / Collector of Dreck
  • HemisphericalHemispherical Posts: 9,370 ✭✭✭✭✭

    The purse had to have been lost anytime after after 24 Mar 1915 based upon the signatures on the blue $1 silver certificate (1899).

    Register of the Treasury
    Houston B. Teehee
    Mar. 24, 1915 - Nov. 20, 1919

    Treasurer
    John Burke, North Dakota
    Apr. 1, 1913 - Jan. 5, 1921

  • AlexinPAAlexinPA Posts: 1,458 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Absolutely a great part of history; thanks for posting.

  • Walt_AltmenWalt_Altmen Posts: 184 ✭✭✭

    Too cool. Echo the sentiments on the toning on that half B!

  • secondrepublicsecondrepublic Posts: 2,619 ✭✭✭

    According to the article it was actually found in 1960 during the demolition of that famous (and architecturally very significant) theatre, and has been kept intact to this day. According to the history I've read, it was a live-performance theatre, and did not play movies until the 1930s. So the young lady who lost this was probably seeing a play or other live performance.

    "Men who had never shown any ability to make or increase fortunes for themselves abounded in brilliant plans for creating and increasing wealth for the country at large." Fiat Money Inflation in France, Andrew Dickson White (1912)
  • abcde12345abcde12345 Posts: 3,404 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Imagine if back in the day she had taken that cash and coin and purchased GE stock or Ford stock what it would be worth today.

  • kbbpllkbbpll Posts: 542 ✭✭✭✭

    @Intueor Yes, that was on the order of 1-2 days' pay for a woman in Chicago. Interesting that there are no dimes.

  • RogerBRogerB Posts: 8,852 ✭✭✭✭✭

    What was on the playbill at this theater for 1915?

  • secondrepublicsecondrepublic Posts: 2,619 ✭✭✭
    edited April 24, 2019 7:05PM

    Believe it or not, the Chicago Public Library lists some (not all) of the historic playbills for Chicago theaters - presumably these are the ones in their collection, not a complete list of everything that played there. Here's what they have for the Garrick around that time:

    1915-03-14 High Cost of Loving, The
    1916-05-01 Major Barbara
    1918-01-07 Very Idea, The
    1918-06-30 Odds and Ends of 1917
    1919-04-20 Scandal
    1921-01-30 Irene

    If she lost her purse on a date back in 1915, maybe we can say she really did experience "The High Cost of Loving" :smile:

    https://www.chipublib.org/fa-chicago-theater-collection-historic-programs/#GAIETY

    "Men who had never shown any ability to make or increase fortunes for themselves abounded in brilliant plans for creating and increasing wealth for the country at large." Fiat Money Inflation in France, Andrew Dickson White (1912)
  • PerryHallPerryHall Posts: 45,296 ✭✭✭✭✭

    It would have been really neat if there were one or two gold coins in the purse.

    Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.

  • HemisphericalHemispherical Posts: 9,370 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @secondrepublic

    An option. Posting the $1 silver certificate on the currency forum may help to glean more information about a time period.

    https://forums.collectors.com/categories/u-s-world-currency-forum

  • ARCOARCO Posts: 4,305 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I have always wanted to send a little coin capsule like this intentionally into the future. With clad coinage, who will care when it is found? :)

  • TiborTibor Posts: 3,199 ✭✭✭✭✭

    The Lincoln cents didn't fair much better at the time than our
    Zincolns from today, excusing the "green gunk" from being
    stored in a leather purse and the decades of humidity.

  • 291fifth291fifth Posts: 23,898 ✭✭✭✭✭

    The "green gunk" may not be corrosion. It may have a waxy appearance. I have seen this before on copper coins that spent a very long time in a leather purse.

    I wonder what the date is on the heavily worn Indian cent?

    All glory is fleeting.
  • 3keepSECRETif2rDEAD3keepSECRETif2rDEAD Posts: 4,285 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Way Cool ;)

  • TennesseeDaveTennesseeDave Posts: 4,737 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @291fifth said:
    I wonder what the date is on the heavily worn Indian cent?

    I think I see 1882

    Trade $'s
  • Eric_BabulaEric_Babula Posts: 413 ✭✭✭✭

    Very cool find! I have a coin purse similar to that one (black, from my grandma). Unfortunately, no cool coinage like that!!!

    Rocking my "shiny-object-syndrome"!!!

  • rickoricko Posts: 98,724 ✭✭✭✭✭

    What a great find....One wonders how it got 'beneath floor boards'... must have been a gap of some sort for it to fall into.... A real time capsule of coins....Cheers, RickO

  • BillDugan1959BillDugan1959 Posts: 3,821 ✭✭✭✭✭

    The really amazing thing is that somebody kept the purse and contents together for well over 55 years from the time it was found until this was published. The finder would likely be about 80 years old at the time of publication, and had kept it for a lifetime himself. Now that's a true collector!

  • kuwegg57kuwegg57 Posts: 105 ✭✭✭

    @Intueor said:
    Imagine the sense of loss. This young lady (?) was not rich, judging by the contents. Going to the Movie was a novel experience. To have so much anticipation soured by the loss of "a lot" of "1919" money must have been devastating.
    Little did she know that it would be a source of pleasure to strangers 100 years in the future. I think it is a great find and should be kept intact.

    According to an inflation calculator $1.95 back then is worth around $50.00 today.

  • SweetpieSweetpie Posts: 465 ✭✭✭
    edited April 25, 2019 5:18AM

    Too bad there wasn't any ID inside the purse. That would make an even cooler followed up story either finding that person or her heir.

  • secondrepublicsecondrepublic Posts: 2,619 ✭✭✭

    The guy who found the purse, John Vinci, is pretty famous in the world of architectural preservation. They were doing this work during the era of "urban renewal" when lots of amazing buildings were being torn down, long before almost anyone else really cared about. So I can see why he would keep it together.

    "Men who had never shown any ability to make or increase fortunes for themselves abounded in brilliant plans for creating and increasing wealth for the country at large." Fiat Money Inflation in France, Andrew Dickson White (1912)
  • ShadyDaveShadyDave Posts: 2,186 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Sweetpie said:
    Too bad there wasn't any ID inside the purse. That would make an even cooler followed up story either finding that person or her heir.

    Did people have ID's back then?

  • JustacommemanJustacommeman Posts: 22,847 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Excessively cool. SR thank you for bringing this to the forum

    m

    Walker Proof Digital Album
    Fellas, leave the tight pants to the ladies. If I can count the coins in your pockets you better use them to call a tailor. Stay thirsty my friends......
  • johnny9434johnny9434 Posts: 27,411 ✭✭✭✭✭

    id be smiling all day plus a few

  • RogerBRogerB Posts: 8,852 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Who will start with the media story, background posted above, and do additional research to create an interesting and meaningful article?

    I suspect such an article would be awarded 1st or 2nd place in the Numismatist publication competition !

  • koynekwestkoynekwest Posts: 10,048 ✭✭✭✭✭

    What an amazing find!

  • 291fifth291fifth Posts: 23,898 ✭✭✭✭✭

    The rest of the story for RogerB:

    On July 24, 1915, Western Electric employee Daisy Goodwin of Cicero, Illinois, arrived early in downtown Chicago. She and several of her co-workers were going to catch a show at the Garrick Theater before boarding the Steamer Eastland for a company sponsored day cruise to Michigan. The theater performance was delayed by some lighting problems and Daisy and her friends found themselves rushing to catch the steamer, which was docked on the Chicago River along with several other boats that Western Electric had chartered for its employees. Daisy failed to notice that her change purse had come loose and fell to the floor, only to be kicked into a corner by other theater patrons.

    Daisy was a bit concerned as the boat seemed crowded as she and her friends found their way below deck where refreshments were being served. Suddenly, the boat began to tip sharply to one side and Daisy and her friends found themselves being thrown to one side. Water rushed in as the boat came to rest partially submerged. Daisy struggled to reach the exit from the lower deck and was one of only a few who managed to escape, wet but still alive.

    Recovering from the shock of the loss of most of her friends and co-workers took some time and it was only much later that Daisy noticed that her change purse was missing. She assumed it had been lost during her struggle to escape from the capsizing ship and thought no more of it. She was just glad to be alive.

    The Eastland disaster resulted in the highest loss of life of any Great Lakes shipping incident in spite of the fact that the ship never left the dock.

    All glory is fleeting.
  • Timbuk3Timbuk3 Posts: 11,658 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Wow, that's awesome !!! :)

    Timbuk3
  • 291fifth291fifth Posts: 23,898 ✭✭✭✭✭

    My story is pure fiction.

    All glory is fleeting.
  • HemisphericalHemispherical Posts: 9,370 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @291fifth said:
    The rest of the story for RogerB:

    On July 24, 1915, Western Electric employee Daisy Goodwin of Cicero, Illinois, arrived early in downtown Chicago. She and several of her co-workers were going to catch a show at the Garrick Theater before boarding the Steamer Eastland for a company sponsored day cruise to Michigan. The theater performance was delayed by some lighting problems and Daisy and her friends found themselves rushing to catch the steamer, which was docked on the Chicago River along with several other boats that Western Electric had chartered for its employees. Daisy failed to notice that her change purse had come loose and fell to the floor, only to be kicked into a corner by other theater patrons.

    Daisy was a bit concerned as the boat seemed crowded as she and her friends found their way below deck where refreshments were being served. Suddenly, the boat began to tip sharply to one side and Daisy and her friends found themselves being thrown to one side. Water rushed in as the boat came to rest partially submerged. Daisy struggled to reach the exit from the lower deck and was one of only a few who managed to escape, wet but still alive.

    Recovering from the shock of the loss of most of her friends and co-workers took some time and it was only much later that Daisy noticed that her change purse was missing. She assumed it had been lost during her struggle to escape from the capsizing ship and thought no more of it. She was just glad to be alive.

    The Eastland disaster resulted in the highest loss of life of any Great Lakes shipping incident in spite of the fact that the ship never left the dock.

    >

    Well that’s one way of juxtaposing bits of reality with bits of fiction to make it interesting.

  • RogerBRogerB Posts: 8,852 ✭✭✭✭✭

    The fiction is fun, now can someone find the real story - or at least as much as is possible - and prepare it for publication.

    [Hint: Many people in that time who lost purses, wallets or small amounts of money advertised in local newspapers for the safe return of their property. Consider correlating the theater, playbills, item lost, local newspaper Lost/Found, etc.]

  • secondrepublicsecondrepublic Posts: 2,619 ✭✭✭
    edited April 25, 2019 2:46PM

    Great story 291. That's why I love these forums!
    If someone wanted to write a story about how the wallet was found and anything else that can be conclusively learned, I'm sure the gentleman (Eric) from Urban Remains who wrote the post could put you in touch with John Vinci. Although I don't know either of them personally, Mr. Vinci must be around 80 and I imagine would be happy to talk about his experience. The guys in this architectural preservation world have the same love of history and appreciation for historical objects as coin collectors; they are kindred spirits to the numismatic world most likely. Probably they would know a lot about this theatre, the kinds of people who frequented it (including in the section where the wallet was found), etc.

    "Men who had never shown any ability to make or increase fortunes for themselves abounded in brilliant plans for creating and increasing wealth for the country at large." Fiat Money Inflation in France, Andrew Dickson White (1912)
  • kuwegg57kuwegg57 Posts: 105 ✭✭✭

    @291fifth said:
    The rest of the story for RogerB:

    On July 24, 1915, Western Electric employee Daisy Goodwin of Cicero, Illinois, arrived early in downtown Chicago. She and several of her co-workers were going to catch a show at the Garrick Theater before boarding the Steamer Eastland for a company sponsored day cruise to Michigan. The theater performance was delayed by some lighting problems and Daisy and her friends found themselves rushing to catch the steamer, which was docked on the Chicago River along with several other boats that Western Electric had chartered for its employees. Daisy failed to notice that her change purse had come loose and fell to the floor, only to be kicked into a corner by other theater patrons.

    Daisy was a bit concerned as the boat seemed crowded as she and her friends found their way below deck where refreshments were being served. Suddenly, the boat began to tip sharply to one side and Daisy and her friends found themselves being thrown to one side. Water rushed in as the boat came to rest partially submerged. Daisy struggled to reach the exit from the lower deck and was one of only a few who managed to escape, wet but still alive.

    Recovering from the shock of the loss of most of her friends and co-workers took some time and it was only much later that Daisy noticed that her change purse was missing. She assumed it had been lost during her struggle to escape from the capsizing ship and thought no more of it. She was just glad to be alive.

    The Eastland disaster resulted in the highest loss of life of any Great Lakes shipping incident in spite of the fact that the ship never left the dock.

    Your story would make a good Netflix movie.

  • planetsteveplanetsteve Posts: 1,425 ✭✭✭✭

    Couple of thoughts...

    Did people really carry gold coins, and in the Midwest?

    Any chance the coin purse itself could be dated? If that was a resort, how could it be done?

    From my read of this it seems the best evidence on dating comes from the dates on the coins, sure — though that 15 nickel shows some wear — and also from the observation that high-mintage WWI issues aren’t present. How rapidly did Philly and Denver mint coins get to Chicago? Right to the big banks after minting... or not?

  • kruegerkrueger Posts: 799 ✭✭✭

    Calculator says her $1.95 has purchasing power of $ 48.50 today in 2019.

    value of coins and note may be more?
    is the 1914 cent a 1914 D?? I thought the D was faint???

    Krueger

  • Wahoo554Wahoo554 Posts: 1,086 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Really cool find. My grandfather found several hundred worth of early 1930’s bills hidden in a wall when he demolished a building back in the 60’s. Too bad they didn’t convert those bills into coinage, but still really cool.

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