Peripherally related to US coins

LanLord

Many years ago I was presented with a very nice family heirloom picture of my great great grandfather and his wife and children. About a dozen people in the picture which was taken back around 1890. He was born in 1846 and my great grandfather, in this picture is only about 8, was born in 1882.

Everytime I look at that picture I wonder what is the most valuable coin they had in their pockets at that time and in their lives in general.

Is that the definition of hooked? When you look at historical or heirloom photos and wonder what coins they had? Or is that just plain nuts?

kieferscoins

Never thought of that when I saw a picture. I think of coins alot, but you may want to take a break.

Cameron Kiefer

RLinn

I think it is just a case of "inquiring minds want to know." I have done the same thing.

On the other hand, if you were thinking of grave robbing the same relatives on the hunch that a few of those coins might have been buried with them as good luck pieces, then I'd have to vote for "just plain nuts."

nwcs

For most people at that time, quarters and less were the most circulated. Halves were popular, too. I believe weekly income for average people was around 80 cents to a dollar a week. Might be wrong, though.

LanLord

I tend to think that they each had a 1876cc 20 cent piece in their pocket and no one can prove otherwise

RLinn

Here are a few statistics from the Gilder Lehrman Institue of American History.

<FONT face=Verdana size=-1>Avg hourly wage 20cents w/60 hr avg work week

Avg annual wage $375 - $475
</FONT>

dddangerousdan

When ever I am talking to a youngster about coins I pull out my 1793 half cent and tell them that George Washington might have had it in his pocket when he was the president. they always get wide eyed about the thought.

DAN

CharlieB

No, your not nuts. I collect Indian arrowheads. Just consider for a
minute what I am imagining when I find one in a field?

My coin collecting friend had a lucky find several years ago with
his metal detector. He was at an old school playground in Wash, DC.
He found a Barber quarter, a couple Barber dimes, a liberty head
nickel and some faded Indian cents all in a slanted stack in the
ground, like it slipped out of someone's pocket. That had a bigger
impact on us than just finding a single coin.

- Charlie B -