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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
548 Posts |
I'm a proof. You keep me well away from those coins in your pocket. I'm the best there has ever been or ever will be. You don't hold me, you don't touch me, you don't even breathe on me. I'm not to be let out of my capsule under any circumstances and you make certain that you never spend me! That said, I'm sterling silver, which means even if you were foolish enough to put me into circulation I could last for centuries. You keep me safe in my box, in a drawer or safe, and we'll get along just fine.  |
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
1234 Posts |
Quote:Be Creative... Be Amazing... Be The Coin    I had hoped this Thread would keep itself going but it seems to need a prod it in the right direction once in a while... Where has that 1974 cent in mint condition that just ended up in your pocket been for the last forty years... and how many of your barbers were in the hands of bank robbers? Demarco Bishopp, beautiful idea, beautiful story, thank you  Edited by ASLAN TVorlon
05/10/2014 06:13 am
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4409 Posts |
 (Photo is of the 2nd Philadelphia Mint from the Library of Congress)Date: Sometime in 1837 Location: 2nd Philadelphia Mint I was a piece of die steel sitting on the shelf in the storeroom at the Philadelphia Mint . There were hundreds of us in various sizes--we were blank slates waiting our turn to be hubbed. One day I heard a worker say that the Capped Bust design was being replaced by a design featuring lady Liberty sitting on a rock holding a pole with a cap on top. I waited and waited for the day when I'd be prepared to strike dimes. Then, the day arrived a worker took me to the hubbing room. I didn't enjoy the process especially the annealing. Finally, after a brief inspection the worker declared me "Good to go". I found myself in the coining room at the mint. There was one man at each press inserting blanks and letting the struck coins fall into a hopper. The worker took me over to Press #10 and placed me in the anvil position. I looked up and there she was Miss Liberty sitting on a rock holding a capped pole. He made a few adjustments to the press and then placed a planchet in to test it. The planchet fell betwen us and before I knew it WHAM! 50 tons came down on me. I was so stunned, I didn't hear him say this coin is a beauty. He continued feeding the press planchets one after one. After the first few coins were struck, I got used to the feeling. The man worked at a steady pace and his hopper filled up quickly. He turned the press off and took the hopper filled with freshly minted dimes to the counting room. When he came back, he had more blanks and another hopper. He started up the press and coins continued falling into the hopper. The routine continued several times that day. I don't know how many I struck that day, but it seemed like thousands. Eventually, I developed cracks and the pressman decided to retire me from use. What an exciting life it was. I know this is rather lengthy and isn't quite a coin story, but I hope everyone enjoys it. -MV |
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
3167 Posts |
Cool! Interesting from the perspective of a die!
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1234 Posts |
Be Creative good one MeadowviewCollector , thanks! |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4409 Posts |
I wrote another story today--just finished it a few minutes ago.
It's a fictional account of a storekeeper in Charlotte, North Carolina who watches as the Mint is built and is its first customer.
-MV
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Moderator
 United States
189767 Posts |
Quote:
Cool! Interesting from the perspective of a die! I agree. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4409 Posts |
 (This coin is in the NNC at the Smithsonian, photos from the Smithsonian)Date: Late 1837 and early 1838 It was a quiet morning in Charlotte, North Carolina as storekeeper Jesse Wilkinson swept the wooden sidewalk in front of his general store. He was about finished when a man rode up on horseback and asked if he could nail a sign to the column announcing that laborers are needed to help in the construction of the new mint. Jesse was happy to oblige as his store was where most men gathered to shoot the breeze. The man bid Jesse a good day, got on his horse and rode off to the next town. Jesse knew the construction would bring more people to town and more people needing supplies would be a boost to his income. He spent the day tending to the customers and mentioned that there was going to be a mint opening up soon. Everyone was soon talking about the mint. However, it would be several months before any coins fell from the presses. Work started on the mint building immediately. The local laborers had worked twelve hours a day, 6 days a week to get it ready. The superintendent of the job wrote to Philadelphia that the building would be ready for occupation in a week and that the workers would stay on site and help move the coining equipment in when it arrived. Director Robert Patterson wrote back that he was sending the equipment and mint workers to oversee the installation. It took a couple of weeks to get the coining presses, rollers, scales, and the new employees of the Mint (refiner, assayer, coiner and others) installed and ready to go to work. Jesse Wilkinson visited the mint on March 28th when the mint officially opened for business and deposited gold bullion he had taken in through his store from the local miners. He requested Half Eagles as that was the largest coin the mint would strike. He asked the clerk, "Can you have the coiner take the first specimen and set it aside for me? I want to see the first coin minted." The clerk stated that wouldn't be a problem and made a note of it. Jesse then asked, "When should I stop by to pick up the coins?" the clerk replied, "Come in on Thursday we'll have them struck and ready for you" Jesse went back on Thursday--upon his arrival, the clerk brought out a small burlap bag containing 100 Half Eagles. The clerk reached into his cash drawer and pulled out a small velvet pouch and said, "I personally watched the striking of this coin, the coiner handed it to me and told me it was the first one struck. I think you'll like it." Jesse pulled the half eagle out of the pouch" when he saw it he was astounded by its classic beauty and proof-like surfaces. A mere three days ago the gold in this coin was nothing more than an accumulation of gold dust and nuggets. Jesse took his 101 Half Eagles back to his store and locked them in his safe. He eventually handed out the other 100 coins, but retained the first coin for his collection. That Half Eagle was his pride and joy. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
6370 Posts |
Meadowview, your story is very amazing. Is it true? Also, is the coin pictured the coin described? That was a fun rewd.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4409 Posts |
Quote:
Meadowview, your story is very amazing. Is it true? Also, is the coin pictured the coin described? That was a fun rewd. The Charlotte story is fiction, I guess you could say it's historical fiction. No, the photo is just to show an example of one. Note there is a large die crack extending from the lower left olive leaves at an angle across the shield and ending at the left wing. Edit: I want to say thanks to everyone who've commented that they've enjoyed or liked the stories I wrote. It makes me feel good, I will try to write another story soon...I'm off to brainstorm ideas.-MV Edited by MeadowviewCollector
05/14/2014 11:03 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
6370 Posts |
Okee dokee. That was an interesting read, nonetheless.
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Valued Member
United States
70 Posts |
Thanks for referring me to this thread Aslan, these stories are awesome! I'm a newb, but I'm going to try my hand at a story - hope to post it a day or so :)
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Valued Member
United States
70 Posts |
 (The family in 1943) I was born in a time of war and forged in Steel. It was Philadelphia, 1943, and my country was knee deep in the second World War it had tried to avoid. Many coins throughout history have been made during wars, but from the beginning I knew I was special. I knew I was going to go places. You see, my predecessors had all been heavier than me, and nowhere near as attractive (if I do say so myself). And I mean that literally - I was magnetic. But more than that I was more fit and trim - I weighed less, and I had a gleam and a shine that no one expected from someone born on the lowest rung of the mint. I was "just a penny" they said, and would never amount to much. They said I was worth less than all my brothers and sisters, but I was determined to prove them wrong. But I didn't just look special for the heck of it, I was created out of necessity and sacrifice for the war effort. The country needed that heavy dull copper for guns and ammunition, and I was more than happy to do my patriotic share for America. I'm proud to say I'm the only one of my generation that made that sacrifice. All my brothers and sisters born that year were just the same as the ones that came before them. They didn't have to give up anything, they didn't have to sacrifice like I did, so they would never know what it was like to be special. I didn't spend very long with my family - it was only a matter of days before we were rolled up and deployed on an Army base somewhere on the east coast. It was an exciting time, and I was caught up in the whirlwind of activity. Everyone was chatting and buzzing about where we would go, if we would see action, what it would be like at the front. Within days I was doled out as pay to a private from New York, and in those first couple weeks I must have changed hands 50 times. Between the dice and the card games, and sometimes just a bet about who could do more push-ups, I was constantly in the center of the action and on the move all over the base. And then all of a sudden one afternoon it seemed like time stopped. I was in the pocket of a young Corporal from Texas who was nervously gripping me as he listened to the officer gather everyone around. I could feel his palms grow sweaty as the announcement was made. We were shipping out, and they could tell from the gear being issued they weren't going to someplace warm. And that meant only one thing - we were going to Europe. We were going to war. To be continued ...Edited by njnumis
05/21/2014 3:09 pm
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Moderator
United States
189767 Posts |
Very nice, njnumis! |
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Valued Member
United States
70 Posts |
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Posted 05/10/2014 06:12 am
