As I mentioned in an earlier post, my Mom and Dad managed a 5 & 10 store when I was growing up. So I would come by the store every day after school and look through all the change.
During Christmas season, starting after Thanksgiving, business increased dramatically (some things never change!) and Mom would have to do extra cash pick-ups at the registers.
The Christmas season of 1962, when I was 16, was no different.
To speed things up and not keep customers waiting too long, I would help her do the pick-ups. We would shut down the register, she would count down the drawer, and while she was doing that, I would change out the register tapes.
One evening, as Mom and I were doing one of the registers near the front doors, a young woman with two children came in.
They stood in the front of the store for a few minutes and the woman hesitantly walked up to Mom at the register.
When Mom asked if she could help her, the woman held out her hand and asked,
"Can I spend this?"
Mom took a coin from her hand, looked at it, and then handed it to me. An 1836 Bust half dollar. I didn't collect halves, but I remembered from the
Red Book that its value (at that time) was around five dollars. Mom looked at the woman.
"Are you sure you want to spend this?", Mom asked.
The woman lowered her eyes.
"I know," she sighed.
"It's been in my family for a long time. But I want to get something for my kids for Christmas."
I looked at the children, a little girl about eight and a boy about six. Very quiet and well-mannered and both with hair combed, but you could see from their mended clothes that they weren't well off.
Well, this is my son, and he collects coins.", said Mom, giving me a "knowing" look that only Moms can give.
"Maybe he can offer you a little more than fifty cents for it."
I smiled at Mom and looked at the woman.
"Ma'am, this coin is worth more than fifty cents. If you'd care to sell it, I'll give you twenty dollars for it."
The young woman almost collapsed with gratitude and relief, thanking Mom and I over and over.
I gave her the twenty and off she happily went into the store with two very excited little ones in tow.
Later we saw her as she was leaving. She had bought the kids some candy, some Christmas gifts, and still had a little left over.
I beckoned her to come over.
"I just want you to know," I told her, "that this half dollar isn't going anywhere. It will always be here if you ever want to buy it back."
She thanked us again and left.
She never came back for the coin. I like to think that she knew it would be cared for.
I kept my promise.
I still have it.
Twenty dollars for a half dollar worth five dollars.
Worst coin deal I ever made...
or was it?
Posted 11/28/2007 01:40 am
