My New 1883 V-Nickel

What stories that coin could tell :-)

See, this is the thing about numismatics. I always say we're only temporary custodians of history here, which is the truth because someone else will own these when we die. It's the most-worn coins which have participated in that history, involved as it happens, the most. They, not the carefully-preserved Proofs, are the actual history we're guarding.

Now only if it were plated in gold would it tell an interesting story of deceit and trickery ;)

Might make for a new TV series. All the places, people, things that a coin like that has seen and done.

I agree


BUT

once a coin enters a collectors hands vs continuing to circulate amongst the general public it gets entombed and locked away.

Sure it might come out of the safe or drawer once in a while but for the most part unless you turn a coin into a pocket piece it just becomes a provenance game like all of the slabs that say ex whoever that was famous ex whoever bought it from them who was famous and now sold at the EPN auction.

Back when I was a kid and collected comic books I read every one I owned (more than a thousand or 2) including the silver age issues. By the same standards I would love to carry every coin in my collection around at least one day to say that I "circulated" it and then put it back in the safe or album or drawer.