Previously
Overlooked
Within my box of inherited treasure I found a coin, about the size
of a penny, neatly encased in a clasp with a chain so it could be hung
about the neck. With all the sparkle of precious stones and gold in my
treasure box I overlooked the coin thinking it to be only a penny,
probably of more sentimental value than worth, and I set it aside.
Later in the week, I was having dinner with my mother, and while we
talked she pulled a coin from her pocketbook. She explained that she
inherited the coin from her mother, who had inherited it from her
mother, and she didn't say it, but I could hear her thinking, "And one
day I'll pass it on to you."
Her coin was also a penny, a big penny, larger than a silver dollar
or fifty cent piece. It bore the date of 1852. The amazing thing about
my mother's coin is that ever since she received it and put it in her
pocket book her purse has never been empty. She said, "As long as that
coin is in my pocketbook I have money." What I initially looked at as a
very old penny, took on value with her story. It made me wish I had a
coin like that.
After dinner I went home to do some research on my mother's coin.
(No, I wasn't looking to see if there were any magic coins to be found
on the market for purchase.) I was curious to know more about the old
coin's history. The year the coin was produced, Canada was still in its
infancy, belonging to Britain and existing under its direct rule. We
did not become an independent country until 1867.
In 1850 the parliament of the Province of Canada passed an act
allowing authorized banks to produce coins. The British pound,
shilling, and pence, were the common accepted currency circulating in
the country, but because the British currency was in short supply,
people were trading in beaver pellets and tokens.
In 1870 the first official currency, separate from the British
sterling and based on a decimal system like the United States, was
minted in England and shipped for circulation. Government offices
officially began accepting copper bank tokens, such as my mother's
one-penny coin, for use as decimal coins. The half penny tokens
increased in value and were worth one cent, and the one-penny token
increased to a value of two cents. Between 1870 and 1900, the official
Bank Tokens were accepted as legal tender along with the British
currency.
I wondered the value of the coin and researched further. The penny
fit neatly into the palm of one's hand, was made of solid copper, and
was slightly larger than our silver dollar. Imagine ten of those copper
pennies weighing heavy in your pocket. Keep in mind that a penny in
1852 purchased much more than it does today. In my search I was able to
locate a collector who said today's approximate value of the coin was
$75. Pennies don't appreciate much over the years, but then, think of
what's its done for my mother's pocket book, never empty.
I decided to pull out my previously overlooked little coin. I found
out that it's a solid gold half sovereign, dated 1915 and minted during
the reign of King George V. Previous to the first war coins were minted
from gold, silver, and copper, and sometimes bronze. When the war began
all gold coins were pulled from the market and only copper, silver, and
paper money circulated. The penny I thought probably wasn't worth much
has now been cleaned, shined, and has taken on greater value
historically and monetarily.
When I told my husband what I learned of these two coins, and how my
mother's coin has kept her pocketbook full, he laughed and said, "Try
putting your coin in your purse and see what happens."
Over the weekend I was thinking about coins, and how I overlooked
the value of the little coin on the chain. And then I thought about
people, and how we often overlook their value. We often meet someone
with the first impression that they're just another person in the
crowd. They look much like everyone else with nothing particularly
special causing them to stand out. We fail to see the value until we
take the time to search out a bit of knowledge, background and history
about the person. As we learn of their life stories a connective bond
begins to grow. We begin to see the value, and our own life gains in
richness, which is far greater than the value of any coin, even my
mother's magic coin.