1884 Seated Liberty Dime

When I opened the 70's-era shoebox in the previously forgotten, second ammo can (from my father and mother's estate), nothing could compare me for what I would see. Two shoe-boxes filled with glass baby food jars. Quite a few of them, but they contained the most amazing smorgasbord of super-old coins from all over the world! I was in awe--that can had been sitting, still un-rediscovered, in my garage for three years! I don't know which of my family loaded it into the moving van because, well, it was just too difficult to watch their lifetime loaded up into a truck..

But, there they were. Two shoeboxes loaded with treasures unknown and a bunch of OLD books in great condition! An elementary grade-school book from 1906. That'd be my grandpa's. An ORIGINAL first-circulation print of "Black Beauty", by Anna Sewell. It was signed by five different people; all great-uncles and aunts and my Grandma; what a trip back in time it was! There's a guide for repairing horse-drawn garden implements. A selling flyer for the "All New and Mechanized", "grunt-free" motor for the mill. You know, the one by the river with a water wheel and those giant, perfectly round millstones driven by leather belts? Yeah, that one.

WIth the amazing history in the books and fliers and booklets from over a century ago, it would be a couple more days before I'd dig out those shoe boxes. After all, what could possibly be more fascinating than these old, super-cool, fascinatingwaithwhatthehellsi THAT??? Yeah. That's the first shoebox, lid off and coins glimmering. That's when I had to sit down, literally.. because I became light-headed! Knowing who those baby food bottles belonged to (ME), I realized this is where dad had put THE best of the best of the old coins. These were, none other than, Great Grandpa Israel's Mason Jar coins.I was bewildered, excited and misty, at the same time.

Even dad had forgotten where these had gone; having declared,long ago, that someone "musta just stoled 'em". And this 1884 Seated Liberty looks just like it came off the press; color-wise, at least. On the obverse, Lady Liberty shows up with all of her details shown. The shield is crisp and clearly detailed with horizontal and verticall lines. The shield's detail of "LIBERTY" on a diagonal buckler is outstanding. Liberty looks as though someone disturbed her rest as she looks over her right shoulder. I can count her fingers that clasp the pole with the cap atop it. Every wrinkle and every feature render the dime as a masterpiece, in my mind. The reverse is a bit more rubbed but, still brilliant, all things considered! Certainly looks better than I will at 200 years of age!

. I"m working on building on to my 4-generation coin collection but, as a disabled veteran on a fixed income, am doing so, slowly as I can afford to. There are so many coins, such as the 1909-S Indian Head, that I'll likely never be able to afford. I'm 54 now. This collection is so precious, to me, because my great-grandfather, grandfather and love of my life--my dad, all built upon it. From the time I was 5 years old, I would go through the old ammo can, carefully picking out each piece and admiring the stunning artwork of the Standing Liberty quarters and all the old coins; this resulted in my father gifting me this collection several years before he passed away, in 2019. I miss him, so much but, when I'm in the collection looking through all of the items, I can remember sitting in the middle of our living room floor, hearing him speak of some "lost" half dimes and Seated Liberty Dimes. It would be three years after his death, when organizing my garage and the belongings from the old house, that I'd stumble upon another ammo can--one that I had no knowledge of and, one that he'd hidden so well that, even he, had forgotten where it was! I know he's looking down upon me as I found the two small shoeboxes containing amazing coins that I'd never laid eyes upon.