11:59 p.m. - 2001-05-03
Americana
You know how when people get bored sometimes, they look through their coin collections and sort the coins in chronological order? Well, I was doing that tonight.....for, um...you know.....for fun.
Anyways, I got this United States penny that's like an inch in diameter. The date on it is 1852. So help me god, 1852!!
Did they even have coins in 1852?! Apparently they did.
1852...For god's sake, a 150-year-old coin! Cowboys probably used this coin in saloons to pay for whiskey. Or to buy six-shooters. The coin was 60 years old when the Titanic sank! Think of all the people who've handled this coin.
What's more amazing, it's in excellent condition. Every little detail in Lady Liberty's face is still showing. None of the picture has worn off at all. I've seen pennies from 1984 that are in worse condition.
So, when I found it, I was thinking, "This is it. My ticket to fortune. I have a piece of history right here in my hand."
I'm figuring its worth is probably $1000-2000, since it's in such good condition.
At least $1000, I'm figuring.....for a 150-year-old coin. A coin that's older than any human alive today! And even though it's worth thousands, I'm thinking, I'd hate to sell it. It's too important to American history. It belongs in a museum. The lives it's touched, the hands it's been passed to and from...what an amazing story this coin would tell if only it could talk.
So, I looked up its value on the internet. It turns out that my shiny, little piece of Americana is actually worth $11.
Eleven dollars.
What a worthless hunk of crap.
I should throw this piece of shit in the trash.
