Merry Christmas!

It's not really Christmas, of course, but that dollar seems to bring a little Christmas spirit with it whatever the season. I got it at my local Publix a few years ago for $2.00. I'm not sure why but now they go for $2.50. Probably not enough profits for either the supplying company or Publix. Notice I said supplying company. What I mean by that is that there is a company that there is a company that produces stickers to put on the bills. The bills can be obtained from just about anywhere, but crisp bills from the bank are best. The Uncle Sam's 3 Coin Register Bank is one of my other collectables. I got it at an antique shop on Martha's Vineyard for around $12.00. From what I have seen on eBay I am missing the little rubber or plastic tip on the handle. The only other damage is the paint peeling off where the coins are deposited. I can also say I got it for a steal compared to what this person was selling it for.

Backstage on Broadway!

Here are some backstage pictures from the play Billy Elliot. The coins all seem fairly new except the cent in the top left which looks to me like a pre-1982. All I can say about the play is that it was amazing and if you ever get the chance to you should go. I will also be posting more pictures on my other blog My Travels of the World so click the link to see them.

Worn Down to Nothing (almost) Cent Version!

Here is the oldest and one of the first coins in my collection. It's an 1827 cent or penny. I went to a Civil War/Revolutionary War antique shop 4-5 years ago which is when I really started getting interested in coins and historic items. It came with a Civil War bullet as well and I paid about $28.00 for both of them so it comes out to $14.00 a piece. Technically  I could count this as VF because all of the letters in LIBERTY are showing (even though the picture doesn't show it). Without that, though, I would call it a Good-Almost Good meaning it is worth about $10.00-$20.00.

One Million Dollars!

Here is a video from my travels of Washington D.C. and more specifically the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. This was in the hallway that leads to the anteroom so I decided to take a video of it because pictures and videos are not allowed in the production facility. The entire process of making bills was explained and shown during the tour. It is also free which makes it a great spot to visit. The only down side is you must have tickets to enter and tickets are usually gone by 10:00 AM. The gift shop had a wide variety of bills and bill related items such as shredded money, uncut money, old money, books that help you learn oragami and come with a $1.00, pens with money designs, buttons with money designs, and, of course, a plethora of other little trinkets. I have noticed that many tourist traps in NYC and D.C. have gift shops that offer a few actually historically signifigant items or replicas and then the rest is pretty much worthless. It really annoys me.

Smithsonian Native Sun Symbol Coin!

I got this at the National Museum of the American Indian which is inside of the Alexander Hamilton Customs House in NYC. This was most likely the least costly item at $1.00 and a nice coin so I decided to get it (as opposed to other things that costed anywhere from $16.00-$100.00 and probably more). Now more about the museum. There was a great self-guided tour that showcased many different artifacts that were a part of the daily lives of Native Americans. My favorite parts, of course, were the dresses and bags that had coins sewn into them. From what I could tell most were Capped Bust or Seated Liberty half dollars. There were also some other types of coins, but not many. One of the most amazing parts of the museum was the art exhibit. There were many pieces made of different mediums and with many different inspirations. Some had a god, some a person, some were skulls, some were scenes of something happening in ancient times, and many, many more.

(NOTE: There are also many other exhibits and sights to see. To find out what they are you will have to visit yourself. )