2.02.2006

one more weird thing.

real quick. I realized as I was going through my pennies that I do have another quirk. I collect old money. or money I think is old. I got a $20 the other day that isn't the "new" 20 and therefore I won't spend it. I am going through my pennies now and keeping all the ones from 86 or older. I will spend the others (ie, put them in a change jar until I go to a bank and have them sort it for me) but I will keep the old coins.

I've always done this and I know somewhere (I am not sure where, though, which is bad) I have some really old money in good condition. I don't intend on selling it or finding out if it's worth more than what it is, I just like the idea of holding on to something so tangible and imagining where it was before it came to me.

anyways.

9 validations:

lonna said...

I still have a 1976 2 dollar bill that my dad gave me, oddly enough, in 1976. I am pretty sure that it is worth exactly 2 dollars, but it's cool. I used to go through my grandparents' change when I was younger trying to find old money. Every time I called up the coin shop I found out that things were worth about 1-2 cents more than their original value, so I stopped. You are better off not knowing and just keeping it.

Katy said...

I can totally relate to that! Working at the bank it became an obsession, I would go through customers money before I put it away to see if there was anything I wanted to swap out for. I'm not nearly as bad anymore. Could be because I have no money...

Marksthespot said...

i'm having trouble imagining having a $20 bill and just. not. spending it. like, giving up the buying power of that $20.

NME said...

I think alot of people collect old money. My Opa collects old change - and when drunk will go on and on about how he is leaving it all to my sisters and I. Which means I'm not a big fan of old change whatsoever.

OMH said...

Okay guys am I the only stressing over the fact that you consider 1980's as OLD........I have been married and raising children since the 80's.....umphhhh.

BTW I have 3 $2 bills with Santa's pictures on them - bought as stocking stuffers for my kids and guess what they're worth......drum roll please......yep you got it $2! Thank you thank you very much

dasereht said...

I inherited my Dad's coin/bill/stamp collection, and I'm not sure what to do with it other than save it. Which is fine, except it's HEAVY. It took both Todd and I to lift it to its current resting place on a shelf in our office. And that’s where it will stay until we move again.

Since the came out, every year for Christmas, my Grandma has been getting us the commemorative state coins. I've often wondered if I got desperate enough, would I pray them out of their fancy plastic cases and use them to buy... whatever 25¢ will buy?

dasereht said...

D'oh! I meant pry, not pray. If praying them out of their cases worked, I'd probably just pray for money to fall out of the sky. Or the ceiling. Or the Olivers' ceiling.

Steph said...

Ooo. I know. I'll never forget the time in first grade when I found an old 1940's wheat penny and was convinced it was worth a FORTUNE. I was so disappointed to find out I couldn't buy $5 worth of stuff with it.

By the way--Thanks for your feedback on the adoption! I'm hoping someday that will be us. I now have the email option in my profile if you want to drop a line about it. I've got the crazy inside scoops!

Kodi said...

My husband does the same thing. Now he is into keeping all the Sacajawea (dude can't spell that) dollar coins, and the Susan B. Anthony coins. Yes, they are only worth a dollar, but some day......