Word on the street is that pennies cost more to manufacture than they are worth. Each penny costs 3.7 cents to manufacture. A dime costs less than six cents and a quarter is in the neighborhood of fifteen cents. The nickel has skyrocketed to nearly 14 cents! So I wonder if it will be the next coin to disappear. The penny can be a nuisance. They are not as useful to me nowadays, as “penny candy” is no longer in existence. I always have a few, along with other coins, in one of the many cubby holes of my truck to help me round off a drive-thru window purchase. News of the possible elimination of the penny brought a memory of another coin that was important to my childhood.
My dad was a collector of coins and in particular, he hoarded quarters. When I was less than 10, a quarter went a long way. My nature was to be a bit of a snooper. I always found the candy Mom hid in her dresser drawers and helped myself to a generous portion. I often found where the Christmas presents were stashed as well. I eventually became familiar with Dad’s hiding spots in his desk drawer and file cabinet. As I was not quite old enough to accompany him to the farm, I had plenty of time to wander around the house when boredom overtook me. Mom was easily out of sight with her hyperactive cleaning or yard work.
The bottom left-hand drawer of his antique desk contained a treasure trove of items. A soon-to-be-extinct item caught my attention. It was a 2 x 4 x 6-inch box used to hold pads of blank checks. Those of you who still write checks, like I do, know the size and style of the box to which I am referring. This box did not hold any checks but instead was nearly overflowing with quarters. With gradual boldness, I would take a few coins, bury them in my pockets and bolt out the door. My destination was the Polar Bear drive-in up on Main Street. I knew what I was doing was wrong, but I did it anyway. The sugar craving was just too strong. My plan was to bring back a paper bag overflowing with that penny candy I spoke of earlier. The Polar Bear had a wide variety of sweets that were placed by the big front window for wide-eyed examination and eventual selection. In the summertime, they often had to put a sheet over the rack to keep the sun from melting the chocolate. My favorites were the Chick-0-Sticks and Swedish Fish.
Over a period of weeks, my thievery became more regular and daring. I should have realized that my dad was no dummy. The gig was up one evening when he called me into his room. He was sitting at the desk with that bottom drawer open. He motioned for me to sit down on the bed and drew my attention to the drawer with a wave of his hand. “Have you been taking some of these quarters?” he asked. I timidly lowered my gaze and nodded my head “yes.” I confessed my actions and told him how I had spent the money. He did not explode at me as I would have expected and deserved. He calmly explained to me that these quarters were special because they were of the “all silver” variety. A unique and less common mint where a mixed alloy of copper and nickel was not used. He showed me how to look at the grooved edge of the coin to see the difference between a silver quarter and a regular coin. He concluded by saying that these types of quarters were worth a little bit more than the others, therefore I was not just stealing 25 cents, I was absconding with more like 30 or even 35 cents. That was the end of my thievery; my guilt was enormous.
I have not seen one of those silver quarters in years. According to my research, silver quarters have not been minted since 1964-65. They are most likely out of circulation and in the possession of coin collectors like my dad. Much like the penny that has become more expensive to produce than its face value, the silver quarter has gone the way of the world.
Dad has been gone a long time now and I do not know what became of that box of quarters. I bet my brother ended up with them as he is also a numismatist. He probably wouldn’t admit it to me if he did! That is fine with me because I possess and enjoy those other coins from my father. The symbolic ones from his pockets are more valuable than silver, gold or even platinum. Those nuggets of wisdom, advice, quips or even the cushioned reprimands meant to be a lesson learned. Thanks, Dad, for being calm and understanding when I deserved more punitive actions for my deceit. Job well done!
Todd Thomas was born and raised in Preston. He’s currently serving his fourth term on the Preston City Council and works full time as a physical therapist. He can be reached at toddt@prestonid.us.
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