It was about 1971. I was a CIT (Counselor In Training) at a day camp in upstate NY. As part of the summer activities we participated in an age old tradition of competition called Color Wars. The campers from both genders and all age groups were split up into two teams. In the ensuing week various competitions in athletic events, creative activities, show productions, cheer routines, etc were held. The most points at the end of the week determined the winning team. One of the events was held at the pool. Dozens of rolls of cents were opened and tossed into the entire pool, from the shallow end to the deep end. Campers of all age groups would dive to the bottom and retrieve as many cents as they could pick up while holding their breath. I was a CIT and one of my jobs was to be the collection point for all the cents retrieved by my team. As I'm counting the teams booty I'm scouring, very quickly, the coins for any that might catch my eye. Well lo and behold I spied a very familiar coin. Retrieved from the bottom of the pool was a 1909 VDB (damnit, no S). Unfortunately for my team they were short counted by one cent. Fortunately for my team it was an inconsequential counter. I've still got that 1909 VDB. Brings back some great memories. Thanks for listening..... Your turn to share your story
Unlike most kids who started out collecting pennies, nickels or dimes from their allowance, newspaper route or mowing lawns, I got my start collecting Morgan silver dollars at the age of 10 playing pool. I started playing pool when I was 9 in 1956. I had a natural talent for the game, and in 1957, I was gambling, playing 9-Ball with a 16 year old named Joe Clements. In those days, you never threw money on the table because it was against the law in the Maryland suburbs surrounding Washington, D.C. We kept track of the games "on the string". When it came time to "pay up", Joe owed me $5.00. He gave me 4 ones and a silver dollar. (I learned later after going to the public library that it was a Morgan dollar.) I had never seen a silver dollar before, and since the bank where I had my savings account was two blocks away, I walked to the bank to "check it out". The bank had the old-style cashier cages, and I had to stand on the brass foot rail just to get my head above the countertop. I placed my silver dollar on the counter and asked the woman if she had any more of these. She took a handful from her drawer and spread them across the counter. I picked out 4 and used the remainder of my pool winnings to exchange for them. So, every time I won money at the poolroom (I rarely lost), I made it a point to go to the bank and exchange some of my winnings for silver dollars. By 1964, I had accumulated 800 Morgans. Chris
Actually, I sold all of them in the 60's. Pool was taking up so much of my time back then, but I did buy a brand new Corvette in 1964 from one pool match. I became "re-infatuated" with numismatics about 10 years later.....after my divorce. Chris
My uncle was a FBI agent in Reno, Navada in 1965. He sent me and my 3 brothers 5 silver dollars each. They were from the casinos. I still have them today.
