Greetings coin collectors and experts.....I am neither! I am hoping that you could advise me as to some gift ideas. One of my very best friends has a birthday coming up in late April. He is a major fan and enthusiast of the Old West. He has an uncanny knowledge of stories and events. Whenever we go out riding (motorcycles) it seems he knows something that happened "here" back in the old west....this hotel, this saloon, so and so shot someone, a fight happened here, big train crash here....its a lot of fun riding with him because he leads us to so many neat places. So, I thought, for his birthday, a real piece of the Old West....something he can carry in his pocket and be an actual connection to the past, to history. A coin maybe? So, what coin(s) would have commonly been found in a cowboy's coin purse? Like, open any wallet today and you're likely to find $1, $5, $10, $20 bills.....what did they commonly have/use say, 1870-1885? Morgan Dollar, large penny, nickels, ?? I'm looking to spend $50-$100.... Enough to get something cool but not so much he'd feel bad if he lost it. Also, something he'd carry around...not something uncirculated or in such nice condition it wouldn't be practical. Any and all help/ suggestions are welcome! Thanks in advance for your time.
A well worn Morgan Dollar would be perfect for your friend......and, depending on the year, you could probably pick one up for the melt value of the piece (currently around $12 bucks). Maybe a little less than 20 bucks.
That sounds good! I'll buy him a nice steak with the money left over. I live in Dallas/Fort Worth....NE Forth Worth suburbs. Any suggestions where to go to find one, or look online, or buy one from someone here that y'all trust and do business with?
Maybe an odd denomination or two . . . all of the following are great conversation pieces to those who are not familiar with them: Half Cent Two Cent Piece Nickel Three Cent Piece Silver Three Cent Piece Half Dime Twenty Cent Piece In low grades they are affordable enough, and he needn't be too concerned about damaging them.
He would probably appreciate any coin with a Carson City Mintmark. You should be able to find one of the more common Morgans in Good condition for under $100.
You can't get a more cowboy coin than a nice worn Morgan dollar. You could easily get a nice old one for under $25. I think I worn one would best because it would have more character and would have seen more history. It would be a really cool thing for him to carry around.
Thanks for all the great ideas! I think I'll try to find a period Morgan for him, one circulated with a history. The second picture....the Crash at Crush.....we've been to the site....visited both monuments too.
