On another thread I was reading another member was talking about starting out collecting low end coins that were really just junk silver and had no real value. Other than my proof and mint sets the majority of my collection is G4 - XF and a few that aren't that good. My 91 year old father-in-law was at my house visiting the other day and we got to talking about my coin collection and he asked me what I thought about Walker half dollars. Well i love them and have quite a few low grade ones, and you don't have to ask me twice so I ran in the house and came out with my collection of Walkers and we looked at them for the longest time and then my father-in-law got in his wallet and from a compartment in the back he took out this coin and told me he wanted me to have it. He was born in 1919 and lived in the mountains of West Virginia and he was dirt poor and part of a large family. he was the oldest boy and his dad took him out of school when he was 13 to find work and help support the family. His first job was helping a man cut timber to send to the saw mills, he walked 12 miles a day each way to get to this job and worked 12 hours a day 6 days a week and made .50 cents a day or $2.50 a week. The first week he got paid the man gave him 6 Walkers as his weeks pay and since one was a 1919 the year he was born his father allowed him to keep it. He considered that his most prize possession and carried it with him when he went to work down in the dangerous coal mines of West Virginia, and he carried it with him during WW II. He carried it during times when they were running moonshine and through his life of raising 8 kids. He told me that he could see how much my coins meant to me and he knows that I am planning on leaving my coins to my grandchildren. So as I sit here tonight and I look at this coin it has more value to me than if it was in MS70 condition and I can't wait till the next time my Grand daughter is in so I can relate the story to her or maybe her Great Grandfather can if he is still with us.
Thanks for sharing the great story. Those are the types of stories I love to hear and wonder if something like that occurred with any of my coins.
Great story, I sometimes wonder where my coins have been. Now you know the whole background on that piece!
what a great history that coin has! that coin in xf and above condition goes for a decently high price. but him having it in his pocket at all them personal historic times is priceless.
That is a very cool story. That coin has a lot of miles on it. Glad to hear you appreciate it for what it is. Enjoy! TC
