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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;EdwardJ, post: 862590, member: 20518&quot;]Interesting thread and another opportunity to get to know each other.&nbsp; I had started collecting when I was around 13 years old so when I went to Vietnam in 1965 I was already&nbsp; into looking at the money as something more than buy booze.&nbsp; In 1965 the war was on but I managed to not find myself in a combat situation.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>Just before I was discharged in 1966 I was sent to Saigon to take a class of some kind.&nbsp; For me it was just a party and vacation.&nbsp; The zoo was still open as a zoo.&nbsp; I remember seeing the beautiful city girls with their fancy hats and clothes.&nbsp; They were a lot more sophisticated than the village girls and I liked that.&nbsp; In the market I saw one old man who had a couple of coins for sale.&nbsp; I bought a collection of quarter sized coppers, one from each emperor since way back in the 1700&#039;s up to the 1920&#039;s.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>I also purchased a silver crown sized piece from Emperor Ming Mang who ruled from 1820 to 1841.&nbsp; It looked to be in almost uncirculated condition.&nbsp; If it is genuine then I suppose that it would be worth a good chunk of change.&nbsp; It is in a beautiful Silver gray color.&nbsp; It just looks so perfect that I fear it is actually a counterfeit.&nbsp; I am afraid to send it into the certifying people because I don&#039;t know what would happen to it if it were found not to be genuine.&nbsp;&nbsp; For me it is a reminder of a place far away and a time long ago so I would not want to lose it.&nbsp; I think I paid the equivalent of maybe $8.00 for it.&nbsp;&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>I also saved a couple of MPC bills and some of the indigenous paper money.&nbsp; That term &quot;indigenous personnel&quot; just came to mind from that.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>Any way I came back, went to college in Boston in 1968.&nbsp; That was the most traumatizing experience I had from my military service.&nbsp; Going to school in a hotbed of Anti War sentiment.&nbsp; I was the only vet at my school so from that time till 1997 I was not a Vet.&nbsp; At least not until I knew you very well and also knew you were a Nam vet.&nbsp; Since then though I have made up for lost time.&nbsp; With one buddy I organized a new chapter of the Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA), served as treasurer of the State Council for a few years and then for the past seven years as Chaplain for the State Council.&nbsp; When I retired from the government a couple of years ago I was looking forward to doing volunteer work with the Vermont National Guard troops and their families but that has not worked out.&nbsp; That was a major disappointment, but I&#039;m getting over it now.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>In Vietnam I also photographed some old Steam Locomotives from the railroad which ran before the war.&nbsp; As some sort of a railroad nut (FRN) that is another of my hobbies.&nbsp; So for me the whole experience has set me up for an interesting trip through this life so far, and I am thankful. </p><p><br /></p><p>WELCOME HOME to all of you![/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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