Silver Dollar Question

Do you keep them in a lead box?

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AS & His Magic Hat

A conclusion is simply the place
where you decided to stop thinking.
"big head" wrote in message
oups.com...

Bruce Remick wrote:
"Banknote Addict" wrote in message
...
Just curious... For the most part, people today are more likely to
keep a
Dollar coin as a souvenir rather than spend it on cigarettes. Has
that
always been the case? Can any of you guys that were around in the
40's and
50's remember if silver Dollars were commonly used by the public
back then?
Was there ever a time when it would be no surprise to get Peace
Dollars in
your change at the gas station? (Or gold coins even...before the
1930's of
course). I was a kid in the early/mid 70's and I seem to remember
Ike
Dollars being used a little bit. Not super common, but it was no
surprise
if you got one in change.

Growing up in northeast the 1940's and 50's, I never saw a silver
dollar used in
change. Banks had them, of course, at face value and although I
collected coins
I couldn't afford to get a bunch to look through like we do today
with small
change. They were mostly used as birthday and Christmas presents for
kids. We
all knew they were available, but half dollars were "big money" to a
kid with a
25 cents allowance.

My 90-year old mother-in-law says she doesn't recall seeing anyone
actually
spending gold coins before the 1930's, but then she didn't frequent
that many
western saloons.

Bruce

My dad was stationed at Camp Mercury Nevada in the 50's He said they
got paid in silver dollars. They spent them a lot. They would
hitchhike into Vegas when ever they had leave. It was easy for drivers
to see them at night, they all glowed in the dark after marching out to
ground zero after every nuke test. He saved a few and gave them to me.

Roger

Banknote Addict wrote:
Just curious... For the most part, people today are more likely to keep a
Dollar coin as a souvenir rather than spend it on cigarettes. Has that
always been the case? Can any of you guys that were around in the 40's and
50's remember if silver Dollars were commonly used by the public back then?
Was there ever a time when it would be no surprise to get Peace Dollars in
your change at the gas station? (Or gold coins even...before the 1930's of
course). I was a kid in the early/mid 70's and I seem to remember Ike
Dollars being used a little bit. Not super common, but it was no surprise
if you got one in change.

I ask my dad this question. Here is his answer:

"Do you think I was rich when I was young"

Then

"Put it this way you could get silver dollars in change if you wanted it
but most people wanted paper money. silver was to heavy to carry around.
We had to walk most every where we went"


;-)
Rick

"Rick" wrote in message
...
Banknote Addict wrote:
Just curious... For the most part, people today are more likely to keep a
Dollar coin as a souvenir rather than spend it on cigarettes. Has that
always been the case? Can any of you guys that were around in the 40's and
50's remember if silver Dollars were commonly used by the public back then?
Was there ever a time when it would be no surprise to get Peace Dollars in
your change at the gas station? (Or gold coins even...before the 1930's of
course). I was a kid in the early/mid 70's and I seem to remember Ike
Dollars being used a little bit. Not super common, but it was no surprise
if you got one in change.

I ask my dad this question. Here is his answer:

"Do you think I was rich when I was young"

Then

"Put it this way you could get silver dollars in change if you wanted it
but most people wanted paper money. silver was to heavy to carry around.
We had to walk most every where we went"



Actually in the 1940's and early 50's the blue collar worker could often leave
the house in the morning with a dollar's worth of coins in his pocket and likely
have enough to buy some breakfast, lunch, and bus fare home. No need to carry
dollar bills, unless you were going to a fancy restaurant. After work, a lot of
the local taverns would offer free food as long as you bought a ten cent beer.
I remember looking forward to buying one beer and getting a big bowl of clam
chowder and a cold cut sandwich. Cheap supper and free seconds, too, but we
never wanted to take advantage of a good thing. On a good day I might have even
bought two beers.

Today, a couple beers after work can wipe out a sawbuck and then the bartender
expects a tip. Maybe a few cups of snacks on the counter make it all
worthwhile. Not. But we were only making 75¢ to $1 an hour back then, too.

Bruce

Actually in the 1940's and early 50's the blue collar worker could
often leave the house in the morning with a dollar's worth of coins in
his pocket and likely have enough to buy some breakfast, lunch, and
bus fare home. No need to carry dollar bills, unless you were going
to a fancy restaurant. After work, a lot of the local taverns would
offer free food as long as you bought a ten cent beer. I remember
looking forward to buying one beer and getting a big bowl of clam
chowder and a cold cut sandwich. Cheap supper and free seconds, too,
but we never wanted to take advantage of a good thing. On a good day
I might have even bought two beers.

Today, a couple beers after work can wipe out a sawbuck and then the
bartender expects a tip. Maybe a few cups of snacks on the counter
make it all worthwhile. Not. But we were only making 75¢ to $1 an
hour back then, too.

Bruce



Interesting stuff. Makes you wonder about the old $500 and $1,000 bills.
Imagine a guy walking around with a couple of those in his wallet...

I once read through an interesting Fraud trial at the "Old Bailey"
(Court of Justice) in 1812 where a gang conspired and defrauded the
bank of England, the sum of money gained was just over =A32,500 Pounds

They received much of the cash in the form of two =A31000 pound notes !

Imagine a =A31000 note almost 200 years ago when our highest today is a
=A350 (except Scotland =A3100)

The prosecution managed to uncover a story of 2 defendants on a wild
shopping spree around Londons exclusive Mayfair trying very hard to
break the higher denomination notes

Banknote Addict wrote:
Just curious... For the most part, people today are more likely to
keep a
Dollar coin as a souvenir rather than spend it on cigarettes. Has
that
always been the case? Can any of you guys that were around in the
40's and
50's remember if silver Dollars were commonly used by the public back
then?
Was there ever a time when it would be no surprise to get Peace
Dollars in
your change at the gas station? (Or gold coins even...before the
1930's of
course). I was a kid in the early/mid 70's and I seem to remember Ike

Dollars being used a little bit. Not super common, but it was no
surprise
if you got one in change.

I grew up in the 50s in NJ. Like some of the others, the only silver
dollars I ever got were as gifts. Spending them, however, was never a
problem.

Cue the Statler Brothers...

Saturday morning serials, chapters one through fifteen,
Fly-paper, penny-loafers, Lucky Strike Green,
Flat tops, sock hops, Studebaker, "Pepsi, please,"
Ahh, do you remember these? (Take it, Tim!) :-)

Jerry

I spent quite a large number of Canadian silver dollars in
1962 when I was there for seven months.

Their spending always caused a stir, but they were recognised and accepted.
In most cases they were not put in the till, but kept on one side.

When I was back in 1987, the loon had come into use. This time
I got some 50 cent pieces, and spent most of those. That created
a far bigger stir, with several sales assistants questioning
whether it was a legal Canadian coin ;-)

--
Tony Clayton or
Coins of the UK : http://www.tclayton.demon.co.uk/coins.html
Metals used in Coins : http://www.tclayton.demon.co.uk/metal.html
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