Buried Treasure in the Back Yard!

About 6:30 last evening my doorbell rang. When I opened the door I found three neighborhood kids ranging in age from 4 to 8. My daughter was doing her homework, so I told them that Adriana couldn't play.

They didn't come for Adriana, they came for me.

"We were digging in our yard, and we knew you like coins, and . . . "

Out popped the older girl's hand. In it was an 1897 Indian Head Cent.

"What's this worth?"

It only took a momentary examination to see that the coin was nothing special numismatically. I questioned them about where they found it, figuring that it had come out of somebody's collection, but the story was consistent...even with the 4-year old. The coin was too clean to have popped right out of the ground, but they said they had washed it in water. Maybe it was true!

I pulled out a magnifying glass. We sat down and I began to talk with them. The boy was more interested in terrorizing our dog, but the girls sat quietly as I started to tell them about the coin. I talked about the designer. I told them about the obverse of the coin actually being based on the designer's daughter. I showed them the reverse, and told them about the design change on the back of the coin the second year it was minted. We talked for three or four minutes when . . .

Another knock at the door. More kids. They're a couple years older than the ones I already had in the house.

"We've been looking at the Internet and we found it!"

They announced that the coin was only worth a dollar. Pretty fair assessment, but it seemed to bother the little ones I already had in the house that they hadn't become wealthy finding hidden treasure! The older kids left.

I told them to take care of the coin. I told them that they were really lucky . . . I've never found an Indian Head Cent in my back yard! I told them to show their parents (they already had) and that if they found more I'd be glad to help them with their new treasures.

Then I considered breaking out my shovel at about three o'clock in the morning . . . they don't have a dog . . . so maybe if I'm really quiet . . . and I'm really lucky . . .

Art Haule
http://www.squidoo.com/indianheadpenny