March 10, 2003
Coins
I found a quarter today. Yeah, big deal, what can you get for a quarter anymore? It was dated 1969. That got me wondering. Where have you been, George? How many countries have you seen? How many people have you met? What did you buy with yourself? Thirty-four years is a long time to be floating around untethered. I always wonder that about coins. They're not as earthbound as stamps, for instance. They are much more apt to be passed around. Stamps are used to for point-to-point communication, usually ending up in the recipient's trash bin. Coins are used, re-used, passed around, re-used some more for decades. However, I have tens of French francs, British and Irish pounds, and even Canadian dollars in a little box at home. I keep them for their memory value as well as their monetary worth. The franc and the Irish pound have been replaced by the euro, of which I have none yet. I like the British pound. It's small, but it has enough weight to be heaver than the other coins. I like the sound that pound coins make when they come together. It's unique to my ears: a little shallow, but distinct. It brings back pleasant memories. I know I say this a lot, but I really do love England, and as I've said equally as often, I can't wait to go back. Do Australians use dollar coins? Or do they use paper dollars? I wish American could get used to using the dollar coins. I like them better than the dollar bill, although I haven't decided whether I like Susan B. Anthony better than Sacajawea. As long as they're both legal tender, I guess it doesn't matter.
