My kids didn't know, you probably don't either

It all started last night with a very simple question from Punx.

"Someone in my class brought a couple coins from another country to school today and showed them to the class and I told my teacher that you had some from The Netherlands and I asked if I could bring them tomorrow and she said yes. Can I bring your coins to school tomorrow?"

I thought of my Euro coins that I picked up in Holland in 2004 and keep in a little teacup given to me from my Dutch brother Wilfred on my dresser. (Quick background info. Wilfred was our foreign exchange student my senior year of High School. Dan and I went to Holland in 2004 for his wedding.) I saw no problem with Punx taking them to school and then thought of my stash and realized the kids don't even know about my stash or what I am. I have never shared this with them.

I am a closet numismatist.

I won't get all technical with that definition on how it goes beyond coin collecting and into the study of currency and the payment of debt. It means I am a coin collector. A baby one. I have some old American coins but what I really like are international coins. The more from countries that don't exist the better.



Here is stuff that I am working on. In the bag are international coins that I have not yet either cataloged or identified. I have run out of coin jackets so I am at a stop for a litlle bit. The other coins are some of my American coins, old half dollars, wheatheads, even a couple half dollar mistakes. One of my favorites is a 1908 Berber half dollar given to me by my Grandfather, my first coin.



These are my Iron Curtain Coins. The Soviet Union coin is one of four that I have. The CCCP is visible on the obverse of the coin in the picture. That sort of dorky history stuff gets me all happy. The other two coins are from Yugoslavia and Poland. One a country that no longer exists and the other one is from before they became a democracy.



Here are a few of my coins from The Netherlands, these ones are all my pre-Euro ones. I sent this book with Punx to school. It has about 50 or so coins from 30 countries. Inside are also a couple of Dan's coins from Italy from his mission that I stole.



Last one and this one comes with a funny story. Now these aren't just coins but I knew the kids would like them, too. I got these from my sister, Kaarina who served her mission in Brazil. They have the unfortunate habit of devaluing their currency every now and then. Notice the 5,000 and 10,000 denominations. When my kids saw these their eyes had that slightly buggy look to them, oh wow, they said. I tried to explain that they were worthless and when they were worth something is was less than a dollar. The next day, today, when Punx took them to school he showed the Brazilian cash. "Whoa, your Mom is so rich," someone yelled out. Punx let the teacher try to explain that they weren't worth anything when they didn't get it when he told them.

All the children have decided that they want to collect coins now. They want international coins like me. I had the great idea to ask Daddy to send us some from where he is. I will ask him when he calls next and when we get them I will show all you. I never thought my kids would want to do my dorky habit with me, it's so much fun. I am going to get them their own little book and coin jackets, and make them into little dorks. Isn't it so exciting?