1873 Seated Liberty Dime

This gently circulated half dime is certainly an eye-catching reminder of the end year of its production. The first, obvious characteristic that shows is its darkness. It has been in some "dark' places--pockets, purses, pouches--but we all know this is the simple tarnishing process that can appear on all silver. Then I go to the detail--She is seated with a shield, but the details are not visible. I wish I could hear her story--the places she's been and the thigs she's seen would be so fascinating-or, maybe not. Historic coins carry with them the passage of times we'll not know and posession by people we'll never see. Then, by some occurance, it lands in the hand of my great-grandfather, by pure chance. It's destiny is sealed now, when deposited into the Mason jar that my young grandfather gazed upon.

This half-dime has been around! All lettering and the date are clear to see. On the reverse, the wreath is very much worn.. No mint mark is evident.. I"m working on building on to my 4-generation coin collection but, as a disabled veteran on a fixed income, am doing so, slowly as I can afford to. There are so many coins, such as the 1909-S Indian Head, that I'll likely never be able to afford. I'm 54 now. This collection is so precious, to me, because my great-grandfather, grandfather and love of my life--my dad, all built upon it. From the time I was 5 years old, I would go through the old ammo can, carefully picking out each piece and admiring the stunning artwork of the Standing Liberty quarters and all the old coins; this resulted in my father gifting me this collection several years before he passed away, in 2019. I miss him, so much but, when I'm in the collection looking through all of the items, I can remember sitting in the middle of our living room floor, hearing him speak of some "lost" half dimes and Seated Liberty Dimes. It would be three years after his death, when organizing my garage and the belongings from the old house, that I'd stumble upon another ammo can--one that I had no knowledge of and, one that he'd hidden so well that, even he, had forgotten where it was! I know he's looking down upon me as I found the two small shoeboxes containing amazing coins that I'd never laid eyes upon.