Hi everyone! Sorry I haven't posted in a while--I've been super busy ever since school started back up. I got a job working at the local coin store! But that's not what this is about-this is about the grab bag I won in the YN auction! It was the first grab bag auctioned off--I'd been waiting for it. Once I received it, I was shocked! I was expecting a lot worse coins than these! So this blog is for the people who were constantly commenting (one of them was me) about "what's in the grab bags??" and "Who here has gotten grab bags before? What's in them??" and "we need another space cat background!" (That definitely wasn't me) Anyways, let's get started.First, we have the tokens. There was a "good luck token," a "no cash value token," two transit tokens and two tax tokens. Moving on, because those weren't very interesting, there were two ANA medals. One was proof strike from 2003, and the other was from 1992. They are smaller than a silver dollar but bigger than a half. Next, there were three wheaties. One is a 1930 S, another is a 1928 S, and the last one is a countermarked 1955 D (see pictures!) Then there were a couple assorted world coins, Including a MS Ukraine coin from 2018, A British large cent, an British half cent, a British three pence, and a Canadian quarter. All pretty common. Then there were some a little bit better world coins, including a 1958 Portuguese 50 Centavos, a 1938 British large penny, a 1945 French Five Francs, and a 1962 Swiss 1/2 Frank (or Franc? not sure). Then some very nice World coins-- a 1915 Cuban coin, an 1888 Dominican Republic 2 1/2 Centavos, a 1876 Norwegian 1 Ore, A 1879 Spanish 10 Centavos, and a very high mint state 1944 10 cents from the Netherlands! Then there was a coin I was NOT expecting-a struck off-planchet error! My first good error coin besides a die cud!! Then there was one of those blank penny planchet things form the mint-now my second blank planchet, but a nice one!! Then, off course, they have to toss in a bit of silver! A 1968 Kennedy 40% silver half dollar. These aren't rare or anything, but they have silver value. Last but certainly not least, we have the 1781 Prussian Coin! I love these kinds of old 18th century coins--I was bummed that there weren't any in the auction this year, so I was excited to see this!There you have it, that's all! Not nearly as interesting as the gold, but still a decent win! Congratulations to those of you who won something in this year's YN Auction!

Welcome to part II! The links between these three dollar gold pieces, three cent silver trimes, large cents, washers, and stamps is very complicated and complex, so you might find yourself needing to read it through a few times. I will try to set out a chart at the bottom. First, let's start with the link between silver trimes and three dollar gold. The trimes were minted from 1851-1873, very similar times to when the gold pieces were circulating (1854-1889). The three dollar gold pieces were issued first in 1854, but never saw much public use—except by some certain individuals who were hoarding these trimes, who found it easy to exchange one of these gold three dollar coins for 100 trimes. That wasn't too hard, was it? Now we add stamps into the mix. Three cent trimes were issued partly because of the current cost of a postage stamp, which were three cents each. That way, they could pay with just one coin. Now three dollar gold pieces were also able to be spent on exactly 100 stamps, or buying 100 trimes for 100 stamps. Now we have a circle, but what happens when we throw washers in? Back then, washers cost three cents apiece, so you could buy a stamp with a three cent or a washer, both only used one coin. Or you could buy 100 three cents to buy 100 washers with a three dollar gold piece, or you could just buy 100 washers. Confused yet? Well, this is where we toss large cents in. instead of buying your own washers for three cents or buying 100 trimes to buy 100 washers, people just made their own out of large cents, so it only cost one cent. Handy, right? Or you could buy 300 large cents with a three dollar gold piece, and make 30 washers yourself! Well, our hexagon is finally complete! Let me lay out a simple chart for you:

The History of U.S Half Dimes

The History of Two and Three Cent Pieces

I went to my bank again today, and they let me go through their "dump bin" again! I got some special edition low mintage Canadian quarters, a 1968 Canadian nickel, a Guatamala commemorative coin, and toned two pence and one pennies and more!! (There was also a no cash value token from 1900, but I didn't realize what it was until I got home) :(. But the best thing was MY FIRST TWO SILVERS in a nickel box!!! 1942S and 1943P! And my first buffalo!!! 1936 full horn!! There were also 3 foreigns--two Canadian nickels and a Mexican $1 coin. See the pictures!! My best nickel box hunt ever!! Thanks for reading!!�