USA Gold Coins

Dan Shane danshane at bellsouth.net
Thu Apr 12 13:57:41 CEST 2001


ROB KLEIN SAYS:


> In the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s most of the families of American peole I
knew
> had at least SEVERAL US minted gold coins.  They ALL had at least a few $5
> and $10 gold pieces and most had $20 gold pieces (usually Double Eagles).
> -  These were all lower to middle to upper Middle Class families in terms
> of income (no Elite or Robber Barons among them).  Most American families,
> that I new in those times, had at least one (uually more) adult, who kept
a
> $20 gold coin on a chain or amulate as a "Lucky Charm".      Rob Klein
>

AND I REPLY:

Maybe you knew some, but I knew NONE.  I grew up in the typical American
nuclear (that's noo-clee-ar, not nuke-you-lar) family of the 50's.  I went
to school with everyone from white trash to Jewish American Princesses.
I've never seen a gold coin outside of a collection.  My grandparents,
uncles and aunts, who all lived from the 1890's onward, never carried gold
coins around with them, if indeed they ever possessed any.

Now of course, they weren't ultraquintupillionaires like Scrooge, but if the
coins were as widely circulated as you say, how come I never saw one.  I
didn't spend my life in a tree, so it seems I should have come across gold
pieces at some point in my life if they were as common as is being
suggested.  To be sure, gold coins existed and were minted by the thousands.
But silver colored coins were minted by the millions, and far outnumber the
others.

Your post indicates that it was not uncommon for Americans to carry gold
coins around (though you don't seem to suggest that such coins were
possessed in great quantity).  But I can honestly say that NO fellow
American I have ever known could produce one out of his pocket.  On the
other hand, many of us were proud of our genuine silver dollars.  Those are
coins we DID grow up with.  I still have a couple of those laying
conspicuously on my desk at home -- not displayed or enshrined, just laying
there.




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