Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Buffalo Nickels

The laminated birch headboard on my Grandparents bed had two little cubby holes on the ends with an open space in the middle. Grandma must have really loved this type of laminate, because her dressers and living room furniture were made from it.


Whenever I went to visit Grandma and Grandpa, one of the first things I did was to enter their bedroom. On the north wall hung photographs from ceiling to floor. On the west wall, the one where you could look out the window and see the pond in the woods, were photographs to the right of the window and a latch hook rug to the left. Pictures of several generations of our family - the most important thing in the world to my Grandma.

But my favorite thing in Grandma and Grandpa's room lived in Grandma's cubby hole. Hidden behind the gold handled door were two mason jars. Both were filled to the brim with buffalo nickels.

I would take those jars out, dump the nickels on the bed, and hold each one in my hand, marveling at the weight and detail of these old coins. My imagination would wander back to the time when buffalo roamed the prairies and plains by the thousands. As a child I had not yet learned about the slaughter of the buffalo and the Indians. I just knew those were magical coins that held special powers. Just what powers were a mystery to me, but they were magical just the same.

Not long before she died, I asked my Grandma what made her start collecting buffalo nickels. She said, "Oh, I don't know. When I was young I thought they were beautiful and just started collecting them. Before I knew it I had two jars full!" Not only did Grandma think buffalo nickels were beautiful, she loved two dollar bills and stashed those away as well.

In 1999, the U.S. Mint started producing state quarters, each with a unique design. Then, in 2005, they started making beautiful nickels, and one design features the buffalo. It were the nickels that caught my eye.

There is a jar sitting on the counter by my backdoor. In this jar is a collection of beautiful nickels, pretty state quarters, interesting pennies, and some foreign coins I have found along the way. The only thing missing is a curious child.

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