| Probably everyone at one time or another has | | | | Joesph W. Barr " dollar bills. Now as I wipe the |
| collected coins. Some people save old wheat | | | | tears from my eyes, yes I am sad to say dad |
| pennies they find in change and throw them in a | | | | has been gone a few years now, and I still miss |
| jar. Other people collect state quarters, and some | | | | him very much, especially when I sit here alone |
| others collect certain coins like nickles or dimes, | | | | and think about the times we spent together in |
| and try to build a complete collection over time. A | | | | the years gone by, oh well, at least it's always |
| lot of folks think coin collecting is the hobby of | | | | great memories when it comes to you, dad.Now |
| king's and truthfully, it's often called that. A king | | | | as I regain my mental composure, if I ever had |
| may be able to build a giant collection of coins, but | | | | one, I want to say that I never lost the desire to |
| I promise you, that the small collection a young | | | | collect coins. And as I got old enough to work full |
| boy has that may only be worth a couple of | | | | time, and live on my own I started and built a |
| dollars, is worth just as much to that boy as a | | | | fairly large coin collection. I didn't have much |
| King's coins are worth to him.I can tell you right | | | | money as I never went to college or trade |
| now, anyone can collect coins and you don't have | | | | school, and I have always had a job working as a |
| to be rich. In fact I have quite a large coin | | | | laborer, so I had to fine ways that I could build up |
| collection, and I have had a very low paying job all | | | | my coin collection cheaply.One day, I was looking |
| my life. There are a lot of ways someone can | | | | in the back of a Coin collecting magazine that I |
| build a great coin collection over time, while still | | | | had purchased at a local news stand, and I found |
| paying the bills.Coins are so neat looking, I | | | | an ad where you could join a coin collecting |
| remember when I was a young boy, my grandad | | | | approval service. They would send you certain |
| would go upstairs and open a safe we had, inside | | | | coins once a month, and you could select the |
| was a metal drawer containing some old Morgan | | | | ones you wanted to buy and keep, and if you |
| and Peace Silver Dollars. My grandad would let me | | | | didn't want them all, just mail the others back to |
| sit and play with the coins often. I would hold one | | | | them, and the next month they would send some |
| by the edge on the table top and flip it on the | | | | other coins for you to examine. What made this |
| side with my finger and the coin would spin wildly | | | | program better than the other approval services I |
| around on the table like a toy top. The coins were | | | | had often seen was, you could tell them what |
| frosty silver or whitish colored and were beautiful | | | | type of coins you were interested in, and what |
| to look at, they were large and heavy, not like | | | | price you were willing to spend monthly. I selected |
| the little coins we have today. I often wondered | | | | miscellaneous U.S. coins, everything from old large |
| how many folks actually carried these things | | | | cents from the 1800's to silver mercury dimes |
| around in their pockets everyday, it only took a | | | | and buffalo nickels etc. And I chose to only spend |
| few of them to weigh quite a lot.After my | | | | $20 a month, for me this was perfect and for |
| grandad passed away back in 1969, my dad sold | | | | about a year or more I stayed in the program |
| the old silver dollars, I don't think he really wanted | | | | and over time I got a nice bunch of coins from |
| to, but my grandad had left the family farm | | | | them, then something happened and the company |
| pretty deep indebt, so dad had an auction and | | | | folded or went out of business, as I never |
| sold about everything except our house and the | | | | received any more coins from them and I no |
| barn, to pay off the huge bills. It wasn't too long | | | | longer saw their ad in the magazines.Overtime I |
| after that when dad got bitten by the coin | | | | discovered other cheap methods to aquire some |
| collecting bug. At first it wasn't coins but paper | | | | nice coins, one of the methods I still use, is |
| money that got dad started. I remember dad | | | | something that anyone can do to start building a |
| saw an ad in the back of some magazine, where | | | | nice coin collection. Just start searching and |
| a guy was offering to pay $2 for every dollar bill | | | | examining your pocket change, I still find wheat |
| you sent him that had a certain treasurer's name | | | | pennies and silver war nickels, and many pre 1960 |
| on it, that name was: " Joesph W. Barr ". My dad | | | | nickels, and sometimes a silver coin in pocket |
| looked in his wallet at some dollar bills he had, and | | | | change. One time about two years back, I was at |
| sure enough he had one that had the signature " | | | | a local store and got some change back, I noticed |
| Joesph W. Barr " on it. Dad took the dollar from | | | | two of the quarters I received looked kinda white |
| his wallet and kept it in an envelope in his old roll | | | | in color, examining them closely after I got back |
| top desk, and after checking his money for | | | | home, I discovered they were both pre 1964 |
| several days afterwards, dad found some more | | | | silver Washington quarters. I figured somebody |
| of them. Sometime later dad mailed the dollar bills | | | | must of needed money to buy some cigarettes |
| to the address in the magazine ad, and sure | | | | or milk or something, and must of used some of |
| enough he soon got a check for the dollars plus | | | | their old coins, I was just lucky enough to had |
| an extra dollar each. Dad continued searching and | | | | been there at the right time and place to get |
| sending in them " Joesph W. Barr " dollar bills for | | | | them in my change.One place to find a lot of nice |
| awhile, then after a period of time, the guy no | | | | coins is to go to different banks and buy rolls, |
| longer was accepting them.Dad then started | | | | search through them carefully, and you will be |
| buying a few Indian head cents and some buffalo | | | | surprised of the neat finds you may come |
| nickels. Then as he got older and money seemed | | | | across, plus just add a few out of your pocket |
| to get a lot more tighter, dad quit buying coins | | | | change to replace the ones you want to keep |
| and turned to a new hobby, doing sweepstakes. | | | | from the rolls, and you can turn them back into a |
| But by this time, I was hooked, I just loved the | | | | different bank for some different rolls of coins to |
| look of the old coins, the silver ones and the old | | | | search through.Another place that is fairly good |
| copper large cents, they just seemed so neat | | | | for finding some rare coins is at local flea |
| compared to the boring coins of everyday use. | | | | markets, be careful though as many of the folks |
| Now as I am writing this article, I stumbled across | | | | at these places are very aware of a coins value, |
| an interesting article about the " Joesph W. Barr " | | | | and they often ask for much more then what |
| dollar bills from the 'American Numismatic | | | | the coins are worth. Read up on the coins you |
| Association' it said, the following: "At one time, it | | | | are interested in buying, or better yet, take along |
| was speculated that the notes signed by | | | | a pocket coin price guide with you when you go |
| Treasurer Joseph W. Barr would eventually hold a | | | | to buy coins, it's better to be thrifty then |
| high numismatic value since he was in office for | | | | foolish.Anyway, now after collecting coins for fun |
| only 23 days in 1968-69. However, during that | | | | over the years, I have almost every Lincoln cent |
| period, a total of 484 million notes were produced | | | | that was made from 1909 up to present, and I |
| with his signature. The high quantity produced | | | | have every Jefferson nickel from the first one |
| dictates that the notes will never be considered | | | | that was made in 1938 to present, and I have a |
| rare in our lifetime. Interestingly, in 1995, | | | | nice sized wooden chest full of miscellaneous U.S. |
| numismatic author Alan Herbert stated, "A $1 | | | | coins, including silver dollars, mercury dimes, |
| Barr note deposited in an interest-bearing account | | | | buffalo nickels, Large Cents and many more |
| in 1969 would have been worth over $4.00, | | | | unique and rare coins. I figure the coins will make |
| figuring 6% interest compounded annually. A | | | | a nice gift someday, something to leave to my |
| circulated Barr note kept in a safe-deposit box for | | | | daughter and her children, and maybe I can spark |
| 26 years is worth $1 today."So that explains why | | | | that fire in them, that my dad started in me, the |
| that guy probably quit buying the " Joesph W. | | | | joy of coin collecting. So start checking your |
| Barr " dollar bills, it seemed they might of been | | | | pocket change today, you just never know what |
| collectible for a little while, but they just never | | | | rare finds you may come across.There are |
| caught on. Today you can still buy them on eBay | | | | several different types of computer software |
| and other places, sometimes for slightly more | | | | that are made for coin collecting. One program |
| than $1.00. Oh well, it is something that has stuck | | | | that stand's out is ' Coin Collector Professional ', it |
| in my mind every since I was a little boy, I will | | | | is made for any coin collector, from novices to |
| always remember dad checking his wallet for " | | | | professionals, and it cost under $20. |