Treasure in Drapes

Question: Although I am not an avid coin collector, an item in one of your articles last year regarding an 1852 Canadian penny caught my eye. Also the statement you made a long time ago: “They are out there somewhere.” They sure are.

My wife and I dropped in on a garage sale. She liked some old drapes and we bought them, but they were too long, so she cut off the bottom. I was curious to find out what was in each corner to make them hang straight. This is what I found:

Two penny tokens from the Bank of Upper Canada dated 1852, two others dated 1857 and 1837, a George III Hibernia 1805 and one dated 1777 (I believe), a token dated 1878, and a penny bank token dated 1831 with the obverse in French and inscribed Evins and Bolton Montreal.

So you are correct: They are out there.--E.C.W.

Answer: I hope your find doesn’t inspire others to slash their drapes in hopes of discovering some treasures. But it is an example of what I meant when I wrote that article. Generally, most coins are either in the hands of collectors, dealers or museums. But occasionally, interesting pieces will turn up in the most unlikely places.

Archeologists still unearth buried vessels from ancient days filled with coins; treasure hunters still find trunks of silver and gold at the bottom of the ocean, and, as you discovered, coins may even be found sewn into drapes. I don’t recommend garage sales as the best place to purchase coins; you’ll still do better getting them directly from the Mint, a dealer or at a coin show or auction. But as I’ve said before, one of the joys of collecting is the hunt.

I don’t know what the drapes cost, but your coins and tokens are each probably in the $5 to $25 range. I’d have them checked out, especially the George III Hibernia and the one with the inscription.