1914-D Penny

I had a dream about a 1914-D penny which I have put in my Dream Depository.  The dream reminded me of a time when I was working at the Griffith Park Zoo in the change booth.  I was a school teacher who supplemented his teacher's pay by working week-ends and summers at the Zoo, making change so people could use the coin operated turnstiles.

It was pretty routine and boring work, making change, and to pass the time, we employees used to screen all the change for collectible coins.  The 1914-D cent was one of the rare coins we sought.  For some reason, in 1914 few pennies  were minted in the Denver mint, and so pennies marked 1914-D became valuable because they were so scarce.  Of course we sought other scarce coins too.

Tom and I were on duty.  He in the booth with coin tray and I outside ushering folks through the coin operated stiles.  It was a slow day and time was heavy on our hands.  Tom suggested we trade jobs for a while.  I was glad to get into the booth and sit.  Tom took my station outside.  We bantered back and forth between the occasional customers.

To pass the time I started scanning coins for scare dates, and LO and BEHOLD, I found one of the rare 1914-D pennies.

"Wow," I shouted to Tom.  I raved about my good luck.  Tom was pleased, but expressed sorrow that he had not checked the coins while he was in the booth.

Then I took a closer look.  The coin was not a 1914-D coin at all, but a common 1944-D, that had been carefully altered to look like the premium coin. I was crushed and angry.  Tom was sympathetic.

"Who would pull such a mean trick," I blustered.  "Who would go to all the trouble to make a common 1944-D look like a 1914-D," I complained.

"And why," Tom added.

"It must have taken hours to doctor that date like that," I whined.

"Yes," Tom said, "And weeks on top of the coin booth to get it aged to look normal again."

The light dawned. 

"You did that?"

"Yep," Tom said grinning.

"But WHY?"  I was dismayed..

"To give you a thrill," he said.  "And I did."