Discovering Your True Value: Life Lessons From Old Coins

By

Desiree Future

Some time ago I was sitting down going through some old coins my late dad had given me. I remember him especially telling me to hold onto them until the time is right.

Even as an adult with a child of my own I never quite understood it. I just did what he said. I kept them. To me, it was a bunch of random loose change he just didn’t want to part with.

Upon his passing, I stashed them in a box along with a few other keepsakes belonging to him. Next to his were my son’s items that I would pass along to him when he was older. Then I added my mother’s keepsakes when she passed.

With both late parents being born well before the 1950s things were aged. However, knowing that they once held those items was very important to me. As if I still had a piece of them.

After hearing about old coins that can have significantly more value than their face value, I pulled out the aged currency. There was a reason my dad told me to keep them and this must be why.

I scoured through them in hopes of finding the diamond in the rough. Was I looking to become an overnight millionaire? Do I want to be the next homeowner? Of maybe a two-bedroom home with a terrace space for sitting out back to write my next article or novel?

The answer to all of these questions is no. To be transparent, I was just looking for the one precious coin. Prayerfully it would allow me to buy a brand-new car. Nothing more and nothing less.

Growing up in the projects, I’ve learned that money doesn’t buy happiness. Sure, it can afford you some nice shiny trinkets and luxury items. But if you have no one to share them with they’re worthless.

With my magnifying glass in my hand, I began to search through the coins. I’d pick one up and look for the date. Then I’d look it up online to see its value. Whether it was a quarter, nickel, dime, or penny, I did the same for each one.

Then there was the foreign currency, for which I had no clue what country or value it had. Researching what the coins were and what they were worth took quite a bit of time. I felt like a coal miner digging for gold.

Halfway through the ton of coins. I had split the piles into two different parts. Inadvertently I had a good pile and a bad pile. The good pile was possibly profitable. While the bad pile was only worth what it was stamped as.

Although each one had a face value of its own it didn’t mean they were more or less important. The penny being the only United States currency made of copper stands out because of its color. While the nickel, dime, and quarter all are silver colored. Yet that doesn’t make it worthless.

After some long searching, I became less and less eager to find the winning piece. At that point, it seemed to me like I was throwing away the unwanted ones. I tossed them aside simply because they didn’t meet certain criteria.

It dawned on me that this is life. Sometimes, people will toss you to the side because they don’t see your real value. All they see is what’s on the outside.

Just like a book, if you don’t open the cover you will never discover the awesome story it has to tell. Be not dismayed if people can’t or won’t see your value. You are priceless and you’re worth more than gold.

I didn’t find any change that would alter my financial circumstances. However, I realized the valuable coin my father told me to hold was actually a lesson. He taught me I am worth more than gold. What have you learned that helped shape your life?

Luke 12:7 Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.