Penniedarling

 Old Coins...  Well not really Collect... I've hardly added a coin in many a year but some of these old coins and notes are no longer in use.

 I have one Russian Rouble that I smuggled out of the USSR in 1970... when the very strict instructions were that we weren't allowed to take any Russian money out of the country what is a girl supposed to do?   I had to have one!   

Ah!  Memories... in June 1970 David and I traveled across the USSR on our own, we didn't have a tour guide, we just had an Itinerary and a Timetable, we were met at each destination by an Intourist Guide who drove us to our Hotel and after our stay, which included a compulsory Tour of the City, we were picked up from our Hotel and driven back to the Station for our next leg of the trip.   So each day we were on our own to travel around.

You couldn't buy Russian Roubles outside of the USSR, so after being dropped at our first Hotel in Leningrad we wandered out to find a bank... but before we could get to one we'd be approached in the street by some Russian lad wanting American Dollars.  The going rate at the bank for US$1 was 1 Rouble, these lads willing gave us 2.50 Roubles for one $1, so for the first time in almost 3 years of traveling around Europe... we were RICH!  Unfortunately there was nothing to buy... except in Moscow where I found my first Babushka... now that's a Collection!!

Labels: 11/13, Coins