Penniedarling

Back in 1970 David and I were travelling through the USSR and just loving it all, we changed American Dollars into Russian Ruple in Denmark on our way to the USSR, we got about 7 Ruple for 1 $US not bad, when in the USSR we were told we had to change our Dollars to Ruples only in banks and it would be 1 for 1, so it was surprising to have young men come up to us in the streets wanting to give us about 5 Ruple for one US$, guess what... we never changed any money in banks but we were rich for the first time so I bought my first Babushka at the GUM Store in Moscow.

After we went across Sibera on the railway then when about to leave the USSR at Nakhodka and sail to Tokyo we were told that we had to give back any USSR money we still had but there would be no $US to replace them... so what's a girl to do... hide the one and only coin we still had in my shoe!

... so I hid this Vladimir Lenin coin in my shoe and have had it in my 'Coin' collection ever since, we found it yesterday!  

Labels: Coins

 

1850's Gold Coins we inherited from someone in David's Family.

Labels: Coins, PAD/4-2024

 Here's some old coins we saved from our many travels in the late 1960's, these are Polish ,the main one being the Zlote.

Labels: Coins, PAD/2024

1853-1884 Gold USA One Dollar coins. 
 

Labels: 10/23-PAD, Coins

1853 and 1954 Gold American $1 coins we found deep in some old boxes from David's Uncle Keith.

 

Labels: 10/2022/PAD, Coins

Aren't these little coins cute, I think they came from David's Uncle Keith.

 

Labels: 11/21, Coins

These 1853 - 1854 Gold Coins were in a box we inherited from David's Grandmother Dudu more than 50 years ago, I just looked them up online, I could buy another for over Aus $400!!  Wow! 
 

Labels: 7/2021PAD, Coins

Some of my old coins, one shilling was called a 'Bob', sixpence was called a 'Tanner', three penny's were called a 'Trey'.

Labels: 6/2020, Coins

Four 165 year old Gold American Coins.

Labels: 8/18, Coins

 
Today I've been counting, counting, counting my money.  I'm not really a
coin collector but I have been throwing interesting coins into a box
since the 1970's and for some reason I've been saving 8 copies of
each... why I wonder?  Did I think to give each child 2 of each coin or
something?  Did I think to give 1 of each coin to my children and to
their partners.  My Children were all born from 1971 to 1980 so what on
earth was I thinking about trying to collect 8 of each coin?

It came to me at around 3am the other morning...  since the 1970's I
have been collecting coins for my Grandchildren!  But... how did I know I
was going to have 8 Grandchildren when all my children were under 10
years old?

I'm just spooky that's how  :-)   I just love these little moments.

Labels: Coins

Lots of loose change from many different countries in this old glass vase.

Labels: 4/16, Coins

Welllll...  not exactly borrowed, and not exactly stolen really either!

In 1970, we enjoyed a month of travel across the USSR.  Back in those days, when we knew we were heading to a new country we'd go to a local bank and buy some of that counties currency.  The only country we were not able to buy currency for was the USSR.   Some other Communist countries had the same rules but even banks had some of their currency under the desk and swapped US $'s for it at very favourable prices for us... but not the USSR.

So we entered the USSR by train from Warsaw, Poland and there was no money exchange on the train which meant we were unable to change our US$'s to buy anything to eat or drink... the trip takes 26 hours!   Luckily and very kindly the people in the carriage beside us shared their sandwiches and tea from a Samovar... this is the first and only time I've ever drunk tea, it would have been to rude to refuse.

When we arrived in Leningrad on that first day we asked directions for a bank, and as we headed towards the said bank some young man sidled up to us and said very softly...  'Sell US Dollar?  Sell Dollar?'   so we did a deal there and then on the street getting 2 1/2  Ruble's for each 1US$, the going rate at the Banks was 1 Ruble for 1US$ but we never needed to go into a bank there was always a young man who gave us this much better rate on the streets.  So for the first time in our lives we were Rich!  Pity there wasn't anything to buy and the food was pretty awful.

From Leningrad we trained to Moscow, then across Siberia through Khabarovsk and Vladivostok then to the sea port of Nakhodka where we caught a boat to Japan.

As we were leaving the USSR there were signs everywhere saying we had to give back any Russian monies we still had on us, the USSR Officials at Customs also asked us for any monies we still had, they of course had no intention of giving us back our US$'s in this deal, anyway I only had one USSR Ruble left so taking a great risk to our safety... I hid the above Ruble on my person!

So I guess you could say that ... I borrowed this coin?  :-)

Labels: 5/15, Coins

Old no longer in use coins.

Labels: 1/15, Coins

 David and I were watching 'Grease' last night, what fun that movie is and of course I love all the music.  I remember taking the kids to see it and they just loved it.  Seen it a few times now I have. 

That scene with Sandy and Danny in the car at a Drive-In when he's trying to take off his ring to give to Sandy and it's rather tight so when he does eventually get it off his finger...  his elbow bumps into Sandy...  So sweet but painful.  

Anyway I asked David if he'd ever given any girlfriend a Friendship Ring and he said no he was too geeky to do that and then I remembered that I had been given one when I was about 14 or 15 years old. 

The shameful thing is I cannot remember the name of this beautiful young man, I know he lived at Newport Beach and that he caught the same bus to school that I did but??? his name???  is just not coming to me.  And... I can't remember ever going out with him, I think we just chatted on the bus.

Now I am feeling really mean and dreadful because this boy made this ring for me, he made it using a 2/- piece, yes it was so long ago it was Pre-decimal currency. 

Isn't it beautiful?


 See the inside, yes it is indeed made from a 2 shilling piece.

 When I showed it to David he was most impressed especially seeing it was adjustable as well :-)


The really awful thing is that this boy asked for his ring back a few months later.

You know another awful thing... The movie 'Grease' has a lot of bullying in it, much to my shame I never noticed before, I just took it for granted which now makes me feel even more ashamed.

Labels: Coins, Pennie

 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