Release: August 14, 2026
I’ve reminisced about memories of the US Bi-Centennial in 1776 before. I speak of those good ol’ days having been hip deep in them when they took place. Honestly, 2026 should blow that anniversary out of the water. After all, 250 year is beyond merely a milestone. It’s epic. And, the United States is the longest existing democracy in the history of the world....
It’s fascinating how coins and medals can tell a story even beyond the obvious images embossed onto them. A perfect case-in-point is a US $20 gold piece struck in 1860. The coin features the classic profile of allegorical Liberty on the front with a heraldic spread-winged eagle on the back. 160 or so years ago, such coins were commonplace for people of means....
As happens every year right about now, I’m having difficulty digesting signs announcing “Back To School” in stores. It’s barely the end of July. When do kids get to enjoy summer? In fairness, I do understand some schools begin way earlier than in the past. Particularly for kids who have football practice, going back early is now the norm. (That being said, there’s no way I can wrap my head around Halloween merchandise now appearing on shelves. C’mon!)
I’m of the mind that, particularly for kids, summer should be summer. The new Toy Story 5 movie in theaters underscores that with the sad but true premise that digital media has all but usurped familiar summer pastimes for kids such as pick-up baseball games or coin, stamp and card collecting....
No matter the era, there’s a defining phenomenon of summer for kids. Agelessly enduring, it’s the absolute certainty children have that they can make lucrative tangible discoveries during summers. Truly, kids are convinced treasure and caches of immeasurable wealth are out there waiting.
I don’t know of a child that didn’t, at one time or another, believe they could unearth untold riches during the summer. Maybe it started with a story, perhaps from a TV show or movie. Better yet, after reading from an enticing book checked out of the library. Sources for inspiration abound. Any or all of those inspire kids to dream and hope about what waits to be found on a long, lazy summer afternoon.
One book that has done exactly that is a volume kids and adults alike have stumbled across or sought out for eight decades. Officially, it’s known as “The Guide Book Of United States Coins.” More colloquially, collectors have called it “The Red Book” due to its perennial red colored cover....
About a week ago, the United States turned 250. That’s based on when we officially declared our independence from Great Britain. Some 25 years prior, in 1751, the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly, then under British authority, decided they needed a large bell in their State House. One was commissioned, cast in London and shipped to Philadelphia. It didn’t work. It sounded tinny. People were unhappy. So, it was twice recast. Finally, they thought they got it right. For a while....
It’s here. After two-and-a-half centuries, our Semiquincentennial is upon us. July 4 marks the 250-year milestone celebrating the world’s longest surviving and thriving democracy.
Note, I didn’t say, “It’s finally here.” That’s because, speaking as a participant in and survivor of our 1976 Bi-centennial, so far, this has been anti-climactic. The build-up, if any, has been scant. This year just doesn’t have the same panache or excitement as 50 years ago. In fact, the pending nuptials of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce appear to be getting as much or more press coverage....
Two dollars may not buy much these days. Not even a gallon of gas. Some places it won’t buy anything. Not because prices are high but, due to the retailers and restaurants no longer accepting cash. More and more, businesses declare “Credit Cards Only.” This at a time when money is tight, prices are up and some retailers are adding a three-percent surcharge to credit card purchases....
Most college graduates will concede their commencement ceremony was entirely forgettable. Being handed the diploma aside, unless the speaker was a celebrity or the president, few can or will recall any speeches or the individuals who gave them....
Quite a few years back, I was coaxed into attending a ComiCon-type convention in St. Louis. Like many sci-fi/collector gatherings, this one had dealer booths selling books, posters and collectibles. There were also special appearances by some celebrities.
I was unfamiliar with many of the “luminaries.” I assumed they were notable in their field. The exception for me was author Stephen King. As a fan of the horror genre, I was familiar with King’s novels and creations. At this show, he was going to be personally signing books. I couldn’t resist. I bought four of his books and got in line. A long line. The wait was expected to be several hours.
I very slowly inched my way forward. Finally, after 90 minutes or so, I was getting close to the table where King was signing. Just as I neared, a woman announced the signings were over. King had other obligations. Those of us still in line were out-of-luck. No books to be signed for me. Or, would there be? ...
Sports fans or not, many still have memories of our two US Olympic hockey wins at this year’s games. Both the men’s and women’s teams took gold medals. The victories were reminiscent of a match years ago that many either remember first-hand or have heard about.
Those games were the 1980 Olympics where the US men’s hockey team was widely considered the underdog against formidable opponents from the Soviet Union. No one thought we had much of a chance. The team the US faced had won gold in the last four Olympic games. They were clearly Goliaths. In what has long been called the “Miracle On Ice,” the US team beat the Soviets and then went on to defeat Finland to snag the gold.
As dominant as the US team was, formidable too were many then-rules and protocol in various areas. One of those was US postage stamps. Regulations strictly forbade any living person to be depicted on a US stamp. Essentially, they still do. The hitch was, in 1980, among other First Class postage stamps commemorating the games, one showed a uniformed and masked US hockey player. It was the team goalie....
This summer, those lucky or wealthy enough might find themselves traveling domestically or even overseas. With gas prices soaring, prices for any major trip, particularly overseas, are sure to be higher than most can fathom. In that respect, a few things haven’t entirely changed in the last hundred years.
A century ago, you wouldn’t be flying quickly across the ocean. It wasn’t until 1927, a century ago next year, that Charles Lindbergh flew nonstop across the Atlantic. Prior to that, people had to travel by comparatively slow dirigible airship or seagoing vessel....
Admittedly, I’m no psychic. Yet, I can take credit for one prediction. When the discontinuance of our penny was announced, I warned the next-level, lowly nickel could soon also be on the chopping block. For the record, I disagree with eliminating either, for several reasons.
Just a week ago, a front-page headline on the newspaper USA Today read, “Do nickels still make common cents to use?” The article referenced minting costs higher than the face value.
The prospect of eliminating the nickel came right on the heels of our penny being terminated. Canada stopped producing their pennies in 2013. Once it was realized their move didn’t stop the world from spinning, in 2025, we followed suit. Both decisions were based on production costs....
There’s something about coming full-circle.
Cases in point, quite a few years ago, when buying a car stereo, I noticed it didn’t have a built-in digital clock – something I would have liked on my dashboard. The young retailer selling the stereo remarked anyone wanting a clock should just get a watch. I already had a wrist watch so it was kind of a smug retort used by him to simply make the sale.
Wait. Some years later, those of us wearing watches were quietly ridiculed by the “tech generation.” Watches were out. People wearing them were considered relics. New technology dictated we simply glance at the smart phone in our pocket to see the time and date....
A cool aspect of New England in general is that it is rife with the atmosphere of the earliest history of our country. Cooler still is that so many relics still exist. Examples might include Faneuil Hall/Quincy Market in Boston near where the Revolution literally began with the Boston Massacre. Or, Independence Hall in Philadelphia where the room and actual chair John Hancock sat in during debate over our freedom from Great Britain is still present. Certainly, Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia is a literal trip in the WayBack machine....
For a country keen on recognizing its 250th anniversary, it’s interesting to consider some significant sites that, over the years, have been disregarded or even forgotten. Case in point, Ford’s Theater in Washington, DC, where Abraham Lincoln was shot by John Wilkes Booth. I visited there years ago and marveled at the Presidential Box in which Lincoln sat to watch the play Our American Cousin before being assassinated.
I stared at the box bedecked with patriotic bunting. It seemed frozen in time. Or not. I learned the theater had sadly been gutted and turned into an office building shortly after the shooting. The majestic box we now see there is a reproduction built in 1968....
I’m admittedly not an oenophile (big wine connoisseur). Even so, I couldn’t help noticing a bottle of 1945 French burgundy wine sold at auction last week for just over $812,000 – a world record. Given there are only five or six glasses in a bottle, that comes to around $150,000 per glass. So, what is it per-sip…$12,000?
If given the chance, I’d be a pedestrian neophyte sure to fail a taste-test between that wine and one off the shelf at, say, Walgreens. That’s okay. Some people are wine obsessed. As a collector, I understand that. What I don’t get is, in the end, what good is it? The wine rarity is in the product to be imbibed. Once it’s opened and consumed it’s gone. The empty bottle isn’t worth much.
I naturally appreciate the rarity and beauty of vintage numismatic pieces – particularly US coins from the 1700s. With those, it’s entirely possible some might have passed through the hands of Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson or George Washington....
