THE LUCKY PENNY.

Otago Witness, Issue 1891, 1 May 1890, Page 32

THE LUCKY PENNY.

The cherished preservation of odd or particular coins as pocket-pieces is an old and harmless sort of idolatry frequently indulged in by a large percentage of humanity. Sdch Souvenirs often possess intrinsic value as well as legendary importance, but, whether represented by abroad piece of gold or a battered copper token, all have associations or little histories of peculiar interest to their owners. When these treasures are under inspection in a social way remarks of the following tenor are frequently heard : " This is the first bit of silver I earned when I left home." " I found this half-penny near Shakespeare's tomb." " Daniel Webster gave that Spanish quarter to my father when a boy for holding his horse." " Here," said a man noted for his unthrift, "is the bn'ly money I ever saved, and I wouldn't have saved that were it not made of German silver." It is a custom for many kind old persons to say, while tendering a bright piece of silver or gold to an emigrating lad or lass : " Keep this in your pocket and you'll always have money." The present and injunction are, perhaps, intended for a practical suggestion of thrift, although in most cases the lesson is likely to be disregarded. Few people possess the quality of economy to an extent that will allow them to join Shylock in his boast of ability to make Coins breed. A large number of these mementoes struggle into the hands of New York moneychangers, whose locations give them daily opportunity of dealing with immigrant arrivals. While speaking of this incident in the business one broker said : "It used to give me a pang when some poor fellow or woman would unwrap a time-smoothened piece of foreign money or remove a perforated one from a chain or faded strip pf ribbon, and tearfully offer it for sale or exchange. But one soon loses sentiment in this business, and in a matter-of-fact way I simply pay fur the weight o; most of such odds and ends as you see heaped in that tray. I've had cases wherein persons who had struck prosperity have returned after a long time to see if their keepsakes could be identified and recovered, but the crucible of the assay office had generally put them beyond all hope." Sometimes a special piece of money is kept sight of with almost religious interest. Instances are known where pawnbrokers have made advances often enough on a revered coin to make the interest exceed its nominal value many times over. It is a case of indescribable horror when the owner ot a metallic " mascot," or prized talisman, has paid it away in some unguarded moment. Hallowed heirlooms thus have been ruthlessly swept into the coffers of an unsentimental railroad or more profane tills. This risk is always likely to prevail, regardless of the many ways of safely storing such precious things. Nine out of the 10 devotees of these little gods would decline the use of the safe deposit boxes or bank vaults, believing as they do that the luck or charm chances of the object only become potent by personal contact.