What can 6 measly cents buy you today ??

[Mississippi Yankee]

......... Just arrived in the mail.

Bought this on ePay a few days ago. Title read only "United States One Penny". I just HAD to take a look at the description in the auction text and found only a poor scan of the Reverse. After blowing up the scan, I determined this to be a LARGE CENT. I was HIGH BIDDER on this for .06 CENTS !! ( + $1.00 S&H ) I figured the obverse would not even be readable, but who cares (?) for 6 Cents !! Found that it clearly shows 1855 ( !! ) for a date after taking a Q-Tip & some Blue Ribbon to it.

Coin was obviously dug ... sure wish whoever added all the holes was alive to fill me in as to WHY !!

 

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[beetle662]

Almost looks like it was holed to replace a button?

Interesting for sure.. but a good deal for 6 cents.

 

[comfyinvermont]

I agree M.Y. I think it was used to replace a button. I found one that was turned into a washer. Good buy anyway...Lance

 

[PBK]

Another possibility is that it was used to make a toy "buzzer"? a disk with two or more holes which is threaded onto a loop of string, then spun so that the string twists; pulling on the ends of the string causes the disk to whirl back and forth. Quite a few of these turn up in Civil War camps. Metal ones were made from coins, flattened pieces of lead, etc.; buttons and handmade disks of wood and bone were also used. Often they were notched around the rim to create "buzzsaw teeth," and extra holes were added to cause a whirring or whistling sound. Here's a link showing one made of wood, and another link giving more details about toy "buzzers":

http://www.vintagevolumes.com/buzzsaw.html

http://home.frognet.net/~ejcov/disc.html

 

[spotz]

Six Cents well spent.
Spotz