COOL COIN SHOWCASE, #7, May 25, 2026
- desertmoonnm
- May 25
- 2 min read
Twenty Cents
Hi Folks,
Here are 2 gorgeous Capped Bust Dimes for your perusal. So twenty cents to consider on this Memorial Day in the year 2026. Back in the 1830s, 2 dimes, according to Firefox web browser AI would buy:
“20 cents had significant purchasing power, roughly equivalent to about $7.20 to $7.50 today based on historical inflation rates.
For 20 cents, an American in the 1830s could buy:
· Staple Groceries: 4 to 5 pounds of beef, or up to 10 pounds of wheat flour.
· Farm Goods: 2 to 3 dozen farm-fresh eggs, or about 2 gallons of milk.
· Travel & Transit: A short stagecoach trip or multiple tolls on a turnpike.
· Reading Materials: 1 or 2 newspapers, or several pamphlets.
· Tavern/Inn Items: A couple of ales or a hearty tavern meal.”
So you could have mostly supplied up for your Memorial Day barbeque in 1833 if you had these 2 dimes in your pocket back then. But alas, the first US Memorial Day was observed on May 30, 1868, back then called Decoration Day. The holiday was proclaimed by “Commander-in-Chief John A. Logan of the Grand Army of the Republic – a fraternal organization of veterans – to honor Union soldiers who had died in the American Civil War” according to Wikipedia. Wait – John Logan? Hold it, was he an ancestor of Russel J. Logan, the legendary numismatist, JRCS Hall of Famer, who was an author of the book ‘Early United States Dimes 1796-1837’, aka the bible of early dimes? Well if so, it looks like we might be going full circle here by connecting these lovely bust dimes to Memorial Day. Hmm…………….
In either case, have a look at the 2 lovely dimes we are offering today and enjoy your Holiday!
As with the more recent CCSs and Newsletters, you can click on the images below and it will take you to the listing on our DM website.
As always, please contact us through desertmoonnm@yahoo.com if you have an interest in any of our coins.
Thanks for reading!
Best, DM
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