Another adventure

It started when my brother, Fred, was divesting himself of belongings in order to move into a senior’s “court” near Ottawa. He and I owned coin collections, the result of a hobby our father pursued before his death in 1970. I don’t think either of us had spent time on them since and other family members have never expressed any interest.

We decided that the first step was for Fred to inquire in Ottawa about selling his collection.

In March he emailed me: 19 blue binders of coins of various ages back to the mid-1800s, and face values 1, 5, 10, 25, 50 cents, and $1. I had a quick evaluation done today - which I'm sure was not the best that could be obtained, given the venue and given the discoloured nature of the coins - $20 for the cents and nickels (6 binders) and $180 for nine binders of the 10, 25, 50 and 1.00 coins.

Fred agreed I should take my coins to HD Coins on the balcony at Dayle’s Grand Market.

What a marvelous view! A hundred years ago the men sat around tables on the balcony, probably drinking coffee, and look out over the bustle below. I’d love to see that opportunity reinstated in the empty half of the balcony.

HD is Hal Davidson, returned to his hometown after thirty years with Corrections, culminating in being Warden of Westmorland Institution at Dorchester, and then seven years as a Member of the Parole Board of Canada. He continues to act as a hockey scout, previously for the Amherst Ramblers and now for the Halifax Mooseheads of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

Hal is easy to talk to.

He looked at my 18 blue binders and two bills totaling $15 and quickly pointed to a couple of coins of special value. He commented, “There are dealers who routinely offer $20 for one of these booklets who don’t acknowledge that the customer has a valuable coin or coins.” That rang a bell!

He asked me to leave the booklets with him until after Easter weekend when he was going to be occupied with his last scouting trip for this season. He is looking for exceptional 15-year-old hockey players who are interested in building education funds as they advance towards a possible future in hockey, including, for the very best, the NHL.

On Easter Monday, he called me with an offer, far superior to the evaluation given quickly to Fred in Ottawa. It was exciting to accept. Not only is it $$ in my pocket, but Hal made no secret of the fact that he hopes to sell the few valuable coins for half as much again, making a good profit for himself as well as selling most in bulk for their silver value.

More power to him. He has the expertise; he has the expenses of time as well as money to operate his shop; he has the connections. He won’t stay long in the business if he doesn’t make a profit.

I was impressed with Hal’s story of a local bank clerk who recommended to an older woman that she take her silver dollars to HD Coins rather than cashing them in for face value at the bank. She walked away with 10x the amount she had expected to realize.

I’m sure Fred will be glad to bring his coin binders with him this summer when he comes home to his cottage. I know he will enjoy dealing with Hal regardless of the $$ involved.

We are keeping business in Amherst and supporting one of our local entrepreneurs. We feel like we are being dealt with fairly and openly: a win-win situation.

To buy my publications, including my new THE CHRISTIE BOOK, a genealogy, and my almost new Read More About Amherst, a collection of my last forty columns to 2017, go to the Amherst Artisan Gallery, Amherst Centre Mall and to Maritime Mosaic, Dayle’s, Victoria Street, Amherst.

Coles carries My dear Alice.

For my six earlier self-published books and booklets, go to the Cumberland County Museum and Archives; the YMCA Amherst; Flying Colours, Maccan; and Main and Station, Parrsboro.

Clare Christie is a member of the Amherst News Community Editorial Panel. She can be reached at [email protected].