My stack actually began with my father handing down to me a couple of pounds of coins that had originally come from my great-g-grandfather. This stash held a variety of coins from all over the commonwealth before during and after WW2 And for official reasons he was not allowed to join the Armed forces in the World war. Instead he operated offered his services as a railway rest stop and Billeting for Service men traveling back and forth during the war. He prepared meals, bunking space, postage, and even laundry service for those who need it. He received in voluntary payment and tips many of these coins from servicemen and people as they passed through his town station. The bulk of the coin was Canadian but sprinkled in were coins from Newfoundland, India, England, Europe, even Hong Kong. Among these coins was a 5oz Johnson Mathey Bar my Father included from back in the early eighties as a souvenir of windfall when silver hit almost $60/oz Canadian and purchased a nice car with it’s proceeds. This was before my time and it turns out he was a bit of a collector.
When I was little more than a Tomboyish toddler one of my favorite memories is playing Pirate with the kids next door. The dolls and teddy bears were of course part of the crew, with a large cardboard box made into a grand sailing ship, and the reward at the end of the day of imaginary pillaging was the gold foiled Chocolate coins. One day my Father let us play with that stash of coins as booty and he said a lot of them where silver and that money used to be Silver!
Then I was an adult, the coins came into my possession after my Father passed away unexpectedly. There was a time I was in need of cash and I came pretty close to selling them for the bullion value just to pay my bills. I spread them out on the table and remember all the fun times playing with them. They bought back sentimental teaching moments. How hard Great gramps worked very hard to save them. And realizing how valuable they really were. I honestly believe my Father intended for me to pass them on to future family generations. He even added more surprise silver coins in those old cardboard flips than I remembered. Finishing my Nurses diploma I got quick employment and worked long and extra hours as the Bills that finally faded away, saving for a home for my kids, contributing into a pension.
It wasn’t until more than three years ago I still kept finding that my Income bought less and less. I’m a frugal creature and living on a strict budget allowing myself few frills. Taxes also began to taking increasingly bigger bites out of my income quoting figures often above the official rate of inflation. My voluntary Pension was being eaten up not just by fees but inflation too.
Then there was the day I was “Red Pilled” that my dollars are not a real representation of value and really a terrible store of wealth. I recalled one of the stories of Great great-granfather back in the Old Country how his neighbors lost their savings when the local banks went bankrupt while he himself held a physical hoard of Silver coin. I came to realize I have the Stackers gene. I also do Cryptos as a means to continue my Stacking goals; a little Bitcoin, Litecoin, and for fun Dogecoin as my long shot.
I have a modest YouTube Channel of the same Name, Kerris L Ravenhill. I don’t know Mintage numbers by heart, I can’t claim to understand grading, and I don’t have the time and resources to flip coins in the retail market. But I buy what I like and a be little bit of a Gothic drama queen about it.
Aye, but be warned when me language digress to 18th century spake, egress with caution with sword and flintlock at the ready, and be not faint of heart cause yea be treading in dangerous waters….. but there be where the adventure and freedom be its greatest. Arrrh!