COUNSELING FOR NUMISMATIC SPOUSES

Dr. John Brown, a Notre Dame history professor, is in the process of moving into a new office. After removing stacks of papers from his closet, he spied a penny lodged in a floor crack. He plucked the Lincoln penny up and his eyes popped out – it was dated 1909. Being a numismatist – a coin collector – his heart thundered when he saw the lettering VDB, S. He had found a very rare coin.

Like a puppy with a new chew toy, he dashed off to tell his wife, Mary, who is an attorney. Mary, reading a complex legal brief, heard her husband enter the office. Mary, I found a 1909 VDB, S Lincoln penny!

As Mary inspected the coin, she said, with a sarcastic tone, It's so worn, I can't see the date. Is it VD or STD? Deeply hurt, John made this silent promise: Never tell Mary about anything I value.

Let's now correct Mary's statements. Mary stood up, hugged her husband and asked, What does VDB, S mean?

He smiled, VDB are the initials of the coin's designer, the S is the mint – San Francisco, where it was made.

Mary gushed, let's celebrate over lunch.

At lunch, John told Mary something he had never said before.

My father would take me to the bank every Friday afternoon and get rolls of coins. We'd search through the coins for ones we needed to fill our coin books. The only slot unfilled in my father's penny book was a 1909 VDB, S.

John continued. When he died, I was 10. After his death, I could not bear to touch his coins, so I collected on my own, using my own books.

Mary asked, Are you going to put this penny into your father's book?

Yes, he replied.

That evening, he showed Mary his father's completed coin book, and read the words his dad had written in the book.

Dear John: This coin album will be yours someday – I hope it helps you remember how much I love you. Dad.

To read the complete article, see:
Invalidation destroys relationships (https://www.commercial-news.com/opinion/columns/invalidation-destroys-relationships/article_bc9589da-21f8-11ec-b949-b7877cff838c.html)

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