-> DW> It was, in fact, a solid gold coin with a face value of a
hundred dollar 
-> DW> which had been issued at the time of the games. Someone, sometime, must 
-> DW> have mistaken it for a one-dollar coin, and had spent it as such, since 
-> DW> when it had been circulating as a one-dollar coin. The kid sold it to a 
-> DW> coin dealer for about $250. It was the best tip he ever got. 
->   
-> And the kid probably lost a lot of money because that coin is/was worth way 
-> more than that. 
  
No. He got several independent valuations before selling it. The 
condition of the coin was pretty poor. Gold is a soft metal, and gets 
badly worn and scratched if it's rubbed against other metals, as 
happens when a coin is carried with others in a pocket or purse. This 
coin had probably been circulating as a "loonie" (one-dollar coin) for 
years. Its value had been reduced to not much more than that of the 
gold it contained. 
  
Back in the 19th Century, when gold coins were in everyday use, people 
carried soft leather pouches in which each coin could be kept 
separately without getting scratched. My grandmother still had one of 
these pouches when I was a kid, and showed it to me. 
  
                       dow 
--- Platinum Xpress/Win/WINServer v3.0pr5