I was a bit behind this week on things, but am now totally caught up.

8,000 halves from last week turned up one 90% silver half (1964), seven 40% silver halves (6 x 1967, 1968D), one smooshed penny and a guitar pick.

Found: 1 penny

Just a quick coin update ...

50 small dollars produced one new Presidential dollar for me (2010P Franklin Pierce).

15 half dollars had just one 40% silver half (1967).

1,280 quarters turned up three Canadians.

1,850 dimes rounded up two Canadians and one East Caribbean States 10¢.

1,640 nickels produced one War Time (1944P) and one Canadian.

2,200 pennies had eleven Wheats and twenty-three Canadians. The Wheats were:

1918, 1934, 1940S, 1941, 1942, 1944, 1951D, 1955, 1957(2), 1957D

Get In Car, Go Somwhere Else

For the last week I have been on vacation. We spent six days, five nights at the beach and then came back home for a few days. We were very fortunate and were able to use my Aunt and Uncle's vacation home. It's a good size and they have lots of big baby gear. We spent most of our time at the beach and at a nearby park, but we did get a chance to go to two museums, a small natural history museum and a museum for kids. On Thursday we came home. We went apple picking on Friday, went to the fire station on Saturday and today we went to a parade. Henry didn't last very long at the parade, but the parade's route was only two houses away.



Hazel's first trip to the ocean. Right after this Meg was able to spin with Henry and still hold Hazel in her Moby.



We found all sorts of stuff at the beach, seaweed, starfish, crabs, horseshoe crabs, shells and cool rocks.



Henry totally loves spending time in the ocean. He's as excited as he gets and could play at the waters edge forever if we let him.



Henry and I making a sand castle. Right now his castles are just mounds of sand, but I think next year they'll be even better.



Henry climbing up some dunes.



Hazel in a little chair her grandfather made.



Henry at the natural history machine. The lobster moves slowly he told us.



We went for a nice walk on the grounds of the natural history museum. Henry really like the planks they had laid out in the marsh. We told them they were bridges.



Meg handling two kids at the shore!



Hazel's first time wearing jewelery. Henry put this necklace on her.

I did really well with my halves just before we left for vacation. 8,000 half dollars had thirty-six 90% silver halves (1900O, 1944, 1945S, 1948, 1952, 1957D, 1962, 1963, 26 x 1964, 2 x 1964D), fifty-six 40% silver halves (10 x 1966, 23 x 1967, 16 x 1968D, 7 x 1969D), two proof halves (1977S, 1986S) and two postage stamps (3¢ Wagon stamps, unused). The best of this batch was my second Barber half! The 1900O is the oldest half I've found and the first coin I've found from the New Orleans mint. It's in pretty good condition too.



3,360 quarters turned up one Washington (1959), seven Canadians, four US nickels, two US dimes, one US penny and one UK 10 pence.

5,000 dimes rounded up four silver dimes (1927, 1954, 1962, 1963), two US pennies, six Canadians, one UK 5 pence and one UK 6 pence. The 1927 Mercury is a new variety. In this batch I also found a 2010D. The UK 6 pence is a new type for me.

1,720 nickels had one War Time (1943P), four Canadians (1 Ni) and one Norwegian 50 ore.

7,700 pennies produced forty Wheats, sixty-three Canadians, five US dimes and one Australian 1¢. The Wheats were:

1926, 1928, 1939, 1940(2), 1941(2), 1944(4), 1945, 1946(3), 1947(3), 1949, 1949S, 1951, 1952(2), 1952D, 1953(2), 1953D, 1953S, 1955D, 1956(2), 1956D, 1957(2), 1957D(4), 1958D



I also had time to finally finish a two volume set I was reading Vol. 1 and 2 of the Mekong Exploration Commission Report (1866–1868) by Francis Garnier as translated from French to English and published by White Lotus. I just don't have the time to read that I used to and these two volumes were 671 pages so it took me a while. It was a good read, much better than the single volume report of the same journey by Louis Carne. Neither book has much to say about the interactions between the exploration team, but this treatment has far more personal reflections in it. About 150 pages of the first volume is written by DeLaporte the team's artist as Garnier was extremely ill for a time. I sure wish I could read some letters by the commission members after reading these two accounts, but if they do exist I'm pretty sure they'd be in French. Perhaps I should have taken French in school and not German!

Found: 6 pennies, 1 dime, 1 quarter (in a pond), 2 foreign coins (2 Canadian quarters)

Just a quick coin update for now. I'll have to post some good pictures Henry took this evening later.

8,000 halves produced three 90% silver halves (1940, 1958D, 1964D), eighteen 40% silver halves (4 x 1966, 2 x 1967, 9 x 1968D, 6 x 1969D) and three proof halves (1976S, 1994S, 1995S). In the mix I got two mint set halves I needed, 2010P and 2010D.

5,260 quarters had one proof quarter (2006S South Dakota), six Canadians (including a new one for me, 2008 Figure Skating), two Swiss francs, three US nickels, one US dime, one US penny and one Ogunquit Trolley token.

5,550 dimes turned up four silver Rosies (1946, 1950, 1956, 1964), four Canadians, one Bermuda 10¢, two Swiss ½ franc, one UK 5 pence and one Swiss 5 Rappen. The 5 Rappen coin is a new one for me.

3,440 nickels rounded up thirteen Canadians (4 Ni), four Swiss 20 Rappen, one US penny, one Japanese 1 Yen and three Italian 20 Centesimi (one is now my sixth oldest foreign coin, a 1921!). In this bunch I also got two key date Jefferson (1939D, 1955) and a new one for me, 2010P.

7,400 pennies had eighty-one Wheats, sixty-two Canadians and three US dimes. The Wheats were:

1923, 1926(2), 1930, 1934, 1936, 1936D, 1937(2), 1941(5), 1942(3), 1942D, 1944(6), 1945(3), 1946(6), 1947(6), 1947D, 1948(3), 1949S, 1950, 1950D(3), 1951, 1951D, 1952(2), 1953, 1953D(7), 1955(2), 1956D(7), 1957, 1957D(7), 1958(2), 1958D(2)

Found: 6 pennies

Hazel very happy in her car seat.



Henry showing off his clay and toy zoo. The imagination he shows in his play increases all the time.



Henry and cousin Liam talking at Sturbridge Village.



Evan, Liam and Henry playing at Sturbridge Village.



Hazel.

Last weekend doesn't seem that long ago. I guess the short work week has gone fast. We had a good three day weekend. Saturday was by far our best day. We had our first whole family experience at a restaurant and it couldn't have gone any better. Breakfast out just might have to be our weekly restaurant trip. Afterwards we met Nicole, Greg, Evan and Liam at Sturbridge Village. Everyone was very well behaved and lasted for a quite a while.

It's been a while since I posted a coin update (I haven't found too much lately) ...

8,040 halves yielded just three 40% silver halves (1966, 2 x 1967).

4,480 quarters had fifteen Canadians, three US nickel, three French francs and one Philippino 1 Piso. In the mix was a new quarter for me the 2010P Yosemite.

3,450 dimes produced one silver dime (1957D) and four Canadians.

1,380 nickels turned up one War Time (1942P) five Canadians (1 Ni), one Singapore 20¢ and two US dime.

7,350 pennies rounded up eighteen Wheats, forty-seven Canadians and three US dimes. The Wheats were:

1929D, 1938(2), 1941, 1944(4), 1946, 1947(2), 1948(3), 1949, 1950, 1951, 1953D(3), D(2), 19561957D(2), 1958D(2)

Found: 5 pennies, 1 nickel, 1 dime