The Evolution of Coin Gift Holders

In the past I’ve written about the importance of original packaging on numismatic merchandise. What about the gift boxes, cards, envelopes, and other mediums used when gifting a coin?

The boxes, cards, and envelopes that coins were originally gifted in are also of immense importance – and sometimes collector value! Not only were a great many of these packaging items disposed of over the decades, but also the process of discarding this packaging left the coin(s) inadvertently damaged.

Much like original U.S. commemorative coin packaging has value, these coin-related items are highly collectible, and some are quite valuable too. During my career, I’ve examined and appraised hundreds of numismatic (or numismatically related) items. If possible, I would always inquire of the owner about the specifics of the item, asking questions like, “Where did it come from?” “What do you know about the item?” “Is it for sale?”

If the inquiry was over the phone, I encouraged the individual to bring “everything” related to the items involved. I’ve written about the importance of original packaging on more modern numismatic merchandise, but my concerns when speaking with the public were generally two-fold.

First, I didn’t want a novice damaging a coin while removing it from a book or original holder when I would be happy to do so safely. Second, I didn’t want the original book or holder damaged when the novice removed the coin in an attempt to “help” me.

I would often say, “Please leave the items just as they are with the original packaging and any notes or paperwork that was included with the item – envelopes, too. I will be happy to safely remove them from the packaging if necessary.”

I’ve managed to prevent the original U.S. commemorative packaging from being disposed of numerous times with just this warning. Was that important? Here’s the deal: it is not just the packaging that might be valuable, but also the information that packaging might provide us.

What about the gift boxes, cards, or envelopes? Was there a message or note included? Did a favorite grandfather, aunt or uncle, or family friend personally gift the item to you? Maybe it was gifted to a parent or grandparent from a distant relative you never got to meet? What happened to those items? Oh, the stories those mundane boxes might tell… Who doesn’t love a story?

As a professional numismatist, I’ve encountered coins, sometimes in gift boxes, over the decades. Often, these coins were in an envelope or even a small purse that included a note with a date and a name. Many times, the day and month were listed with just the initials of the recipient and / or gifter.

What can you tell me about this item? I’ve learned that some kids were luckier than others!

Lucky Kids

While a gold dollar or quarter eagle was often a special holiday or birthday gift, only the more affluent were able to spring for a similar gift a century ago. In more recent decades gold coins weren’t readily available from the bank or other financial institution. After 1933, gifting gold coins became problematic; from 1933 until the early 1970s, gifting a gold coin often involved finding a coin dealer to supply the gold coin. You couldn’t simply go to the bank and buy one for face value anymore.

Christmas Dollars

In the 1960s, my great-grandfather Huber Bozarth would hand out silver dollars to all the grandchildren and tell us they were “really” a dollar. I have heard countless silver dollar gift stories. Although my silver dollar story didn’t involve a holder or note, it does involve a precious memory.

Many others who were given a silver dollar did have a gift card or box involved. Sometimes, these were simply Christmas greetings, but others often included advertising for a bank or business. Regardless, thousands, perhaps even millions, of us were given silver dollars as gifts when we were children!

Bank Saver Books

Smart businesses fill their customers’ needs. Banks realized they could provide customers with a coin holder album that both advertised their business and solicited additional business once their books were filled. Oftentimes, especially around the holidays, banks and financial institutions would provide free coin saver books for customers to give to their family and friends. Curiously, while saver booklets exist for other denominations, dime books seem to have been the most popular in decades past.

Many banks, savings and loans institutions, and other businesses issued saver books for customers to accumulate coins, like dimes, in a cardboard booklet with slots, often 30 to 50 pieces for dimes, for each of the coins. Many times the bank would solicit the booklet holder to open a new savings account with the $3 or $5 they had accumulated in their saver book.

Banks and savings and loan companies realized the advertising and promotional advantages of coin holders early on. Providing these saver books to customers was a win-win proposition for banks and customers. The practice flourished for decades, and I was given “Dime Saver” books when I was a kid, too.

Let’s Get A Smart Start

Whether it was in conjunction with a birthday or another holiday, saver books were often presented with a single coin in the first slot to get one started. Once in a while, some would get several dimes for a head start.

I think I was seven or eight years old when I got my first dime saver from Frieda Hicks, who my mom is named for. “Mom Frieda” would babysit my younger brother and me when we were small children. Mom Frieda, who was pushing 80 at the time, spoiled me and my brother rotten. Looking back on it now, I realize how thoughtful and substantial dime saver books were for both my brother and me. It was a very sweet gift from a lovely lady, and we each got a dime to start.

It was a smart start indeed!

Over the decades, I’ve encountered thousands of these dime saver books. After removing the coins, partially out of curiosity, I started collecting these books decades ago because they are both coin and bank related – as well as representing specific locales, adding some possible geographical collectible interest.

It wasn’t unusual to encounter a dime saver book being used as a collector album, with the dates handwritten beneath each of the perspective coin slots, meaning they were doubling as coin folders for collectors! As a coin dealer, I’ve had a lot more experience removing coins from these saver books than plugging them into the books, like I did as a kid. Regardless, I am always fascinated with the stories any of these items might hold.