FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH...

I haven't forgotten about Thor's request to continue my "Tour of Italy 2006" series. I shall return to it soon enough. But for now... Does anybody out there collect money...? Let me be more specific. Over the years, I've collected the following kinds of money:

* The two-dollar bill. I've got quite a few of these and everytime one of them crosses my path, I add it to my collection. [I can't help but recall a comedian saying he'd collected the two-dollar bill years ago. "And you know how much each is worth now?" he asked. "Twooooooooooooooooooo dollars..."]

* The Susan B. Anthony dollar coin. If I'm not mistaken, it's the same size as the quarter, so there was some confusion there.

* 50 cent coins.

* The Sacagawea dollar coin.

* Independence quarters. Or is the correct name "Bicentennial" quarters. The ones that have 1776-1976 on the front and a guy with a drum on the back.

* Any coin dated 1969 or before. 1969 isn't totally arbitrary (or maybe it is). It happens to be the year I was born. So, when my spare change starts growing, I spread it all out and look for coins dated 1969 or before. I've got a few pennies from the 1930's & 1940's.

I don't know how much I've accumulated, but I've been doing this for years. I suppose I could do some serious research with some of my older coins. Dare I hope that the two-dollar bill will be worth more than $2.00? What are the chances of one of my older pennies being worth hundreds of dollars? And what about the more current stuff? Should I hold on to everything in the hopes that it'll all be worth something more in the future?

- OOOOOOOORRRRRRRR -

Should I just deposit everything and let it earn interest and hope that I'm not screwing myself (with my pants on) by parting with something that might be worth a lot more in the future?

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I know there is a class of people out there who stuff their mattresses with money because they don't trust the banking system. Or maybe they've got gold bars, just in case the U.S. dollar plummets.

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If you see a penny on the ground, will you pick it up? How about a nickel? A dime? A quarter?

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Do you neatly fold your money into your wallet/purse/pocket after a cash transaction? Or do you just crumple everything together and sift through it all later, separating the cash from the half-used tissue paper and receipt(s) and pocket lint?

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If you're paying in cash (e.g. for fast food), would you take the time to give exact change? Or do you just give the cashier the traditional $20.00 and then dump your change in your pocket/purse?

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I once won 1,000 nickels in Las Vegas.

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Is there anybody out there who deals more in plastic rather than hard currency? [I transact mostly with plastic myself, but I still carry some cash at all times.]

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Don't forget to put two obolus on my eyes when I'm gone so I can pay Charon...