Happy Memorial Day, everyone!

Today, I wanted to share a special 1945 encased penny I received from my coin enthusiast friend and mentor last week.

As we wrapped up our monthly coffee meetup, he dug into his pocket and said, “Here, give this to your kid.”

Curious, I asked, “What is it?”

He jokingly replied, “It’s a penny, dummy!”

“Alright, alright…” I responded, slightly amused.

He explained, “This penny commemorates two significant events in world history: V-E Day on May 8th, 1945—‘Victory in Europe’—and V-J Day on September 2nd, 1945—‘Victory over Japan’—marking the official end of World War II. I always carry one with me and give them to veterans I meet as a token of gratitude for their service. I’ve handed out about five this year.”

“That’s very thoughtful of you,” I said, impressed. “And what about the back? Is there a word play involved?”

“These were likely produced by a veterinary clinic back in the day as part of their promotional efforts while expressing gratitude. Companies used to make all sorts of giveaways back then, and wheat pennies were popular for this kind of thing.”

I thanked him sincerely, promising, “I’ll keep it safe and pass it on to my son when he’s old enough not to put it in his mouth!”

And that’s the story of what I affectionately call the Victory Penny! Isn’t it fascinating? It’s such a coincidence that he gifted it to me just a week before Memorial Day. It only dawned on me this morning, so naturally, I had to hop online to share it with all of you before diving into today’s celebrations. We live in a beautiful country, and today is a perfect occasion to express gratitude and reflect on the bigger picture.

A heartfelt thanks to all who have served and protected our country over the years. You have given us more freedom than we could have ever hoped for, and we will always carry your sacrifices in our hearts.

Happy Memorial Day, everyone.

P.S. Here’s a blurry photo of two other encased pennies I inherited last year from my grandfather-in-law. I’ll snap a better picture later (I cropped these from an old iPhone image), but you can get an idea of the different shapes and designs of some encased pennies throughout time. There’s actually a community of collectors devoted to these coins, including nickels, quarters, and even half dollars. If this interests you, it’s worth looking into. They’re surprisingly affordable too!