As a coin enthusiast , it's fun to envision the actual coinage that was gathered from below the grate - the date of the narration appears to be @ 1880 - dimes ,quarters , and half dollars, would most likely have been Seated Liberty ( this could include half dimes as well ) any nickels would have to be Shield, since the V nickel didn't come out until 1883. It's possible he gathered Silver 3 cent pieces , and 3 cent nickel pieces too. Two cent pieces may have been present , and clearly the Indian Head Cent would have been in abundance ! While it is possible that a Seated Dollar could have been there , they didn't circulate too much domestically . The Morgan dollar could have been found - they were issued two years earlier than the events recounted here . Thanks for the blast from the past Jeff !
