Friday Five: Coin Toss Edition

Songbird at RevGalBlogPals writes:
Well, Gals and Pals, this weekend we'll be rendering unto Caesar what is Caesar's, and that has me thinking about coinage.

1) When was the last time you flipped a coin or even saw one flipped in person?
I don't remember.

2) Do you have any foreign coins in your house? If so, where are they from?
Yes--from Japan, South Korea, Germany, Zambia, and Canada.

3) A penny saved is a penny earned, they say. But let's get serious. Is there a special place in heaven for pennies, or do you think they'll find a special place in, well, the other place?
I don't think pennies matter that much or any other coins in the afterlife. I know my mother said as she aged that what mattered more and more to her was the love she felt with and for others.

4) How much did you get from the tooth fairy when you were a child? and if you have children of your own, do they get coins, or paper money? (I hear there may be some inflation.)
I think I got coins, but I don't remember how many.

Our older children received coins and later bills.

The story that stands out was when my third child BJ lost a tooth in 1992 at my parents' house when my mother was dying of pancreatic cancer. He was only 7 years old. The night before I'd convinced my mother to drink some high-protein drink because she could eat very little; this caused her to vomit repeatedly. I was so worried about her that I did not sleep and completely forgot about my little boy's tooth. When I woke up the next morning, BJ and the other kids were sitting around watching tv. BJ sadly said that tooth fairy forgot him, and my restrained father leaned over him, asking him, "How much does the tooth fairy leave? $5? $10? $20?" I finally said $5 was enough, while I felt terribly guilty as a mother. I know that's the day BJ stopped believing in the tooth fairy. Only now can I appreciate my dad's concern for his grandson. This is the story I always think of in relation to the tooth fairy now.

5) Did anyone in your household collect the state quarters? And did anyone in your household manage to sustain the interest required to stick with it?
Daughter MJ is still collecting state quarters.

My dad (who died in 2002) hoarded silver quarters and dimes, which are in a safety deposit box somewhere. I guess his grandchildren will get them someday.