Ms. Harding did not know at the age of nine if the shiny coin-like medallion she found was worth anything, but it looked curious, like it might be valuable, so she kept it. To ensure no one would seize her treasure, she quietly stowed it away to her room to examine it. Before she stashed it, she cleaned it off. It shined bright!
The coin was obviously very old, and both sides were pressed with an insignia. The little girl tucked it inside her drawer of special things, and there it would lay. One day it would be determined a valuable artifact, but what should’ve been great fortune plagued her with troubles for years.
Gardening with Mom
This unlikely tale of one girl’s misfortune all started in an equally unlikely place, the backyard of her childhood home. It was a happy day. Spending time in the garden with mum was one of Kate’s fondest memories as a child.
One early spring day, Kate and mum were in the garden. This time of year, the two of them were often found there, turning the beds to make way for pretty spring blooms. But this day was like no other. Kate found something in the dirt.
Stumbling Across a Childhood Find
The coin lay in the drawer for almost a decade before Ms. Harding stumbled across it again. She was now 18 years old. Soon she would be off to the university.
When she was going through all her belongings in her bedroom, she rediscovered the coin. It was like finding a buried treasure all over again.
A Terrible Misfortune
Tragedy struck. Ms. Harding suddenly lost her mum to a horrible death the following year.
It was then that the coin became a special memento of her time with mum.
Digging up the Origin of the Coin
As an adult, Ms. Harding found her interest in the shiny medallion reignited. She had been curious as a child observing its ancient-looking designs, and now that she was older, she realized it was more than a childhood fancy that wondered the value of the coin.
Suddenly, she felt just as curious now as she was then and determined to research out her little childhood treasure. Ms. Harding set off to find the origin.