Recovery a Keepsake

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 7284, 11 October 1933, Page 3

Recovery a Keepsake

OWNERS’S LONG SEARCH A remarkable example of the speed with -which a coin may circulate was supplied at Liverpool, New South Wales, roceutly. One morning a newsboy sold a newspaper to a returned soldier, who paid for it with a shilling which a friend had given hini on enlistment in 1917. It was engraved: "My last shilling for Australia’s last man.”

Within 10 minutes the ex-serviceman discovered his mistake and he set out to find the newspaper to recover his keepsake. After 20 minutes’ search lie found the boy, but a news agent in the meantime had collected the boy’s sales money. The man went to tho news agent’s shop. A search of the till was fruitless, but the news agent recollected having given a chemist change of a £1 note, all in silver. On calling on the chemist the soldier found that the coin was still missing, but the chemist recalled having paid for some wood with a florin and a shilling. The woodman was then called on. He did not have the coin, but he said he had spent a shilling at a hotel on his way home. The soldier questioned the publican and several others who had received change on the premises, but the souvenir shilling had not been noticed.

The publican’s wife, however, said she had just cashed a 10s note at the till and had purchased vegetables. With hope revived, the searcher, the publican, and a group of people went to the greengrocer, who found the lost shilling in his cash bag.