‘smashing ’ souvenir
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Story and Photos by Jaci Conrad Pearson
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mashed penny collectors and penny pinchers, alike, get ready to turn your cranks. Deadwood’s got ‘em, and you can find ‘em in at least four locations that we know of in the Wild West city. A flat cool, fabulously affordable, smashing souvenir from your South Dakota stay, smashed pennies sort of abound in Deadwood, with around 20 different varieties to be had. Smashed, or elongated coins, are made by forcing a coin between two steel rollers that contain an engraving. As the coin passes through these rollers, it is squeezed and elongated under tremendous pressure, transformed from its round shape to an oval shape and the engraving is impressed into the coin, as well. First made during the 1892-1893 World’s Columbian Exposition held in Chicago, Ill. to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Columbus’s discovery
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of America, there were four different designs cast for the event. Following a lull that picked back up in 1932, their popularity has steadily increased and today, the coins are so widely available in various forms and fashions that it’s nearly impossible for a collector to keep up. While some collectors are going for all that is produced, most specialize in one or more fields and collect only those coins. For example, some may focus on political, geographical, seasonal, or special events, while others collect by roller and try to obtain everything produced by one specific roller. A turn of the crank in at least four locations in Deadwood — Miss Kitty’s Mercantile, Gold Nugget Trading Post, Pam’s Purple Door Discount Outlet, and Happy Days Gifts — will stamp out
A t l e a s t 20 smashed penny designs in Deadwood
Destination Deadwood©
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Fall, Winter • 2020–2021