Have you ever entered a contest and did not know you had entered one? That very thing happened to me a while back! It was this past September, but I am so far behind on getting my drafts in PEAKD published. 😕

This is one example of how it pays (literally!) to be active in the SilverGoldStackers (SGS) Discord! @summertooth was feeling generous one day and wanted to give away a half-dollar coin. He didn't want to simply raffle it, and he thought a contest would be more fun.

summertooth:
I want to give this away in a contest on Hive but don't care to just raffle it. Anyone have any suggestions for a contest?

I was feeling goofy that day, so I responded:

thekittygirl:
Everyone who wishes to enter the contest should write a 500-word story about how they think this lovely coin should be given to thekittygirl. The winner, amongst grand accolades, forfeits the prize to thekittygirl, in a most noble gesture. 😁

After quietly chuckling to myself and feeling grateful for having given a few others a laugh as well, I promptly forgot about it.

^{~ screenshot from SilverGoldStackers (SGS) Discord ~}

A bit later I learned that the "contest" was Summertooth's quest for nothing more than the most creative "Give it to me!" response in the SGS Discord! How clever was that...?!?!? And he deemed my silliness as the most creative response! LOL! His writeup about the contest can be read → here ← _{^{ᴄʟɪᴄᴋɪᴛ, yᴏᴜ ᴋɴᴏᴡ yᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ}}

Not long after, a piece of mail arrived and a greeting card proclaimed:

CAKE: the most important meal of the day" 😂

...to which Summertooth amended: "(We all know it's really cookies! Nice try, cake!)" 😂 He also wrote:

"Thanks for chiming in with the most creative version of, "Just give it to me!" Glad to be sending this your way! Stay awesome!!!"

I also found the note at lower-left amusing, that a corner of the card had to be amputated so that it stayed within a certain weight-range for cheaper shipping! The size of the card plus the silver had tipped the scales a bit! What a fabulous solution! 👐

This "Walking Liberty" half dollar was minted in 1941. Like many old coins that were in actual circulation, some wear is visible but not as much as I would have expected from such an old coin! It actually looks quite delightful, over all!

The side with the eagle (shown below) has quite special clarity (at least to me) and has an antiqued look to it. "Antiqued" is a term used often in the jewelry industry to indicate a shiny piece of silver jewelry that has a bit of darkening in the depressed portions and around the edges of the design. Sometimes, jewelers give that look to the piece intentionally, to make it appear older and somewhat vintage — not for deceptive purposes as much as artistic purposes, and reputable sellers disclose any deliberate antiqued finish in their description of the item.

Shown here is a pendant I own (from a series called "Wild Womyn" _^[sic]) where the antiquing in her hair really stands-out to portray the "light and shadow" effect that real hair has. There's also a bit of antiquing on her neck just under her jaw/chin, between her breasts, and around her feet/legs. I've had this pendant for so long, I don't remember when/where I bought it, but I think it was an online store that featured jewelry depicting "female empowerment" themes. By the way, don't forget to click the pic to see her up close!

I feel sure the antiquing on this half-dollar coin came naturally, though, rather than being added by anyone, as it happens over time to coins in circulation. The mere act of handling the coin keeps oxidation rubbed away from the high points of the relief, while oxidation remains untouched in the lower portions of the design. The gaps in the foliage and the areas around the eagle's legs show the antiquing quite well. It's additionally prominent around the words "America," "Half Dollar," and the motto "E Pluribus Unum". I like how the natural antiquing makes the design pop!

So, a very big "THANK YOU!" goes out to @summertooth for the wacky contest, this really beautiful piece of silver, and for being a charming & all-around fabulous person! 💖

I love silver, in general, as a color as well as a precious metal, as it is equated with the light of Mother Moon which I love very much. Most of my jewelry is sterling silver. And yes, I have silver shoes, too! 😁

Do you have silver shoes? Or do you collect silver coins? Silver jewelry? Silver anything?

😊 **SOURCES** ¹ Wikipedia: Walking Liberty half dollar

𝖠𝗅𝗅 𝗉𝗁𝗈𝗍𝗈𝗌 𝖻𝗒 𝗆𝖾 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝖲𝖺𝗆𝗌𝗎𝗇𝗀® 𝖭𝗈𝗍𝖾𝟤𝟢™ 𝗎𝗇𝗅𝖾𝗌𝗌 𝗈𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋𝗐𝗂𝗌𝖾 𝗂𝗇𝖽𝗂𝖼𝖺𝗍𝖾𝖽.

ʙᴜy ᴋɪᴛᴛy ᴀ ᴄᴏꜰꜰᴇᴇ

_{thekittygirl arrived on the blockchain in 2017 and has been involved in
many communities during her time here. She co-founded TheTerminal
and LadiesOfHive, is a member of TheAlliance, SilverGoldStackers, PYPT, and others.
Kitty's blog features content on a wide variety of topics, ranging from her
collection of pretty rocks/crystals, silver, photos of old barns, oddities,
skywatching, flower photos, recipes, cats, and everything in-between.
On a personal level, she is a widow. She enjoys most types of food. most types of music (her favorites are Jazz, Blues, Deep House, & New Age), likes learning new things, and loves watching Mother Moon sail through the sky. She stands proud of the wild, untamed Goddess that she is.}

^_12-Feb-2025