THE LIBRARY OF COIN, IOWA

I thought maybe the E-Sylum readers would get a kick of this photo of the library in Coin, Iowa.

The town is in the extreme southwest corner of the state. Founded around 1880 as a railroad stop with 800 citizens, it has gone steadily downhill ever since. One hundred and forty years later, fewer than 200 people still call Coin home. With an average income of only $16,000, I can see why.

This is the Gold Coin Saloon, now closed. I asked several people how the town got its name; no one knew. But it has a Crook Street and a Church Street (parallel not intersecting), as well as both a Main Street and Broadway. It was out of my way to visit (heck its out of everyone's way to visit) but it was an enjoyable side jaunt on a quasi-numismatic mission.

	NBS (coinbooks.org) Web