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Copyright 1995 by Michael E. Marotta, 29 May 1995
A pet store owner inquried on rec.collecting.coins about coins with reptile themes. He wanted to sell them as a tie-in. I recommended the Roman imperial featuring a crocodile. Later, I realized that it might, of course, take a year to sell that coin. However, he wouldn't have to feed it or clean its case.
In fact, if a storm takes your electrical power, your coins won't fry, freeze, desicate, or rot.
You can put any two coins in a display case overnight and you will always know in the morning how many coins will be there. While they don't mate, neither do they devour each other.
Coins won't bite you, spit on you, or lacerate you with their claws.
You can be comfortable carrying five or six coins in a shirt pocket. You can put a million dollars worth of coins in a briefcase or purse and toss them behind your table at a show.
You can ship coins without having them quarantined.
If you are crass enough to drill a hole through a coin, cut it out, enamel it, or solder it, at least you won't be picketed by some "Save the Coins Foundation."
You can spend coins at the grocery store easier than you can trade lizards for food. (Of course, you can eat many kinds of reptiles while you cannot eat most forms of money.)
You can flip a coin and call "heads" to make a decision.
Even zinc and iron coins live longer than the largest reptiles. Heck, a gold coin from the Jurassic Era would be pristine today.
You can put a coin in a bezel and wear it for jewelry.
If the market really rises, or if a coin is ruined, you can sell the numismatics for scrap metal. There isn't much you can do with a dead reptile.
Philatelists can relate to numismatists. The US Dairy Council will never understand salamanders, newts, or rattlesnakes.
You can flip a coin at someone and yell "catch" and they might not be mad at you.
Michael E. Marotta
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