Coin, Iowa that is.

Did you even know that there was a town named Coin?

The scan above comes from one of my Grandma’s scrapbooks, and is an advertisement by Grit Publishing Co. to advertise in their magazine.

The postmarks shown above are actual postmarks from 1955.

Coin, Iowa

Bucks, Alabama

Cash, Virginia

Money, Mississippi

All good names for prosperous towns.

Of course, the one that interests me is Coin, Iowa.

Coin, Iowa is the home place for one branch of my family. My Great-Great Grandfather Alfred Van Duzor lived there when the town was platted in 1879. The old home place is not within the town limits, but it is the closest town.

According to a letter that my Grandma wrote to one of her cousins my Great-Great Grandfather was there when they were deciding the name of the town.

Here are her words:

Railroad worker found a fifty cent piece on the ground when a group of farmers – town fathers was deciding on name of new Town and the worker asked – How about “Coin” when he picked the money up. My Grandfather – Uncle George – his son – and several of his brothers there at the naming.

The wording on who was there from the family is a little unclear as written, but she meant that her Grandfather and his brothers were there along with his son George. Her Great-Uncle John Wesley Van Duzor owned land just outside of the town limits.

I also have an old Coin postmark from 1914. It is on a letter written by my Great-Greataunt Nellie Graves to her mother Della Braman.

My Dad grew up in Coin until his family moved to nearby Hamburg, Iowa when he was about 14.

It is nice to have roots in a town with an interesting name.

Have you been to any of the towns shown in the ad?

Steven