Why I Collect Coins (and Notes) When I Travel
When most people travel, they bring home postcards, magnets, or maybe a bottle of wine that barely survives the trip back. Me? I collect those things too, but what I really love to bring home are coins and banknotes.
It all started when I was a kid. My mom had a small collection, a few coins from Jamaica and Barbados, some from the States, and from places we lived before moving to Canada. She even bought me my first coin books: one for Canada and one for the U.S.
I think I was about nine when she passed part of her collection on to me. I wish I’d kept better track of which ones were hers, but I’m still grateful, she’s the reason I started collecting, and her coins are something I’ll always treasure.
At some point, I realized coins are more than just pocket change. They’re tiny works of art and history that people use every single day. A banknote can show a country’s heroes, its wildlife, or even what it values most, just through design and color.
Coins and banknotes were my starting point, but they’re really just one way of telling bigger travel stories.
What You’ll Find Here
This blog is where I share those little stories, one coin or note at a time:
- Coins : The small treasures I carried home and what their designs mean.
- Banknotes :The bigger, colorful canvases full of history and culture.
- Travel Stories : Because sometimes the journey itself is the real souvenir.
Why It Matters to Me
For me, collecting isn’t just about souvenirs, it’s about slowing down and noticing details. It’s about asking questions like: Why is that animal on the coin? Who is that person on the note? What does that symbol mean to the people who use it every day?
When I look at the collection growing in my box at home, I don’t just see metal and paper. I see moments: walking down cobblestone streets, counting change at a café, crossing a border and holding my first banknote of the trip. And I see my mom, who sparked this passion and gave me a way to carry little pieces of the world in my pocket.
So welcome to Simone’s Sojourns: The World in My Pocket. I’m glad you’re here.
