Hey there, it’s Stanley! You might know me as a time-traveling coin collector and eBay seller. Today, I’m feeling pretty good, thanks for asking! I woke up this morning and decided to take my time machine for a spin. And where did I end up? Eritrea in 1979!
Now, let me give you a quick rundown of what Eritrea was like back then. It was a country that was still fighting for independence from Ethiopia, so tensions were high. The capital city was Asmara, which was known for its Art Deco architecture. The people were friendly but wary of strangers, especially Westerners.
When I arrived, I found myself in the middle of a busy street. Well, on the sidewalk. There were cars and buses honking their horns, people shouting and talking loudly in Tigrinya, and a lot of dust in the air. I had to figure out where exactly in Eritrea I was.
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After wandering around for a while, I figured out I was in a small village called Mendefera. It wasn’t exactly the bustling metropolis I was hoping for, but it would have to do. The buildings were made of mud and straw, with thatched roofs and wooden shutters. The roads were unpaved, and there was a lot of dust and dirt everywhere.
As I walked around, I noticed that the people in the village were wearing traditional clothing and going about their daily lives. It was interesting to see how different their culture was from mine. I couldn’t understand what they were saying, but they all seemed friendly enough.
Now, on to the good stuff. I had to get my hands on some coins, so I decided to try one of my usual tactics. I brought along a bag of 21st century candy and started offering it to people in the village. It didn’t take long before I had a crowd around me, all clamoring for candy.
Eritrea rare stamps for philatelists and other buyers
One of the teenagers, a boy named Yemane, caught my eye. He was different from the others, more curious and observant. I struck up a conversation with him, and he told me that he had a few coins at home. He offered to show them to me, and I eagerly accepted.
When we got to his house, his mother welcomed me in and offered me some tea. I explained to her what I was looking for, and she showed me a collection of coins that her husband had left behind. There were some really good ones in there, including a few rare ones that I had never seen before.
I was so excited that I started rummaging through the coins, and in my haste, I accidentally dropped one of them on the ground. It had a mark on the rim. Yemane’s mother scolded me for being careless, and I felt ashamed. I apologized profusely and offered to pay for the damaged coin, but she refused to take any money from me.
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In the end, I managed to get my hands on a few coins. I was thrilled with my haul, but I also felt a pang of guilt for taking advantage of the kindness of strangers. If that’s what I did; I wasn’t sure.
When I got back to the present, I decided to auction off some of the coins on eBay and give the rest to a friend who was also a coin collector. I made a decent amount of money, around $292, which wasn’t surprising given the rarity of some of the coins.
All in all, my trip to Eritrea was an eye-opening experience. It was amazing to see how people lived in a different part of the world, and to learn about their history and culture. If you’re into coin collecting like me, I highly recommend checking out Eritrea’s coins. And who knows, maybe you’ll end up with that coin I damaged back in ’79!
