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Immigrant Ancestors and WWII Alien Registrations

Image: rawpixel   It never occurred to me that my immigrant ancestors who did not naturalize after they came to the United States would be considered aliens. But an Ancestry hint for my great-grandmother Catherine Cassidy Baker tipped me off to this fact and a new Ancestry collection as well. The Alien Registration Act of 1940 required any non-citizen entering and living within the U.S. to register within four months at a local post office. 1  The process included completing a questionnaire consisting of 15 questions and to be fingerprinted. This requirement allowed the U.S. government to know the whereabouts and activities of the resident aliens, including where they worked, what sorts of clubs or organizations they belonged to, etc., in an effort to stem any anti-American activities. It was also intended to protect individuals from suspicion or harassment from others who might have learned of their status as a non-citizen. In a statement upon signing the ...
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From the Archives Closet: Piggy Bank


I was back in the archive closet again, and I found my childhood piggy bank. I'm having some fun looking at the coins that I squirreled away there. I am sure I have not looked at the bank's contents in probably 30 years or more.

By the way, I never understood why anyone would smash their piggy bank to get their money out. Someone online said that trying to get the coins out of this particular bank without smashing it was "futile." I spent about 10 minutes jiggling the bank upside down and back and forth to get the coins to fall through the slot. I'm here to tell you that's the only way I ever got the coins out. Break the bank? Never!

The grand total in the bank? $1.40! (Minus some Canadian coins.)

The bank itself was made by Anchor Hocking, perhaps in the 1950s or 1960s. I believe that my two brothers and I each got one of these banks sometime in the 1960s or 1970s, though I can't remember who gifted them to us. The piggy has a pebbly texture and it's an iridescent amber color.

But back to the goods! What was in the bank?

First, there were 24 wheat pennies. What are those you say? 

"Wheat pennies refer specifically to Lincoln Cents produced from 1909 to 1958. The obverse featured the Lincoln head design, still present in the one-cent coins minted today, but the reverse portrayed wheat stalks, hence the moniker."1

Some of my wheat penny collection.

I recall hearing that wheat pennies were "old" and so I do remember trying to keep those as a kid. There were far more in the bank than I thought there would be. The oldest is from 1939, the newest from 1958. They show a remarkable range of coloration and wear. Each looks like a little masterpiece under magnification.

I have one well-worn Liberty nickel—the oldest coin in my little collection—from 1906. In it's current condition, it's probably worth about $2.



And there is a neat little sampling of Canadian coins which show three different monarchs:

A 1929 penny showing King George V...


A 1942 penny showing King George VI...


And two cents showing Queen Elizabeth...one from 1956 where she wears a laurel in her hair, and one from 1987 shows a more mature Elizabeth wearing a crown. 


I actually love the flip side of these pennies more, with their deeply-etched maple leaf design, symbol of Canada.

The rest of the collection were unremarkable pennies, nickels, and dimes. The oldest amongst the other coins was a penny from 1961, the year I was born. I noticed how the coins were mostly from the 1970s-80s, then it struck me that this bank got put away after I moved out of my childhood home, and then on to New York, so it's like a tiny time capsule.

The piggy bank itself seems to be the most valuable item in the collection, selling for about $25 on eBay!

Oink!

Until next time... 

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© Nancy Gilbride Casey, 2024. All rights reserved.

 

NOTES

1 Michael Dinich, SD Bullion (https://sdbullion.com/blog/valuable-wheat-pennies : accessed 19 February 2024), "What is a Wheat Penny and How Much Are They Worth," last updated 26 July 2022.



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  1. Diane HenriksFebruary 24, 2024 at 11:17 AM

    How fun! I had the same, exact, piggy bank! Mine had many of the same coins as well, minus the pennies with King George V and King George VI! I collected coins and stamps as a kid, but I was a huge penny collector! :)

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    1. Nancy Gilbride CaseyFebruary 24, 2024 at 1:02 PM

      I find it pretty crazy how many people had these. And here I thought I was special. LOL!! I really have no idea how I got the Canadian coins unless they were just passed off as U.S. coins at some point and I didn't notice.

      Thanks for reading.

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