E-Sylum readers might get a kick out of this informal study.Last weekend I ran a poll on the Collectors Universe Message Board asking, "If you had a choice of receiving one or the other of these, which would you choose, and why?" The choices were:

a) a ten-pound bag of mixed, completely unsearched 19th-century silver dollars (types unspecified), or

b) a ten-pound bag of mixed, completely unsearched 19th-century U.S. medals and tokens.

As of Thursday afternoon, 77% of respondents said "Show me the dollars!" and 23% said "Gimme the exonumia!"

Personally, as tempting as the silver dollars would be, I would go for the medals and tokens. Early 1800s dollars might include various Bust types, Liberty Seated, even Gobrecht dollars. . . . but 1800s exonumia could include Washington medals, Hard Times and Civil War tokens, Feuchtwanger tokens, Lesher Referendum dollars, U.S. Assay medals (this is all theoretical!), Indian Peace medals. . . . figuring 30 to 50 pieces per pound, I wouldn't be able to resist.

Some of the respondents' comments were interesting and surprising:

I imagine E-Sylum readers would answer more in favor of medals and tokens --- maybe even flipping the ratio from 3-to-1 to 1-to-3.

To read the complete article, see:If given a choice, which would you choose(forums.collectors.com/messageview.cfm?catid=26&threadid=910749&)