Numismatic Understandings

It was 1959 and my grandfather, Max Kuhner, was showing his coin collection to nine year-old me. he chuckled. Then he continued,

He had come from Germany and as a new immigrant had many challenges and hurdles to his career as an engineer, but he persevered and rose to great prominence in his field. Along with many patents, he was also a designer of water systems for California, dam projects in the mid-west, and he was on the Manhattan Project where he was involved in the development of atomic power and the atomic bomb. We found out about most of these accomplishments (in locked drawers and filed documents) after his death because he was sworn to secrecy for much of his career.

In 1958, he retired. After decades of flying all over the world and being responsible for life and death projects, he decided to settle on 100 acres of wooded land in central Massachusetts. He lived simply and tried to work with the rhythms of nature cutting wood for the fires of winter, tending vegetables to enjoy and to can, clearing two small ponds to canoe on and- after hard frosts-to ice skate. I loved the weekends we would travel from our apartment in New York City to spend there. I would scamper about in the woods and come back with treasures that my previous city-dwelling life had not shown me. grandpa would say to me as I showed him my recent find, And he'd smile and gently, awkwardly, pat my head.

So when, in November of 1959, he took me into his newly built home office for the first time, was stunned. On one wall there was a lighted cabinet full of carefully displayed coins. He explained his collection to me as I held, one by one, ancient Egyptian, Roman, Chinese, coins. Gleaming metal and rough clay. Each piece with a story. Each one with a history. Over the next few hours he would show me treasure after treasure and tell me so many stories.

Inevitably, my nine year-old self asked,

And he continued,

Now Grampa paused and looked out the window briefly. I thought maybe he saw something fly by, but his attention quickly came back to the dime in front of us. Now my grandfather stared down at the coin and seemed to read Jeremy's words as he continued,

And he answered,

Max Kuhner did not hug. He was not an outwardly affectionate man, but when my father walked into the room to summon us to dinner, he found my grandfather's arms wrapped blanket-like around me with both of us standing silently. my stunned dad asked. I answered, I began as with fierce determination I met his eyes, Gently but firmly, my grandpa took my hand and we walked slowly together, in step, to the sit with our waiting family at the table.

And so here I am today sharing all of these-my leaves- with you.

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