Your Flipping Coin

[irefky]

Do any of you use a special coin at the toss? Last year I started a thread on another site that sparked a lot of interest and good stories about their coin. I would like to hear your stories about your coin and it's meaning.

Now some officials just use a quarter but I am sure most of us has that special coin that holds a meaning. Please share.

[kenref1]

I use a 1972 dollar coin that the referee on my old crew gave me when he put away his flag forever. It means alot to me. He groomed me to become a referee and to this day I am very thankful.

[JugglingReferee]

I have various coins that I use.

I have a league coin.
I have a 1972 Grey Cup coin.
I have a coin that says Heads on one side, Tails on the other.
I sometimes use the Lakeshore coin.
I *had* a World of Sports coin, too.

[BigJWalt]

I have a silver dollar from my grandfather. Not sure how I got it, but I think my grandmom gave it to me after he passed away.

I also have a silver dollar my wife bought for me. Its a proof so its extremely shiny and very nice. I didnt want to cut it out of the package, but thats why she bought it for me, so I did.

[Tom.OH]

I usually use a JFK half dollar for JV or below. When I do youth games with 3nd or 4th graders I tell them he was the president when I was their age. One kid said he was the president when his grandfather was his age. Quite a laugh from the crew and coaches. For Varsity games I have used a DDE silver dollar. This spring a buddy of mine ,who collects coins, got me an 1879 Morgan silver dollar. It is not mint but is in great shape for 127 years old. Only paid $8.50 for it. Now I hope I don't lose it!

[BigJWalt]

I once was at a Pop Warner game a few years back, and the R did not have a coin. He picks something up off the ground and describes it to the captains as "a rare indonesian coin", it was a can tab or flat small rock. He told one kid this was heads, and this was tails, and told him to call it in the air. He threw it up, let it land, said it was tails and picked it up. The kids never knew we didnt have a coin.

[FredFan7]

I used to use a 1971 silver dollar. It's not a mint coin, but its special since it was given to me by my grandparents as a gift when I was born. In fact, after giving it some thought its was TOO special to take on the field, get dirty or risk losing.

So now I have the Honig's zebra coin. The captains always get a kick out of "tails."

[ref18]

When I don the white hat, which is pretty rare, I have a $1 coin from Caesar's Palace in Vegas that I use as a flipping coin.

[HLin NC]

He forgot his coin so we used his Pabst Blue Ribbon key fob

[jack015]

A "R" in our association who forgot his coin picked up a flat rock, spit on it, and instructed the visiting captian to call "wet or dry". I swear this is true.

[SWFLguy]

Working a JV game "centuries" ago--
the R flipped a penny and let it land in the grass
--we couldn't find it !! It was the only coin anyone
had---so he used his game card (home team/visitors).
Funny how we are able to improvise under pressure !

[The Roamin' Umpire]

Like a few other folks, I use a circa-1970 dollar coin. With middle school games, I show both sides heads and tails, and then I tell the visitors "Ok, if you can tell me who this is, you can have the ball."

...

Silence. Or occasionally someone comes up with "Roosevelt?"

Then I try the home team. Same response. So I say "Guess we'll have to flip it."

I haven't figured out yet what I'm going to do if someone actually gets it right.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by The Roamin' Umpire

Like a few other folks, I use a circa-1970 dollar coin. With middle school games, I show both sides heads and tails, and then I tell the visitors "Ok, if you can tell me who this is, you can have the ball."

...

Silence. Or occasionally someone comes up with "Roosevelt?"

Then I try the home team. Same response. So I say "Guess we'll have to flip it."

I haven't figured out yet what I'm going to do if someone actually gets it right.

I used a Kennedy half dollar until last season when I lost it. My wife found some 1970's era silver dollars at a coin shop in Maui last year on vacation and bought them and gave them to me as a little Christmas present. She knows me, so she bought me TWO of them. I hope they last the season. I couldn't use anything too sentimental as I tend to lose things

[kentref]

I use an 1898 silver dollar - purchased at a local antiques store. It's nice and heavy for flipping.

[cowbyfan1]

I used a Space Jam coin that came with the movie when it came out but 1. it was hard to see, especially at night as far as if it was heads or tails and 2. If it was windy the coin was light enough it would blow away. Now I use an NFHS coin I bought from somewhere.