Back in 1966 (when I was just a kid), the Canadian Mint announced that they were reducing the silver content in quarters and dimes. So I collected as many as I could. The next few years, I always kept an eye out for the older coins and saved them. Eventually, I collected enough to fill a monstrously large flower vase, waiting for the day I could cash them in for really big bucks. When I left home, I left my large stash of silver coins in my parent's house. In the late 70's, I decided to cash them in, because they were worth about 10 times face value.

Sure enough, I discovered my mother had spent them - at face value!