Group,
 
When we were children we used to punch holes in quarters and half dollars
and put them on key rings as presents.  We also took quarters and half
dollars and by tapping the circumference lightly for hours on end we were
able to fashion some very beautiful rings.  Most of our coin mutilation
activity took place while we were on summer vacation and had plenty of time
on our hands.
 
I think the "time on the hands" factor is the cause of coin punching.
 
Paul Pettennude
 
At 02:19 PM 4/14/97 -0700, you wrote:
>At a Hispanic site south of Tucson, Arizona (inhabited around 1830's), we
>found a buffalo head nickel, cut up to make change.
>
>
>Anita Cohen-Williams
>Information Specialist
>Auto Club of Southern California
>**************************************
>Listowner of HISTARCH, SUB-ARCH, and SPANBORD
>[log in to unmask]
>[log in to unmask]
>**************************************
>
 ("`-''-/").___..--''"`-._        Paul E. Pettennude, Ph.D.
  `6_ 6  )   `-.  (    ).`-.__.`) Maya Underwater Research Center
  (_Y_.)'  ._   )  `._ `.``-..-'  [log in to unmask]
 _..`--'_..-_/  /--'_.' ,'        Telephone (305) 554-1557
(il),-''  (li),'  ((!.-'          Fax Phone (305) 554-1616