Listen, and understand. A man once found a small coin made in the year 1943, of steel, common and plain. Most such coins were worth only a small sum, no more than a few coins stacked one upon the other. Yet some, kept clean and whole, came to be worth much more; and the rarest, stamped in error with copper instead of steel, were valued at treasures beyond counting.

This man took his 1943 coin and did not hide it in a drawer, nor cast it carelessly into a jar. Instead, he brought it to a wise dealer who knew its true worth. The dealer examined it carefully, noted its mark and its story, and said, ‘If this is common, it will buy a little bread; if it is clean and fine, it may buy a feast; but if it is one of the rarest, it may purchase a house.’

So the man chose to keep his coin in good condition, to study its markings, and to learn when and where such coins grew in value. Over time, he gathered more 1943 pennies, testing each one, caring for each one, and trading only when the time was right.

In the end, the coin that began as nearly worthless became the seed of a great increase—not because the metal changed, but because the man knew its worth, guarded it faithfully, and brought it into the right hands at the right time.

So I tell you:
Treasure is not always in size or shine,
but in knowing the worth of what you hold,
and bringing it, in season, before those who can see its value.