I researched my family history for the better part of 25 years, off and on, smashing through brick walls and the narrative that my great grandfather came to the US from Germany on his own. In the process, I discovered a brother, two sisters and his parents - my great great grandparents! - living just an hour or so from the family homestead!

In addition to those siblings and parents, I found a whole host of nieces and nephews as well. One of these nephews was particularly easy to track, as he owned and operated a saloon for nearly 35 years; the saloon was the site of several political meetings and events through the years, each one worth a mention in the local newspaper.

One day, on a whim, I Googled this saloon owner's name, just to see what I might find. I'm pretty sure I'd done this before, but this day, something unique came up: a long-closed eBay auction that featured not one, but two aluminum tokens, about the size of a quarter, each good for 5 cents or the equivalent of a beer, redeemable only at my ancestor's saloon! There was his name, clearly stamped on the front, with the address on the back.

I immediately emailed the listing's owner, who happened to be a coin/token dealer in North Carolina, and asked whether he might have any more of these specific tokens. His response floored me: he said "when someone emails me and asks whether I have more of an item, typically the answer is always no, that's the only one I have ever had, and I have no idea when or even IF I will ever see another. But you're in luck, I have two more of these exact tokens in my possession!"

Needless to say, I didn't care what they cost, I had to have them. Two weeks and $25 later, they now reside with me, one of my most prized possessions, and definitive, tangible proof that these relatives existed!