Our colleague J from the US office sent us this huge box of chocolate pretzels with personalised cards and souvenirs to each of us this week!! His extensive knowledge in culture, history, politics, science, etc. impresses me a lot through the numerous mails and conversations we had. It's really fun if we have more of such people at work. Also, we've celebrated Y's birthday and had macarons during our tea break in the afternoon. My first time trying lime-flavoured macaron, it turned out to be the best among all the other flavours that day.

The US$1 coin J included in his card.

I  was thinking why he sent me a coin, and the coin itself doesn't look very ancient to me. I thought it may be a monopoly kind of coin for tourists until I asked.

Most people in U.S. don't know about the coin either. They are rarely if ever used, they're really only for collectors. 

A few years ago, the USA government tried & failed to get people to use the dollar coins because they last longer than the paper dollar bills and are easier to use. Also, they cost less for the their mint to make in the long run. It didn't work. They issued the Sacajawea coins first bug, those were kind of a dud. People get them confused with quarters and people are used to dollar bills anyway. 

So, in the end they just started issuing the US Presidents $1 coins instead - more as collectors items. They are issuing commemorative coins of the Presidents wives, too, the First Ladies. Maybe, someday they will have a First Husband coin. 

Hillary Clinton would have made a good President, then Bill Clinton could have been on both of the coins, for the President and the First Spouse.

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The card I've received was painted by one of his family friends. I'm so envious of people who can paint exactly what they see. I'm still stuck at the "matchstick figures" stage since a very very long time ago.