In 1944 General Dwight Eisenhower, Supreme Commander of Allied Forces, moved from London Camp Griffiths at Bushey Park, Teddington, where he was planning the D-Day landings. Some weeks later he allegedly visited my maternal grandfather's antique shop in Fairfield-West, Kingston-upon-Thames. The General, it is said, visited the shop two or three times, and purchased several small items of furniture. Once, when asked how trade was, my grandfather explained that, owing to war-time conditions, nobody wanted antiques and therefore times were hard. The General then produced the silver dollar and gave it to my grandfather - I think, for luck.
I believe one or two larger pieces of furniture were stored by my Grandfather and later shipped to the USA in 1946. There is no proof of this and I treat it as legend. My Grandfather, Henry Gardner Price, died on 6th June 1966, (aged 66) and I became the owner of the coin. I have now passed it to the next generation, and it is owned by Sam White, of Leasingham, Lincolnshire. (Travis Warden)
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