我現在看來是一種錢幣。

客戶多久以現金向您付款？前幾天，我問麵包店裡的那位女士：“幾乎所有外國人都用卡付款

A customer at the bakery paid me with a two-euro coin. It was French, and it had 1999 on it.

麵包店的一位客戶用兩歐元的硬幣付給我。那是法國人，它的1999年。

“Look after this coin,” she said, eyes wide with excitement, as she dropped the coin into my hand like it was a newborn baby. “Are we broke, then?” I quipped.

“照顧這枚硬幣，”她興奮地睜大了眼睛，當她把硬幣扔到我的手裡時，就像是新生嬰兒一樣。 “那我們破產了嗎？”我打趣。

“No, it’s a French two-euro from 1999. It could be worth a fortune!” she declared, with the conviction of someone who’s been binge-watching Antiques Roadshow.

“不，這是1999年以來的法國兩歐，這可能是值得的！”她宣稱，有人定罪了一個一直在狂歡古董路演的人。

One of her clients — who presumably knew about coins — had spotted it in the change tray and told her to treasure it. “Very rare! Very valuable!” the oracle had proclaimed.

她的一位客戶 - 大概知道硬幣 - 在更改托盤中發現了它，並告訴她珍惜它。 “非常稀有！非常有價值！”甲骨文宣布。

I turned the coin over in my hand. Indeed, it said 1999 and France. Perfect storm number two complete.

我把硬幣握在手裡。確實，它說1999年和法國。完美的風暴第二。

Now, there was only one responsible thing left to do. Panic. And Google. What awaited me was the stuff of a fever dream. Listings! So many listings! EBay auctions, Amazon offers. And the price quoted €3,000.

現在，只剩下一件負責任的事情。恐慌。和Google。等待著我的是一個發燒的夢。列表！這麼多清單！ eBay拍賣，亞馬遜提供。價格引用了3,000歐元。

Three thousand euros.

三千歐元。

For a coin smaller than a biscuit.

對於小於餅乾的硬幣。

And because misery loves company, I asked AI for confirmation.

而且由於苦難愛公司，我要求AI確認。

Big mistake.

大錯誤。

ChatGPT thoughtfully informed me that, and I quote, “The value of a 1999 French 2-euro coin largely depends on its condition and rarity. If it is in uncirculated condition and a rare variety, it could be worth a considerable amount, potentially several thousand euros. However, if it is a common variety in circulated condition, it would be worth around two euros.”

Chatgpt若有所思地告訴我，我引用了“ 1999年法國2-euro硬幣的價值在很大程度上取決於其狀況和稀有性。如果它處於不流通狀態且罕見的品種，那麼它可能值得一提，可能是數千歐元。但是，如果它在循環的情況下是一種普遍的元素，那麼它將是大約兩次歐元的歐元。”

Which is another way of saying, “Could be worth two euros, could be worth your house. Good luck!”

這是另一種說法：“可能值得兩歐元，值得您的房子。祝你好運！”

The internet, it seemed, had declared me rich.

互聯網似乎宣布我有錢。

But then a cold, hard fact rattled around in the attic of my brain.

但是隨後一個寒冷，艱難的事實在我的大腦的閣樓中亂七八糟。

1999?

1999年？

That was the year the euro was introduced. Not in actual coins and notes. Those didn’t hit the public until 2002. A sneaky thought crept in: had we discovered a “lost” pre-launch euro? Some priceless relic? The Ark of the Covenant — but shinier and with a European Central Bank logo?

那是引入歐元的那一年。不在實際的硬幣和筆記中。直到2002年，這些人才襲擊公眾。一個偷偷摸摸的想法爬上了：我們是否發現了“丟失”的歐元前？一些無價的遺物？盟約的方舟 - 但更亮，並帶有歐洲中央銀行徽標？

And oh, how I wanted the story to end there. To tell you that I’m now writing this from a beach hammock in Bali, sipping a cocktail called “Coin Collector’s Dream” and laughing at my former poverty.

哦，我希望這個故事結束在那裡。告訴您，我現在是從巴厘島的海灘吊床上寫這篇文章的，喝了一個名為“幣收藏家的夢想”的雞尾酒，嘲笑我以前的貧困。

Alas.

唉。

More research — and a polite but crushing reply from an actual coin expert — destroyed everything. “Short answer: it's worth two euros. Long answer: it’s worth 200 euro cents.”

更多的研究 - 以及一位實際的硬幣專家的禮貌但又令人沮喪的答复 - 摧毀了一切。 “簡短的答案：價值兩歐元。長答案：價值200歐元。”

Our little miracle? Worth about the price of a cup of coffee. And not even a good coffee. The Lost Ark? More like a Lost Cause.

我們的小奇蹟？值得一杯咖啡的價格。甚至沒有好咖啡。失落的方舟？更像是一個失落的原因。

He added “I don't know what's up with E-Bay and the like, but people there ask for absolutely unrealistic coin prices that should never be taken into account. Numismatic shops charge under five euros for the same coin, and that's in its uncirculated state,” he added.

他補充說：“我不知道電子灣等情況，但是那裡的人們要求絕對不切實際的硬幣價格。

Turns out, 59 million — yes, million — of these coins were minted. If they’re rare, then so is a supermarket plastic bag. And so I find myself richer only in wisdom, not in wealth.

事實證明，這些硬幣中有5900萬 - 是的，是百萬。如果它們很少見，那麼超市塑料袋也是如此。因此，我發現自己只有智慧，而不是財富。

No dreams of retiring early. Just two euros and a bruised ego. Lesson learned: when it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. And if you’re banking your future on loose change, you might just be the one who’s a few cents short.

沒有儘早退休的夢想。只有兩歐元和一個瘀傷的自我。經驗教訓：當聽起來太好了，可能是真實的。而且，如果您將未來的變化依靠，那麼您可能就是那些短幾美分的人。

At least I learnt a new word.

至少我學到了一個新詞。