Have you ever lost a coin and then found it later on? Details please!
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I read of a friend who tells the story of a former New York Times employee who recently received his lost wallet, found some 40 years later. Inside, he found photos and documents from his past. What have you ever lost of real sentimental or monetary value? Did you get it back? Have you ever found something that seemed valuable and tried to return it? What happened?
Rudolph R. Resta, 77, walked out of a wintry rain recently, through the revolving door of a largely empty Times Square office building, and into his distant past.
He found his two sons, now in their 40s, when they were small enough to fit into the same lawn chair, side by side. He found his wife, Angela, posing before a knife-sharp Pontiac Grand Prix in Prospect Park, looking very sultry in a jaguar stole; “real jaguar,” he said, “not the stuff they have today.” He found a picture of his father, Nicola, that he once worried he would never see again. He found a Social Security card issued by the Federal Security Agency (the office hasn’t existed since 1953) and an American Express card so old that it wasn’t green, it was purple and white. (Member Since 64.)
In fact, Mr. Resta found just about everything with which a well-stocked wallet would have bulged in 1970. Except, of course, the cash he carried on the day he carelessly left the wallet in a jacket pocket in an unattended coat closet on the second floor of The New York Times headquarters at 229 West 43rd Street, where he worked as an art director in the promotion department.
Prestigious PCGS Board Members, tell us about your experiences with losing, or finding, a coin of sentimental or monetary value. Did you get back that coin you thought was long gone? How? If you didn’t, do you still mourn its loss? Have you ever find something collectable that seemed valuable and tried to return it to its owner? What happened?
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The story is better with all the details but it's late and your post reminded me of such a case. In a very abbreviated form:
I had a boss who was also a friend. I managed his coin shop. I also would drive over to his house about once or twice a month to socialize and always wanted to walk his dog. All the benefits of dog ownership w/o the expense.
One December after we returned from a dinner I walked the dog. Before leaving for my home he gave me a Bust Half to take to work the next day. About a month later, he asked me about the coin as he couldn't find it. I said I was positive I had brought it in. The coin never turned up and he paid the consignor.
The next December I was at his house again and as I was going out the door, I reached into my pocket for my gloves and felt something. I was the coin in its flip! I had not worn that jacket since the previous December night a year previously. I had been positive I took the coin to the office, BTW, the value of the coin had increased during the year so all's well that ends well.
Back when I was stationed in Fort Gordon GA, I lost my wallet. A year later, I found it half way buried under the sand when I got off my truck. The reasons were the rains and tire track that rolled over the same path where I dropped my wallet constantly.
Btw, a week after I lost of wallet, I drove to FL to replace my driver license. However, I only lived there for one year and forgot my old FL address. So they issued me a FL license with GA address. lol
I have told this story here before... I have a gold $5 Indian that is one of my prized possessions. I relocated from WA state to NYS ten years ago. I knew I had the coin, knew where it should have been, but unpacking, it was nowhere to be found...I searched in all the places it could have been.... nothing. About five years later, I was looking for some special ammunition in my ammo storage boxes and upon removing a box, there was my Indian.... To this day, I have no idea how it could have fallen into that box... it was never around my coins that I can recall. But five years later - and a lot of heartache - there it was. I am very happy to have it again and keep it where it will not get lost - close to me.
Cheers, RickO
Yes, you have to be careful in you hide stuff in the house to keep it away from the burglars. I hide a box of material in an unusual place and forget I had put there. I missed the coins and was really bummed when I couldn’t find them for weeks. Talk about stupid!
Then one day I was going through a storage box, and there they were! Happy DAY!! Happy DAY!!!
Yes - 1950 50c ICG 64 FBL. It was under a desk furniture piece for 15-20 yr. Had completely forgotten about it - wife found it bc going nuts searching for eBay sold coin (some cheap mod) later found.
I cracked it and it graded at PCGS same grade. It later retailed online.
Thanks for the reminder. Time to check the sdb.
I don't want to share all the details... but I lost a 1916 MPL that I got from a board member.
In 2009. it was an awesome 65 rb... I stashed it... some pretty heavy shit happened in my life resulting in job change and moving twice.. I have scoured auction history's and spoken to some people I did business with but the coin is still gone... really could use it now.
C'set la vie
Over the past 40 years, I have lost a Lincoln cent and a Seated dime. Not much money but it bugs me. I know they are in my home somewhere.
I lost a 1906-O Barber half in VG10 many years ago. It just disappeared. There was not much money at stake, but I was a college student at the time, so it was a lot of money.
When I moved out of the apartment, I cleaned out my desk, and it had fallen down behind the drawers. I found it while cleaning out all the other stuff that had fallen down behind the drawers!
Circulated Peace Dollar is MIA right now. It is low value and will certainly turn up.
I think.