@CaptHenway said:
The duPont Family ransomed back many of the coins that were stolen from them. Hopefully the thieves will try this rather than destroying the coins.
@illini420 said:
This just came in the email... WOW! Hope they get recovered quickly!
Rare Stolen Coins
The La Plata County Sheriff's Department Durango, Colorado has requested the assistance of NCIC with a case involving the theft of the following three coins.
No other case details available at this time
1894-San Francisco Barber Dime. It had received a grade number of NGC PF63 and had a serial number of 3580552001. Estimated value of $1,225,000.00
These coins are basically useless for resale? Who would buy them? They could NEVER be resold again except to another criminal. If purchased, they would be discounted 95% of their true value because they are too visible.
I would guess these coins will find their way into a major criminal organizations hands as payment or something like that, the black market accepts anything of value. They absolutely could exchange hands between major players in black market operations. It’s foolish to think the thieves will serve themselves up on a silver platter to the authorities by trying to sell these stateside to a reputable coin dealer or collector.
I hope any dealer who is crooked enough to buy them will easily go to jail when they resell them. Good luck on fencing a 94S 10C-remember the Dupont robbery? The coins did show up many years later (I forget if they got the guys).
Hopefully they are recovered, but even the DuPont coins have not been returned in full. Remember last year, when the new specimen of the 1854-S $5 came out? Supposedly the fourth known example, but the DuPont coin had not been seen since the 1967 robbery (and remains unaccounted for), and there was considerable speculation that the new coin was the DuPont piece.
I'd be interested to see what other coins have yet to be recovered.
@specialist said:
I hope any dealer who is crooked enough to buy them will easily go to jail when they resell them. Good luck on fencing a 94S 10C-remember the Dupont robbery? The coins did show up many years later (I forget if they got the guys).
They never caught the original thieves. There have been a handful of middlemen fencing the coins that have been apprehended, though. In 1968, Dupont's Brasher doubloon was recovered in Florida when a 29-year-old ex-con named William Metzler tried to sell the coin to undercover FBI agents. Metzler received a five-year sentence, and claimed to have stolen the coin from the burglars.
Additionally, DuPont's Class 1 1804 Dollar (The Cohen Specimen, PF30, by far the poorest condition of surviving examples) was found to be in an Israeli collection in 1993, along with a unique 1850 Pioneer $5 piece. A fake buy was arranged in Zurich, and both the coins and couriers were picked up at the airport after the meet-up fell through. It was later donated to the ANA by the DuPonts after its recovery.
Inside job.. house help or other workers knew coins located there...maybe not that unusual. Saw about a $500,000 collection of graded rare large currency stored in a home safe....owner, a relative, said he felt safe ,because it was a gated community
@specialist said:
I hope any dealer who is crooked enough to buy them will easily go to jail when they resell them. Good luck on fencing a 94S 10C-remember the Dupont robbery? The coins did show up many years later (I forget if they got the guys).
I was sure someone like you would know who the coins were stolen from.
As I see it, it was either a random robbery or it was targeted. If it was a professional, someone is going to buy them and they won't be cheap. The person who does is going to enjoy them as much as their owner did. Chance of being recovered? If it does not happen by May, they will probably be gone for all time or at least in our lifetime. That's because either the crooks chose those pieces and left others or better (under the circumstances) these were the only coins around at the time of the robbery and the guys didn't know what they took. Only the owner and the police know which it probably is.
@wondercoin said:
“Heritage listed 9 known 1894-s dimes, this isn’t one of them.”
Actually, I believe this is one of them. The unslabbed PR60 coin now having been slabbed Proof 63.
Wondercoin.
Yes, I think it has to be this one:
"6. PR60. Waldo Newcomer; B. Max Mehl in the early 1930s, sold for $1,000 in 1933, per the Neil catalog; F.C.C. Boyd; World's Greatest Collection (Numismatic Gallery, 5/1945), lot 756, realized $2,350; Will W. Neil Collection (B. Max Mehl, 6/1947), lot 1433, realized $2,325; Edwin M. Hydeman Collection (Abe Kosoff, 3/1961), lot 387, realized $13,000; Empire Coin Company; Hazen B. Hinman; Century Collection (Paramount, 4/1965), lot 724, realized $12,250; Leo Young; Auction '80 (RARCOA, 7/1980), lot 1578; realized $145,000; Gary L. Young; Ron Gillio; Northern California Numismatic Association Convention (Pacific Coast Auctions, 9/1986), lot 110, realized $91,300; private collector."
I am surprised I have not heard more about this stolen coin. The 1894--s dime is legendary. Hate to hear about this coin and other recent major thefts.
Comments
Were the thieves ever caught?
These coins are basically useless for resale? Who would buy them? They could NEVER be resold again except to another criminal. If purchased, they would be discounted 95% of their true value because they are too visible.
I would guess these coins will find their way into a major criminal organizations hands as payment or something like that, the black market accepts anything of value. They absolutely could exchange hands between major players in black market operations. It’s foolish to think the thieves will serve themselves up on a silver platter to the authorities by trying to sell these stateside to a reputable coin dealer or collector.
I hope any dealer who is crooked enough to buy them will easily go to jail when they resell them. Good luck on fencing a 94S 10C-remember the Dupont robbery? The coins did show up many years later (I forget if they got the guys).
Hopefully they are recovered, but even the DuPont coins have not been returned in full. Remember last year, when the new specimen of the 1854-S $5 came out? Supposedly the fourth known example, but the DuPont coin had not been seen since the 1967 robbery (and remains unaccounted for), and there was considerable speculation that the new coin was the DuPont piece.
I'd be interested to see what other coins have yet to be recovered.
I agree wholeheartedly. Unfortunately it's not.
Pete
They never caught the original thieves. There have been a handful of middlemen fencing the coins that have been apprehended, though. In 1968, Dupont's Brasher doubloon was recovered in Florida when a 29-year-old ex-con named William Metzler tried to sell the coin to undercover FBI agents. Metzler received a five-year sentence, and claimed to have stolen the coin from the burglars.
Additionally, DuPont's Class 1 1804 Dollar (The Cohen Specimen, PF30, by far the poorest condition of surviving examples) was found to be in an Israeli collection in 1993, along with a unique 1850 Pioneer $5 piece. A fake buy was arranged in Zurich, and both the coins and couriers were picked up at the airport after the meet-up fell through. It was later donated to the ANA by the DuPonts after its recovery.
Inside job.. house help or other workers knew coins located there...maybe not that unusual. Saw about a $500,000 collection of graded rare large currency stored in a home safe....owner, a relative, said he felt safe ,because it was a gated community
how is one going to sell those ultra rare coins.
I would expect all the grading companies to be on the look out for those coins.
I was sure someone like you would know who the coins were stolen from.
As I see it, it was either a random robbery or it was targeted. If it was a professional, someone is going to buy them and they won't be cheap. The person who does is going to enjoy them as much as their owner did. Chance of being recovered? If it does not happen by May, they will probably be gone for all time or at least in our lifetime. That's because either the crooks chose those pieces and left others or better (under the circumstances) these were the only coins around at the time of the robbery and the guys didn't know what they took. Only the owner and the police know which it probably is.
I hope it was not T$.
Not sure how much it would help, but neither PCGS coin is in the Secure program.
+
It will be hard to pawn them off as rare as they are. I hate thieves!
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what do we know about the history of that particular 1894-S ?
Heritage listed 9 known 1894-s dimes, this isn’t one of them.
You youngsters should keep an eye out in 50 years or so for a circulated 94-S dime discovery.
siliconvalleycoins.com
“Heritage listed 9 known 1894-s dimes, this isn’t one of them.”
Actually, I believe this is one of them. The unslabbed PR60 coin now having been slabbed Proof 63.
Wondercoin.
what a shame.
I still have not been able to find out the owner of the coins.
I'm with you all and I hope he/she gets them back.
OMG, how terrible. Those are really expensive coins !!!
Yes, I think it has to be this one:
"6. PR60. Waldo Newcomer; B. Max Mehl in the early 1930s, sold for $1,000 in 1933, per the Neil catalog; F.C.C. Boyd; World's Greatest Collection (Numismatic Gallery, 5/1945), lot 756, realized $2,350; Will W. Neil Collection (B. Max Mehl, 6/1947), lot 1433, realized $2,325; Edwin M. Hydeman Collection (Abe Kosoff, 3/1961), lot 387, realized $13,000; Empire Coin Company; Hazen B. Hinman; Century Collection (Paramount, 4/1965), lot 724, realized $12,250; Leo Young; Auction '80 (RARCOA, 7/1980), lot 1578; realized $145,000; Gary L. Young; Ron Gillio; Northern California Numismatic Association Convention (Pacific Coast Auctions, 9/1986), lot 110, realized $91,300; private collector."
I am surprised I have not heard more about this stolen coin. The 1894--s dime is legendary. Hate to hear about this coin and other recent major thefts.
....slabbed as a 'new discovery' by a leading TPG