Coins melted together from San Francisco Earthquake
alandavis10
Posts: 3 ✭
I have about 12 US coins that were found by my grandfather in San Francisco at the time of the earthquake. My 95 year old mother has provided me with a letter of provenance as he gave them to her and her to me. Apparently he was in San Francisco at the time of the earthquake helping with clean up etc and found them. I will attach a photo for anyone interested.
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Curiosity, but impossible to authenticate. No offense to you or your mother.
@alandavis10.... Welcome aboard. Certainly many of us would like to see them. However, it will be a couple of days before you can post pictures - forum protocol. You can, however, post links to pictures. Cheers, RickO
Yes, but a letter of provenance might tip the scales for a buyer or museum.
Would be better to have it notarized.
In any case, please do provide photos.
I've seen fused lumps like that. They have some value as curiosities even without being authenticated. The ANS has one, posted here earlier.
Another example
Welcome to the Boards! I too would like to see pictures when you are able. If you've ever watched Antiques Roadshow or similar shows, authentication can be a fuzzy area as there is almost no way to prove the coins actually came from the earthquake. The dates on the coins (at least the ones you can read) and any supporting documentation that your Grandfather lived in SF in 1906, did help with the clean-up, etc. will bolster your case. Pictures, articles, mail, letters, etc.
If we were all the same, the world would be an incredibly boring place.
Tommy
having trouble posting images of lump coins since I am a new member. Can someone tell me how to post a link perhaps so folks can see what I have? Maybe that will work. thanks!!
Your role shows as Member now - you should be able to post photos.
hopefully this image (url) above conveys of the clump??? Can you see them?
They seem to be Liberty nickels with dates that you can read 1898-1902.
Many are melted together and not easy to read. My family lived in the Bay area for many years.
All comments on the coins welcome and where to go to get them valued/appraised Thanks.
That is pretty cool, no idea what the value would be.
I'd try to get the provenance letter notarized and then gather documentation that traces the participants back to SF at that time.
It is a sort of unique collectable. I'm not sure any appraisal is necessary or really possible. It's worth what someone would pay for it in an auction.
I could see it going for $50 or $200. Or anywhere in between, or above or below based on who was bidding.
Value greatly depends on the proof of provenance.
Without that, you have a clump of damaged V-nickels not worth much.
"“Those who sacrifice liberty for security/safety deserve neither.“(Benjamin Franklin)
"I only golf on days that end in 'Y'" (DE59)
I would confirm the dated before 1906 V nickels are at least VF or better as the wear should not be significant.
peacockcoins
I would keep them and not sell them for any price.
Family stuff is irreplaceable.
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The letter is helpful but getting it notarized is of limited assistance. The notary can verify the identity of the person signing the document; but can’t verify anything contained in the document.
Very true.
But it starts the chain of custody back to SF.
I'm not questioning anyone's truthfulness but I'm wondering about the orientation of the coins in the lump. I would think coins randomly tossed in a container would all be laying down in an almost horizontal orientation. If horizontal is the orientation of the stack how did the other coins end up in an almost vertical orientation versus horizontal as in the SFGATE photography? There appears to be a gap between the base of the horizontal stack of coins and the edge of the vertical coins as if that horizontal stack was somehow suspended higher up (maybe something more flammable underneath) allowing the vertical coins to be fused at the midway point of the coins. I apologize for this awkward attempt at describing what I see. I'm just trying to picture how coins would naturally end up in that orientation in order to have them fused together.
I am pretty sure the clump is pictured upside-down.
In any case, I'd believe just about any scenario for a fire melting coins together. Anything could have happened, including the existence of other materials that burned or melted away.
I think it's pretty awesome to have a unique momento kept in the family. It would be cool if the coin lump could be xrayed to reveal all the dates. How hard would that be? Peace Roy
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How about thrown into a jar and then heated to extreme temperatures...
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Possibly. If that were the case this group may have been a small grouping of a much larger group that broke away. If that were the case there might be evidence in the stack of where that separation occurred. And don't mind me, I spent 20 years doing failure analysis (electronic components) so when I see something like this my brain goes into analysis mode trying to understand how this orientation of coins might have occurred.
Anyway, interesting fine.