What's your 'favorite' coin, that you didn't buy ?
thebeav
Posts: 3,807 ✭✭✭✭✭
Now, I don't mean the one you could have made the most money on. Just a coin you passed on that you maybe wished you had today.
Mine was a high relief saint, at the FUN show in 1980. This coin was floating around at one point, a fine plus with some rim nicks. When I saw it, it was 1900 or 2000 dollars. I remember thinking, "Holy cow ! I can own a high-relief."
The show was winding down and the money was burning a hole in my pocket. A well known, now late, numismatist saw me agonizing and convinced me, at that moment anyway, that I'm not going to be happy with a rim-nicked, low grade example.
Darn, That coin would still be in my SDB. There have been opportunities since, where I could have scrapped it and came out ahead. At least on paper.......
What coin do you wish you bought ?
Comments
The 1964 Peace Dollar... but I can't talk about it.
My current registry sets:
20th Century Type Set
Virtual DANSCO 7070
Slabbed IHC set - Missing the Anacs Slabbed coins
PCGS MS-63 Saint for spot + $50 when gold was ~$1225/oz pre-Pandemic...
Successful BST transactions with: SilverEagles92; Ahrensdad; Smitty; GregHansen; Lablade; Mercury10c; copperflopper; whatsup; KISHU1; scrapman1077, crispy, canadanz, smallchange, robkool, Mission16, ranshdow, ibzman350, Fallguy, Collectorcoins, SurfinxHI, jwitten, Walkerguy21D, dsessom.
Recently I was the underbidder on a nice VERMONTIS colonial. Tough coin in decent condition. Rats.
$1000 worth $20 Liberties in 1968. My my didn’t want me to take a money out of my savings account
Lafayette Grading Set
I have three:
First one was an 1804 Draped Bust Quarter PCGS XF-40 , saw at a show, checked price, stepped away from table to call a friend who knows these better than I do, 2 min later re-approached table to buy, gone.
Second A dealer friend of mine had a1796 Draped bust half PCGS 45(nice), (look upgradeable to me) he would have let me have it for 88k, really didnt have the money to afford it, but was considering selling all I had to cover it, but before i could think any longer , another dealer approached the table bought it, walked over to PCGS , got it upgraded, and sold it for 115k
Third 1871-CC PCGS 55 Quarter, from the Gene Gardner sale, Was underbidder then, but just a bit too strong for me to chase any higher, after sale hated that I let it go, but thumbing around the internet I stumbled on the coin. Laura "legend" Had purchased the coin and was offering it at what i thought was a very fair markup. I even called her on it. She said she would even work with me a little on purchasing it, but about the same time I got hit by a large gold scam and loss 20k+ trying to help back another dealer on a gold deal that turned out to be a disaster. At that point I was out entirely.
Another one, i couldnt afford , probably still couldnt but it wasnt for sale anyway. I saw Chuck Link's 1823/2 Quarter at Sheridans table several years ago at a show on display. It was also originally in the Gardner sale as an NGC 61, Chuck had got it downgraded to PCGS 58 and added Gold CAC sticker. Loved the coin, I like it better than the Pogue coin personally. Would have sold everything I had at the time to buy it I believe.
That will always be the octagonal PanPac gold coin. Cheers, RickO
Way, way too many to count.
I suppose tho, the 2000 Lincoln Cent struck on a quarter planchet which I was outbid on.
A long time ago of course.
All five of these coins are now out of my purchasing range at this time.
Wayne Miller Plate coin. 1885-cc PCGS Pr66 DCAM.
They say you have not lived if you have no regrets, I wish I had been smarter and bought the gold coins I want back before the recent price run up.
My Collection of Old Holders
Never a slave to one plastic brand will I ever be.
I didn’t pass up this coin, but I did lose out on it. An extremely rare 1874 Shield Nickel DDO, strongest doubling of the motto in the whole Shield Nickel series. The obverse die severely cracked very early on in its life and was pulled. Not many of these out there. And this was a nice PCGS AU 53. Bid was at $350 with 4 seconds to go, placed a bid of almost $780 which I was comfortable with and felt certain that it would be enough to win the auction. Wrong! Should’ve gone AT LEAST $1K. I was shocked and really disappointed. I still am. Been looking for a high grade example for YEARS🤬That auction was a little over a month ago and it still stings. Damn☹️😩
An 1892 Barber half MS65 cac, incredible blast white condition. So hard to find those in that grade and condition but I just underestimated how much it would go for. Probably will have to settle for an MS63 or 64 now.
My favorite coin that I didn't buy has the be the chocolate two-toned EF Pan Pac half dollar I missed the eBay deadline for, and then settling for a coin that looked promising for under $200.
My greatest “didn’t buy that” regret is a 1801 Thomas Jefferson inaugural medal in silver by John Reich. I had the cash and listened bad advice that the price was too high. I’ve learned to trust my judgement.
This one is so rare that I will never have a shot at another one.
I always wanted (but never got) a 1955 Doubled Die Obverse Lincoln Cent.
Pete
I can't claim to have ever had a chance to buy this coin but I would sell off one of my kidneys if I got the chance for this one.... I like it so much, I saved the image a couple years ago and still look at it from time to time...
Click on this link to see my ebay listings.
The coin you posted might grade a point higher these days, but I would not “give up a kidney” to get an 1837 Reeded Edge half dollar. The coin is actually fairly common, even in the higher grades.
But...it glows. I'd trade a kidney for it.
I can tell you’re joking.🤔😂it’s actually a 64-D😎
You never said whose kidney you'd trade.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
Sorry can't talk about it
My current registry sets:
20th Century Type Set
Virtual DANSCO 7070
Slabbed IHC set - Missing the Anacs Slabbed coins
It might have already done so....the cert# is no longer working.
Tried to buy this but was outbid. By a lot. I think it was a 1926. Just an amazing strike. PM me if it's yours!
You might if you had three! I always keep an extra for situations like this one.
😞me too
When a man who is honestly mistaken hears the truth, he will either quit being mistaken or cease to be honest....Abraham Lincoln
Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.....Mark Twain
I should’ve pick one up from ThePennyLady then for around $975😞 regretted ever since
Actually too many to name, but this 1893 always bugged me.
Jim
When a man who is honestly mistaken hears the truth, he will either quit being mistaken or cease to be honest....Abraham Lincoln
Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.....Mark Twain
I wish I had returned to the hobby at a younger age and been able to buy early copper coins when they were a lot cheaper.
"Got a flaming heart, can't get my fill"
I had a shot at a PCGS PR65 near CAM 1942 quarter. It was too much money for me at the time ($150 or so) since I had just made a similar amount purchase just before.
Coin Photographer.
My avatar.
One of the 2 1/2 escudos gold coins I was given by Kindanewish !! 😉🙀🦫
🎶 shout shout, let it all out 🎶
An 1877 Indian cent. I just never got crazy enough in the bidding to get one wether it be on eBay or an auction site. I don't care how much you bid there is always a higher bidder out there winning it - no matter if real or shill!
"When they can't find anything wrong with you, they create it!"
I once passed on a nice 1794 half cent that would grade XF40 CAC these days, offered at $1300. An early copper collector grabbed it a few days later because it was one of the rare die marriages. This numismatic faceplant took place somewhere around 1996.
As a teenager in the 1980s, I found an 1844-O Seated half at a flea market in VF+ for $18. It had the dramatically repunched date, but I didn't know anything about Seated material yet, so I put it down. The guy literally standing next to me grabbed it and bought it.
In the mide-1990s, I got interested in Seated quarters, but the rare CC mints seemed unaffordable at $1000-$3000 for a VG-Fine example. I have them now, at approximately 10x the cost.
Not many for me. One really nice proof liberty nickel, PCGS PR-66 CAC... It had great toning and a great price.
The other is an Ike dollar I saw at a coin show a few weeks ago. It was in VF condition or so, and was for $2 in a bin of Ikes. I thought it would make a great pocket piece, but I passed it up for some reason.
Young Numismatist
I gave a "happy" story above with the Pan Pac.
Here's the one that grinds on me lately, though. While I was busy taking pictures of this WB5 (BIN or best offer), it was being sold out from under me. For $90, I would have been able to compete the entire set of '74-S DMs. I 'll just take some pictures first...Argh!
1850-O $20 NGC XF-40.
Thought long and hard. Didn't pull the trigger. Had the cash, but would've left me with less than $10 in my wallet. This was back in 2004.
Throw a coin enough times, and suppose one day it lands on its edge.
Underbidder on this Eagle and glad I was outbid. Not rare enough to be worth what it sold for. 8-)
I was the high bidder until the live auction. I loved the color and regret that it’s one that got away.