1959 Wheat Cent accidentally certified by ANACS back in 1973 -- Certificate # 5022
CaptHenway
Posts: 32,289 ✭✭✭✭✭
Just for posterity, and to get the number of the erroneous certificate on record, here is an ANACS blurb from 1975 about the 1959 Wheat cent that it accidentally certified as genuine in 1973. (The certificate number is just 5022; there were no letters used then.)
And the whole page:
I saw this coin, and the old Washington, D.C. style ANACS paper certificate, at Collectors Clearinghouse and thought that the date had been altered. ANACS agreed upon their second examination, but the coin and paper certificate are still out there somewhere.
If it ever surfaces, would you please let me know?
TD
Numismatist. 50 year member ANA. Winner of four ANA Heath Literary Awards; three Wayte and Olga Raymond Literary Awards; Numismatist of the Year Award 2009, and Lifetime Achievement Award 2020. Winner numerous NLG Literary Awards.
13
Comments
In hiding all these years.
My Collection of Old Holders
Never a slave to one plastic brand will I ever be.
Would ANACS be able to legally "confiscate" the coin from its owner?
Coinlearner, Ahrensdad, Nolawyer, RG, coinlieutenant, Yorkshireman, lordmarcovan, Soldi, masscrew, JimTyler, Relaxn, jclovescoins
Now listen boy, I'm tryin' to teach you sumthin' . . . . that ain't an optical illusion, it only looks like an optical illusion.
My mind reader refuses to charge me....
No, nor could I have when I saw it at the Coin World offices. Neither of us are or were law enforcement officers.
I asked the question incorrectly. What I wondered was whether the owner could somehow be compelled (by any legal authority) to surrender the coin.
Coinlearner, Ahrensdad, Nolawyer, RG, coinlieutenant, Yorkshireman, lordmarcovan, Soldi, masscrew, JimTyler, Relaxn, jclovescoins
Now listen boy, I'm tryin' to teach you sumthin' . . . . that ain't an optical illusion, it only looks like an optical illusion.
My mind reader refuses to charge me....
There are hundreds of thousands (millions?) of fake coins and banknotes out there. I doubt the Secret Service would focus on this one coin.
Confiscate an authentic but altered date coin? Nope... I don't have no stinking 1964-D Peace Dollar...
The answer is yes, the owner could be forced to surrender this coin. Now would the appropriate agency decide to go after this coin (should it surface) is the real question.
My Collection of Old Holders
Never a slave to one plastic brand will I ever be.
Is there a guarantee from ANACS on this coin? I would think they would need to pay out to fix their mistake. If real, I would guess this coin could be worth well north of $1 million.
No, the owner declared a value of $300 when he submitted it. That would be the limit of their liability, if any.
Unless the owner paid a million, there is no liability at that level. TPG guarantees don't cover imputed value, especially of a fake coin.
That coin will probably show up some day in an estate sale, as just part of the lot. Cheers, RickO
I gather the coin in question is not the infamous "mule" cent?
Was pondering that same question. But wasn't that one a 1959-D?
Dead Cat Waltz Exonumia
"Coin collecting for outcasts..."
Yes, the Goldberg piece.
I may be the only person who has seen both pieces.
TD
I have no idea what terms and conditions submitters of coins were subject to, back then. But I believe that these days, there is probably language which precludes them from profiting on their own submissions, based on the company’s guarantee.
Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.
Interesting. I didn't know the ANACS coin existed till now.
It really is never to late to learn.
Pete
That is why I wanted to get this on record somewhere just in case the coin ever does surface.
Glad you feel that way....
That would be "never too late to learn."
And of course there is this...
https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256802296378337.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.main.1.67c732fbXGRbcj&algo_pvid=216d6fe9-d4f2-4493-b6b4-1a815a25e751&algo_exp_id=216d6fe9-d4f2-4493-b6b4-1a815a25e751-0&pdp_ext_f={"sku_id":"12000020812855592"}&pdp_npi=2@dis!USD!2.4!0.6!!!!!@210217c716675770813707143d0748!12000020812855592!sea&curPageLogUid=Once5tqd2zJs
Still learning!
Dead Cat Waltz Exonumia
"Coin collecting for outcasts..."
I will be looking for that coin in the off chance that it's at a show or something. I wonder if ANACS still wants to be notified if it's found? It's been nearly 50 years.
Young Numismatist
I don't speak for ANACS anymore, but I want to be notified.
I hope someone orders this copy. I wouldn't be surprised if the 'copy' stamp would not be on the fake coin that they receive.
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
It will be sold to a well healed collector someday at a flea market for ten grand or so!
a.k.a "The BUFFINATOR"
I wonder how much they'll pay in ransom?
BHNC #203
An aside on owner's "Declared Values." One day a package came in with approx. $500 in POSTAGE on the box. This drew the opening department's attention so they brought it to our attention and all of the senior staff attended the actual opening. Turned out to be an 1823 half described on the form as an "1823-O" with a declared value of $500,000. Had some random scratches above the date which with a lot of imagination could be interpreted as an "O." There was also a check for several hundred dollars for fees and return postage.
We processed it in and when it got to my desk I attributed the variety, photocopied the page from Overton and wrote the submitter a letter explaining that the New Orleans Mint did not open until 1838, and that the coin was from this die pair that did NOT have an O mint mark. I told her that the coin was worth about $80, and that if she would change the value in writing we would refund most of the fees and the return postage. There was of course nothing we could do about the postage she had already spent.
She wrote back that she was absolutely sure that it had an O mint mark which made it worth $500,000. I made two more attempt to get her to change the value but she would not. So, we certified it for what it was, 1823 not 1823-O, and sent it back Registered Mail with a declared value of $500,000. WHen she got it she call me all excited and said "Does this mean that it is genuine?" and I said yes, it was a genuine 1823 Philadelphia half dollar. She then said "Does this mean that it is worth $500,000?" and I said no, it was worth the $80 I had told her it was worth. She said "WELL! I've been cheated again!"
@CaptHenway , that is a great story!
My Collection of Old Holders
Never a slave to one plastic brand will I ever be.
Was her name Karen by any chance?
That would be type 1 cert. They're pretty rare these days. I have two of them and have seen maybe 3 or 4 others in the last 10 years.
No, and please do not call such people “ Karen’s.” The late Mother of three of my nieces and nephews was named Karen.