Valuable coins placed throughout San Francisco by coin dealer for scavenger hunt

WillieBoyd2

A San Francisco coin collector and shop owner plans to give away $10,000 worth of rare coins in a scavenger hunt.

He's hoping to get more people interested in coin collection and says this is a great way to educate people about the role coins play in history. The hunt starts on Friday and there will be clues posted online.

News article from TV KTVU:
https://www.ktvu.com/news/valuable-coins-placed-throughout-san-francisco-by-shop-owner-for-scavenger-hunt

oih82w8

"I thought of the idea to place 11 different coins, all made in San Francisco, in 11 different neighborhoods," said Chandler. The value of the coins ranges from $250 to $2,500 each. A $20 gold coin from 1915 and a penny made in 1909 are the two most valuable.

Wow.

DisneyFan

@oih82w8 said:
"I thought of the idea to place 11 different coins, all made in San Francisco, in 11 different neighborhoods," said Chandler. The value of the coins ranges from $250 to $2,500 each. A $20 gold coin from 1915 and a penny made in 1909 are the two most valuable.

Wow.

How can anyone miss a GOLD COIN!

johnny9434

good luck yo every one on that. its a cool read as well

Manifest_Destiny

@DisneyFan said:

@oih82w8 said:
"I thought of the idea to place 11 different coins, all made in San Francisco, in 11 different neighborhoods," said Chandler. The value of the coins ranges from $250 to $2,500 each. A $20 gold coin from 1915 and a penny made in 1909 are the two most valuable.

Wow.

How can anyone miss a GOLD COIN!

calgolddiver

can't think of a worse place for a scavenger hunt these days. But ... cheers to him for the effort and expectations !!

Jacques_Loungecoque

Will it be hidden in one of the piles of human excrement atop the public sidewalks? Neat idea, but I fear for anyone’s safety carrying such a valuable item on those streets.

SanctionII

A great place to hide one of the scavenger hunt coins would be in one of the numerous nooks and/or crannies present inside of San Francisco's City Hall.

tincup

I can see it now.,.,., the $20 gold piece being found by a homeless person,... and spent on bottle of whiskey!

Baylor8670

@calgolddiver said:
can't think of a worse place for a scavenger hunt these days. But ... cheers to him for the effort and expectations !!

There Will Be Blood

AlanSki

The locations are up on the Witter Coin IG page.

pcgscacgold

Follow them on Instagram and you can get photo clues of where things are hidden and what was found.

cladking

He missed a bet.

Shouldda put a few hundred nice PR-69 (raw or graded) S mint proofs in the first places people will look to advertise and with an explanation that it is not a valuable coin.

jayPem

I wonder sometimes if any of the posters who always respond with negative bs about SF have ever hung out here?
Sounds like tired television sounds bites to me...
Whatever, I could care less to say the least and I'm perfectly happy if they decide to stay away...or come and have a great time, or a terrible time, or whatever. Your presence would go entirely unnoticed im pretty sure...
😅

lermish

@jayPem said:
I wonder sometimes if any of the posters who always respond with negative bs about SF have ever hung out here?
Sounds like tired television sounds bites to me...
Whatever, I could care less to say the least and I'm perfectly happy if they decide to stay away...or come and have a great time, or a terrible time, or whatever. Your presence would go entirely unnoticed im pretty sure...
😅

I am a staunch defender of SF. I have lived there, worked there, and still visit often. It's not perfect and there are still plenty of issues to be addressed...but most of those issues, especially the issues that get national news coverage, are in a fairly small area (which I still happily visit). The rest of the city is as beautiful, fun, diverse, and interesting as ever.

From last month:

jayPem

@lermish said:

@jayPem said:
I wonder sometimes if any of the posters who always respond with negative bs about SF have ever hung out here?
Sounds like tired television sounds bites to me...
Whatever, I could care less to say the least and I'm perfectly happy if they decide to stay away...or come and have a great time, or a terrible time, or whatever. Your presence would go entirely unnoticed im pretty sure...
😅

I am a staunch defender of SF. I have lived there, worked there, and still visit often. It's not perfect and there are still plenty of issues to be addressed...but most of those issues, especially the issues that get national news coverage, are in a fairly small area (which I still happily visit). The rest of the city is as beautiful, fun, diverse, and interesting as ever

Right on!
All that, plus name another city where you can hop on the downtown train (N Judah) with your surfboard and step off at the beach and into an ice cold norcal XXL Pipeline... 🤯

https://youtu.be/FWbTzHvwj1Y?feature=shared

Married2Coins

So what you are saying is SF is a safe city to walk around, the homeless are not obvious, and the national media is lying about how "different" SF has become. I was there for a weekend in the 1980's and had always planned to return one day but not now. However, I am tempted to believe you as I have discovered that the media lies about or ignores lots of things.

lermish

@Married2Coins said:
So what you are saying is SF is a safe city to walk around, the homeless are not obvious, and the national media is lying about how "different" SF has become. I was there for a weekend in the 1980's and had always planned to return one day but not now. However, I am tempted to believe you as I have discovered that the media lies about or ignores lots of things.

It's not that it's a "lie", it's selective reporting. TV channels want to sell ads and car crashes draw eyeballs.

There are some places with homeless encampments; it's extremely sad, unhealthy, etc etc. There is also some small dollar retail theft, organized or otherwise.

That represents 1% (if that much) of the city. I wish it was less or was solved. However, once you realize that essentially every single property owner in the city is at least a millionaire, if not multi-millionaire, it should give you pause...why would all these tens of thousands of multi-millionaires choose to live in a dirty, crime-ridden hellhole?

Cougar1978

Finders most likely probably be selling them in order to eat. Frisco is an expensive place.

lermish

@Cougar1978 said:
Finders most likely probably be selling them in order to eat. Frisco is an expensive place.

Most likely? You think that more than 50% of the people in SF cannot afford a meal?

tincup

"However, once you realize that essentially every single property owner in the city is at least a millionaire, if not multi-millionaire, it should give you pause...why would all these tens of thousands of multi-millionaires choose to live in a dirty, crime-ridden hellhole?"

I'll venture a guess that may or may not be true: They have their 'millionaire' status/worth tied up in their home/real estate (estimated values).... that they cannot sell for the price they want so they can move away?

But I don't know. Have never been to San Francisco, and do not plan to do so. So cannot definitively say what it is like there.

tincup

Last summer my liberal daughter made a trip to visit SF.... said she enjoyed it, but sure did not go into much detail when I asked questions about it. Not sure if she plans on any return trips.

lermish

@tincup said:
"However, once you realize that essentially every single property owner in the city is at least a millionaire, if not multi-millionaire, it should give you pause...why would all these tens of thousands of multi-millionaires choose to live in a dirty, crime-ridden hellhole?"

I'll venture a guess that may or may not be true: They have their 'millionaire' status/worth tied up in their home/real estate (estimated values).... that they cannot sell for the price they want so they can move away?

But I don't know. Have never been to San Francisco, and do not plan to do so. So cannot definitively say what it is like there.

Your guess is probably largely true regarding wealth tied up in real estate. Whether they choose not to sell and move because they can't get a satisfactory price is extremely unlikely in my opinion but I suppose I can't say definitively.

Nonetheless, as someone very familiar with the city, I can state definitively that outside of a few small, (very) problematic areas, the vastly overwhelming majority of the city is beautiful, clean, and safe.

OnlyGoldIsMoney

@tincup said:
I can see it now.,.,., the $20 gold piece being found by a homeless person,... and spent on bottle of whiskey!

Or dropped into the hopper of a Coinstar machine.

Slade01

@jayPem said:
I wonder sometimes if any of the posters who always respond with negative bs about SF have ever hung out here?
Sounds like tired television sounds bites to me...
Whatever, I could care less to say the least and I'm perfectly happy if they decide to stay away...or come and have a great time, or a terrible time, or whatever. Your presence would go entirely unnoticed im pretty sure...
😅

Lived there for 10 years and loved every minute of it, but left quite a while back and the last time I returned it was very disappointing. All of the stores around Union Square, down at the Market and Powell cable car turnaround were gone, it looked like a bombed out old inner city. All the charm is lost and will be difficult to recover. Needless to say the homeless issue is still overwhelming. Property values, both residential and business are plummeting. They need to start voting for people that don't let criminals run the city, shoplifting and car break ins are more than just common, they used to happen but now it is constant.

BLUEJAYWAY

Am on my way with my Redbook.🛫🛬. Always wanted to visit Alcatraz.

SanctionII

I have always liked San Francisco,for various reasons, including the fantastic geography (hills, ocean, SF Bay, Golden Gate, shoreline, views, weather, history, food, melting pot of persons whose ancestry is global, etc,.).

However, as the years and decades have passed since I first vistited SF in 1970 multiple problems have arrived and grown worse. The elected leadership of the City, the public work force and large percentages of the general population have trended on the social/political spectrum in a direction that leads to decay.

A lack of personal responsibility; an expectation that government can and should provide for the needs, wants and desires of the individual; an increased willingness to tolerate bad (even criminal) behavior on the part of others; an increased willingness to excuse people from the consequences of their bad (even criminal) behavior; among other things contribute to the ills suffered by SF.

These same ills are present in cities nationwide in the USA and not just in SF. Whether things get better or worse will reveal itself in due time.

Many people I know who live and work in SF like doing so and they avoid troubled areas. The media (traditional and newer) being media tailors their work product to attract and keep viewers. Nothing attacts viewers better than a train wreck. Thus SF is portrayed as a dump where at any moment you can be injured/killed while surrounded by piles of human waste, used needles, homeless zombies, psychos and murderers.

In 1989 durng and after the Loma Prietta earthquake nationaiwde broadcasts showed the burning, collapsed buildings in the Marina District of SF, plus the collapsed Bay Bridge, plus the collapsed 880 Freeway in Oakland. My neighborhood (in the suburbs) shook but none of the homes suffered major damage. However, friends and relatives across the country were frantically calling my home wanting to know if me, my wife and our home had fallen into the Pacific Ocean

35 years later and national/international Media coverage of the SF Bay area has not changed.

Crypto

@tincup said:
"However, once you realize that essentially every single property owner in the city is at least a millionaire, if not multi-millionaire, it should give you pause...why would all these tens of thousands of multi-millionaires choose to live in a dirty, crime-ridden hellhole?"

I'll venture a guess that may or may not be true: They have their 'millionaire' status/worth tied up in their home/real estate (estimated values).... that they cannot sell for the price they want so they can move away?

But I don't know. Have never been to San Francisco, and do not plan to do so. So cannot definitively say what it is like there.

San Fran is probably the most beautiful city I’ve ever been to and I’m saying that after traveling extensively globally. While any major destination has it share of major shade and the income disparity which is as great there as anywhere creates some conflict, just the visual impact the city makes the first time on the visitor makes it a must see in one’s life time. Weather isn’t bad either

In fact last time I was there my buddy took me to an old school B&M that was in a famous building and while poking around we met the new owner who had just bought it from the founder and was attempting to live out his dream of being a coin dealer after a very successful career in a different field. The three of us ended up talking life and coins for hours and even went to a classic SF restaurant for dinner. That new dealer was Seth and it has been amazing to watch what he has done since building Whittier coins into more than just a shop while taking a leadership role in bringing up the next generation of YN and dealers. Seems to me not will this promotion bring way in excess of 10k of advertising but also a tremendous amount of community good will while maybe even stoking the hobby a bit collectively. Shows the type of dynamic thinking Seth is bring to the hobby. Cheers to that and good luck to the promotion

lermish

@SanctionII said:
I have always liked San Francisco,for various reasons, including the fantastic geography (hills, ocean, SF Bay, Golden Gate, shoreline, views, weather, history, food, melting pot of persons whose ancestry is global, etc,.).

However, as the years and decades have passed since I first vistited SF in 1970 multiple problems have arrived and grown worse. The elected leadership of the City, the public work force and large percentages of the general population have trended on the social/political spectrum in a direction that leads to decay.

A lack of personal responsibility; an expectation that government can and should provide for the needs, wants and desires of the individual; an increased willingness to tolerate bad (even criminal) behavior on the part of others; an increased willingness to excuse people from the consequences of their bad (even criminal) behavior; among other things contribute to the ills suffered by SF.

These same ills are present in cities nationwide in the USA and not just in SF. Whether things get better or worse will reveal itself in due time.

Many people I know who live and work in SF like doing so and they avoid troubled areas. The media (traditional and newer) being media tailors their work product to attract and keep viewers. Nothing attacts viewers better than a train wreck. Thus SF is portrayed as a dump where at any moment you can be injured/killed while surrounded by piles of human waste, used needles, homeless zombies, psychos and murderers.

In 1989 durng and after the Loma Prietta earthquake nationaiwde broadcasts showed the burning, collapsed buildings in the Marina District of SF, plus the collapsed Bay Bridge, plus the collapsed 880 Freeway in Oakland. My neighborhood (in the suburbs) shook but none of the homes suffered major damage. However, friends and relatives across the country were frantically calling my home wanting to know if me, my wife and our home had fallen into the Pacific Ocean

35 years later and national/international Media coverage of the SF Bay area has not changed.

This is a great, realistic, even-handed post.

One thing I might add to balance out some of the negative changes that have occured (although these are predominantly in the last 10 years) is that some areas have gotten better. Remember SOMA in the 80s-90s? Even the TL is better now.

Do you remember Sunnydale and Lakeview from that time frame? I don't because my parents would never let me go there because of the gang violence.

Not perfect, things can definitely be better, but also not all for the worse.