Howdy and welcome to the Boards. If you like the coin and are happy with the price then that is great, however, don't be surprised if you get flamed somewhat for the purchase. This topic has been debated and argued about since they started offering these and if you use the search feature of this site and look up a key phrase like "death coins" you will be able to read many threads about it.
Hello, and welcome! What do you collect besides those?
New collectors, please educate yourself before spending money on coins; there are people who believe that using numismatic knowledge to rip the naïve is what this hobby is all about.
Thanks for your input. I like it from a historic viewpoint. Something to past on to the grandchildren(not that I have any now). My focus is on Pre 1921 Morgans.
But hurry, advance phone sales are breaking daily sales records, and we cannot guarantee inventory availability
I guess someone wants them that badly......
Recommended reading - The PCGS Guide to Coin Grading and Counterfeit Detection and The Coin Collector's Survival Manual and NCI Grading Guide For the Morgan collectors - The Morgan and Peace encyclopedia by Van Allen and Mallis
What would your slabbed coins be worth if the grading services went out of business? What would your coins be worth if the Internet was taken offline for good?
I won't pass any judgement on the whole "death coin" issue, but I will say if you want something of real historical significance, you are barking up the wrong tree. From my understanding, these coins were never stored in the towers at all, but were located in a vault in 5 WTC, where the bullion for the Comex was stored. I also understand that the vault survived pretty well, though the building sustained heavy damage when the towers fell. Also, there were guards posted at the vault immediately after the collapse, and apparently there was evidence that someone tried unsuccessfully to gain access to it before the guards arrived. So in short, these are all just coins that happened to be in wrong place at the wrong time, and there is no real significance to them historically in my opinion. Of course most of the companies marketing them, including dear old PCGS, is trying to make them out to be relics found deep in the piles of rubble, which could not be further from the truth. To me, if you want something of historical significance, look all around you, there are so many common and inexpensive coins that survived two world wars, the civil war, and even the American Revolution. Imagine if they could talk! Who spent them, what they could buy, etc. These eagles never circulated, and even 100 years from now, probably you, the PCGS grader, and the vault clerk at the Comex were the only ones that ever touched them. Not very impressive history.
PS-Before you all start flaming me for these thoughts, you should know that I worked on the 100th floor of the south tower right after the first bombing in 1993 until our office moved in 1994, and I lost a number of friends there on the 11th. So do not misconstrue anything I said to indicate that I take these events lightly.
jtryka - I agree with your sentiments concerning "historical" significance. I think the ad was embellished to make the coins more desirable as a token of the past year's event. If you project the idea even further, why not collect the corner trash can that was crushed by the collapse? From a pure collector's standpoint, I don't see any difference from obtaining a 2001 silver eagle coin from a local store as to get one of those. I have a 1906-S gold $20 coin from the San Francisco Mint. Remember what happened in that city in that year? My coin probably had undergone a few gyrations if it was minted before April of that year.
Recommended reading - The PCGS Guide to Coin Grading and Counterfeit Detection and The Coin Collector's Survival Manual and NCI Grading Guide For the Morgan collectors - The Morgan and Peace encyclopedia by Van Allen and Mallis
What would your slabbed coins be worth if the grading services went out of business? What would your coins be worth if the Internet was taken offline for good?
Canadiancoinguy, there is a link only in that it was in the WTC complex which consisted of seven buildings, all of which were eventually destroyed by the collapse of the two towers (1 WTC and 2 WTC). 5 WTC was a smaller building (I think 5 floors above ground and a couple below street level, though I am not certain since I only passed through 5 WTC on the way to the PATH train underground).
Gem, I find it ironic that I only own P-mint gold from 1906 since it had much lower mintage than the S-mint stuff, despite the earthquake (even though the mint was the only building to survive in good shape). Look at the mintages: Double eagles: P-69,690 S-2,065,750 Eagles: P-165,497 S-457,000. I guess they started the year with the highest denomination and got interrupted later!
Interesting points there guys, not to labour it any more, but.....
Okey so the coins weren`t in tower 1 or 2, but the fact that they had to be dug out from under all the rumble from the buildings, may have some significance, or maybe not. As for there only being a few people to have touched them, that may or may not add to the appeal as well, in the same way my silver dollar carried by a guy at Gettysburg or something?
Well thats my two penth worht (to coin a phase), etc,etc. sorry about the puns I`ll stop now, before you lynch me.....
<< <i>Really? They have no link whatsover to the 2 trade towers. Interesting, I didn't know that. >>
The World Trade Center was 7 buildings...All of the original buildings in the complex were destroyed in the September 11, 2001 attacks. One World Trade Center (1 WTC) and Two World Trade Center (2 WTC)—the North Tower and South Tower, respectively, collapsed, as did 7 World Trade Center (7 WTC). The Marriott World Trade Center (3 WTC) was crushed by the collapses of 1 WTC and 2 WTC. 4 World Trade Center (4 WTC), 5 World Trade Center (5 WTC), and 6 World Trade Center (6 WTC) were damaged beyond repair and later demolished
Frank Provasek - PCGS Authorized Dealer, Life Member ANA, Member TNA. www.frankcoins.com
<< <i>Just purchased one of these dollars from Mike Fuljenz's site. Any feedback on the coins/ PS I'm a newbie. >>
Some people are very sensitive about this, but I think they will be sought after collectibles in 50 years.
Some think we should not allow people to own anything related to Indians (I mean "native Americans") , Nazis, or the KKK. Or Al Jolson, since he sang "Mammy" in blackface in the first talking picture in 1927. Or Bugs Bunny IMITATING Al Jolson in a World War 2 patriotic cartoon, which Warner Brothers won't release...
You can see the uncut VERY OFFENSIVE cartoon here:
Comments
In honor of the memory of Cpl. Michael E. Thompson
New collectors, please educate yourself before spending money on coins; there are people who believe that using numismatic knowledge to rip the naïve is what this hobby is all about.
My focus is on Pre 1921 Morgans.
Out of the closet Morgan lover
But hurry, advance phone sales are breaking daily sales records, and we cannot guarantee inventory availability
I guess someone wants them that badly......
For the Morgan collectors - The Morgan and Peace encyclopedia by Van Allen and Mallis
What would your slabbed coins be worth if the grading services went out of business? What would your coins be worth if the Internet was taken offline for good?
PS-Before you all start flaming me for these thoughts, you should know that I worked on the 100th floor of the south tower right after the first bombing in 1993 until our office moved in 1994, and I lost a number of friends there on the 11th. So do not misconstrue anything I said to indicate that I take these events lightly.
For the Morgan collectors - The Morgan and Peace encyclopedia by Van Allen and Mallis
What would your slabbed coins be worth if the grading services went out of business? What would your coins be worth if the Internet was taken offline for good?
Ebay
Gem, I find it ironic that I only own P-mint gold from 1906 since it had much lower mintage than the S-mint stuff, despite the earthquake (even though the mint was the only building to survive in good shape). Look at the mintages: Double eagles: P-69,690 S-2,065,750 Eagles: P-165,497 S-457,000. I guess they started the year with the highest denomination and got interrupted later!
Okey so the coins weren`t in tower 1 or 2, but the fact that they had to be dug out from under all the rumble from the buildings, may have some significance, or maybe not. As for there only being a few people to have touched them, that may or may not add to the appeal as well, in the same way my silver dollar carried by a guy at Gettysburg or something?
Well thats my two penth worht (to coin a phase), etc,etc. sorry about the puns I`ll stop now, before you lynch me.....
<< <i>Really? They have no link whatsover to the 2 trade towers. Interesting, I didn't know that. >>
The World Trade Center was 7 buildings...All of the original buildings in the complex were destroyed in the September 11, 2001 attacks. One World Trade Center (1 WTC) and Two World Trade Center (2 WTC)—the North Tower and South Tower, respectively, collapsed, as did 7 World Trade Center (7 WTC). The Marriott World Trade Center (3 WTC) was crushed by the collapses of 1 WTC and 2 WTC. 4 World Trade Center (4 WTC), 5 World Trade Center (5 WTC), and 6 World Trade Center (6 WTC) were damaged beyond repair and later demolished
<< <i>Just purchased one of these dollars from Mike Fuljenz's site. Any feedback on the coins/
PS I'm a newbie.
>>
Some people are very sensitive about this, but I think they will be sought after collectibles in 50 years.
Some think we should not allow people to own anything related to Indians (I mean "native Americans") , Nazis, or the KKK. Or Al Jolson, since he sang "Mammy" in blackface in the first talking picture in 1927. Or Bugs Bunny IMITATING Al Jolson in a World War 2 patriotic cartoon, which Warner Brothers won't release...
You can see the uncut VERY OFFENSIVE cartoon here:
Link on YouTube