Dealer Robbed at Mid America
K6AZ
Posts: 9,295 ✭
I just received this on another forum. This was a big heist. There are some pretty easy to spot coins here, so let's keep an eye out and see if we can catch the perpetrator.
Fred Colombo was robbed this afternoon while packing up at the Mid-America
show in Rosemont, IL. About 120 coins were stolen, mostly Walkers through
Seated and Trade dollars, some Morgans, gold. An exact list of what's
missing isn't available right now, but below is an approximate list of
highlights. There were about 40 coins at > $5000 each including:
1793 1/2 c SEGS AU55 hammered rim
2 1793 chain cents SEGS AU and PCI F15 red holder.
1859 1c SEGS PR65
1873 1c Closed 3 SEGS 65RD
1914-D 1c PCGS 65RD
1870 3c Nickel PCI 65
1924-D 5c SEGS 66
1927-S 5c SEGS 65
1942/1-D 10c SEGS 65 FB
1939, 40, 41, 42 10c PCGS PR67
1918/7-S 25c SEGS 60
1932-S 25c PCI 65
1795 50c SEGS 50
1800 $1 SEGS 58
1801 $1 SEGS 45
1802 $1 SEGS 50
1802 $1 SEGS 58
1880-O $10 SEGS 61
1859-S $1 SEGS 55
1870-CC $1 SEGS 58
1853 $1 SEGS 63
1864 $1 SEGS 64
1879-CC $1 SEGS 64 DMPL
1886-O $1 SEGS 63 DMPL
Gold:
1850-O $2.50 SEGS 62
1807 $2.50 PCI 60 cleaned
1833 $2.50 PCI 60 cleaned
1807 $2.50 SEGS 58
1813 $5 SEGS 61
1855-S $5 SEGS 55
1795 $10 SEGS 55 cleaned
1801 $10 SEGS 58
1859-S $10 PCI 50
1865-S $10 SEGS 40
1874-CC $10 SEGS 53
1854 $20 SEGS 61
1854 Small Date $20 SEGS 61
1854 $20 assay piece
1858 $20 SEGS 62
1858-S $20 SEGS 60
1860 $20 SEGS 62
1864-S $20 SEGS 61
1870-S $20 SEGS 61
1871 $20 SEGS 63
1873-CC $20 PCI 53
1882-CC $20 SEGS 62
1883-S $20 SEGS 63
(2) 1907 $20 High Relief SEGS 64, PCI 63
(5) 1795 $1 SEGS VG10, VF20, XF45, XF obv. repairs AU58
Possibly proof Columbian 50c
Possibly proof Walkers
Contact Mike Golz, Rosemont Police Department, 847 823-1134 ext. 301, case
number 2004-06-0554
Fred Colombo was robbed this afternoon while packing up at the Mid-America
show in Rosemont, IL. About 120 coins were stolen, mostly Walkers through
Seated and Trade dollars, some Morgans, gold. An exact list of what's
missing isn't available right now, but below is an approximate list of
highlights. There were about 40 coins at > $5000 each including:
1793 1/2 c SEGS AU55 hammered rim
2 1793 chain cents SEGS AU and PCI F15 red holder.
1859 1c SEGS PR65
1873 1c Closed 3 SEGS 65RD
1914-D 1c PCGS 65RD
1870 3c Nickel PCI 65
1924-D 5c SEGS 66
1927-S 5c SEGS 65
1942/1-D 10c SEGS 65 FB
1939, 40, 41, 42 10c PCGS PR67
1918/7-S 25c SEGS 60
1932-S 25c PCI 65
1795 50c SEGS 50
1800 $1 SEGS 58
1801 $1 SEGS 45
1802 $1 SEGS 50
1802 $1 SEGS 58
1880-O $10 SEGS 61
1859-S $1 SEGS 55
1870-CC $1 SEGS 58
1853 $1 SEGS 63
1864 $1 SEGS 64
1879-CC $1 SEGS 64 DMPL
1886-O $1 SEGS 63 DMPL
Gold:
1850-O $2.50 SEGS 62
1807 $2.50 PCI 60 cleaned
1833 $2.50 PCI 60 cleaned
1807 $2.50 SEGS 58
1813 $5 SEGS 61
1855-S $5 SEGS 55
1795 $10 SEGS 55 cleaned
1801 $10 SEGS 58
1859-S $10 PCI 50
1865-S $10 SEGS 40
1874-CC $10 SEGS 53
1854 $20 SEGS 61
1854 Small Date $20 SEGS 61
1854 $20 assay piece
1858 $20 SEGS 62
1858-S $20 SEGS 60
1860 $20 SEGS 62
1864-S $20 SEGS 61
1870-S $20 SEGS 61
1871 $20 SEGS 63
1873-CC $20 PCI 53
1882-CC $20 SEGS 62
1883-S $20 SEGS 63
(2) 1907 $20 High Relief SEGS 64, PCI 63
(5) 1795 $1 SEGS VG10, VF20, XF45, XF obv. repairs AU58
Possibly proof Columbian 50c
Possibly proof Walkers
Contact Mike Golz, Rosemont Police Department, 847 823-1134 ext. 301, case
number 2004-06-0554
0
Comments
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So many SEGS slabs... We know those coins will be safe because it's darn near impossible to crack open a SEGS slab!
EVP
How does one get a hater to stop hating?
I can be reached at evillageprowler@gmail.com
You have to be super alert as there are signs everywhere thru anytown USA pointing to the coin shows. Desperate people do desperate things and brother when a down on their luck, balls to the wall, nothing to lose individual sees his chance, he's going to make his move! At this point I am glad the dealer is safe and HOPE he had it all inventoried and insured!
There were 2 cops for every coin show attendee.
They were sure policing the way you walked across the street.
Maybe they were more concerned with that, than why they were really there...to protect everyone's security.
Pityful performance of thier duty.
Hope they catch the crooks and string 'em up!
Ike Specialist
Finest Toned Ike I've Ever Seen, been looking since 1986
Doggedly collecting coins of the Central American Republic.
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I just met and spoke with Fred for the first time at the lot viewing at Goldbergs in June. Nice guy....this is really a shame. Hopefully, there'll be a full recovery and he can get his stock back faster than Tom Reynolds did.
<< <i>Fred Colombo was robbed this afternoon while packing up >>
Which sounds to me like most likely he had a brief case lifted from by his table while he wasn't looking. Not armed robbery, but shoplifting on a grand scale.
<< <i>How the heck did he get robbed there?
There were 2 cops for every coin show attendee.
They were sure policing the way you walked across the street.
Maybe they were more concerned with that, than why they were really there...to protect everyone's security.
Pityful performance of thier duty.
Hope they catch the crooks and string 'em up! >>
Yes, blame the police.
Funny how that is the first reaction of some people and the story is far from complete.
<<Apparently, a daring thief took a brief case belonging to a Florida dealer from
behind a table while everyone's back was turned. Various reports have said it
contained, $200K, $300K or $500K. >>
one can only hope the contents are found before some unknowing idiot
cracks and wrecks em.
Go BIG or GO HOME. ©Bill
#2- Security not paying attention
#3- Makes me suspect another dealer as the other dealers present certainly would have noticed someone that
had no business behind the table
#4- Maybe- just maybe (HMMM) another dealer set up next to him got to talking and picked up the wrong briefcase.
Don't you think that security at the door and the other dealers would have noticed a customer off te street leaving with a briefcase? Let's hope it's the latter. No one should be made to endure this!
<< <i>Don't you think that security at the door and the other dealers would have noticed a customer off te street leaving with a briefcase? >>
Why would a customer with a briefcase arouse suspicion? Plenty of customers carry briefcases, rolling carts, etc.
.
Non tabled dealers walk the floors of coin shows with briefcases all the time. When I go to a show, I carry a briefcase and occasionally I carry the "gorilla" briefcase which can fit about 20 PCGS boxes. At my small show, I'd say 20% of the people attending carry briefcases. So, it wouldn't be unusual to see somebody leaving with a briefcase. You can't tell who is a non tabled dealer with a briefcase and who is a customer with a briefcase.
Thanksgiving National Battlefield Coin Show is November 29-30, 2024 at the Eisenhower Allstar Sportsplex, Gettysburg, PA. Tables are available. WWW.AmericasCoinShows.com
an eye out for this list. If serial #'s are obtained please post them here.
I agree with MD.....security would not have a reason to stop anyone walking with a briefcase
or oversize bag. Many collectors/dealers walk the floor with them.
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behind a table while everyone's back was turned. Various reports have said it
contained, $200K, $300K or $500K. "
WOW! Major loss!
<< <i>I remember walking back to the car through the parking lot there, thinking it would be a great place to get robbed. ... >>
Judging from the copious amounts of dried urine I noticed in the stairwells of the parking garage, there are either not enuff security cameras around, or the cameras are not being effectively monitored.
and they're cold.
I don't want nobody to shoot me in the foxhole."
Mary
Best Franklin Website
<< <i>Theft is the main reason I've almost entirely stopped setting up at coin shows. >>
Because of major thefts, such as described in this thread, or the theft from individual lookers, handling your coins out of the case?
I've always been perplexed as to the almost non-existant security that appears, even at major shows. The "security" guards present at Long Beach appear to be part-timers that broke away from their regular jobs as pastry chefs.
peacockcoins
In Portland, some weasel "allegedly" tried to pocket a coin from a dealer next to me. The weasel had someone else there who appeared to be trying to distract the dealer. (I say "allegedly" merely for technical reasons, and I don't know the final outcome.) This same weasel also approached me looking for Marburger (definately don't think Marburger is involved). Oddly enough, this weasel had this non-descript way about him that both Marburger and I looked right at him and couldn't really describe him. Anyway, the dealer and I ended up finding the weasel not too far from where Marburger was sitting, and I chased the guy into the concessions area where another dealer was already talking to security about this weasel.
After that, we just let security take over...
Also, at the past LB show, I saw some guy in cuffs get led out the back way. With his entourage were a bunch of cases, presumably his. I suspect that the guy in cuffs was some dirtbag dealer (not that dealers are in general dirtbags, but that this guy was a dirtbag *and* a dealer).
Very troubling...
EVP
How does one get a hater to stop hating?
I can be reached at evillageprowler@gmail.com
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.
I doubt the inventory will be recovered as coin inventory ripoffs, especially of this size are usually inside jobs. The robbers probably already have the coins cracked out ready for submission or to be sold raw.
The security at the adjacent parking garage is non-existant and unfortunately that's about the only place to park for the convention center.
Check out a Vanguard Roth IRA.
<< <i>Thanks for posting this, K6AZ. Perhaps this will help catch the perpetrator and/or retrieve what was stolen. I hope the dealer had good insurance. >>
Collecting insurance on segs coins is going to be verrry interesting.
Tom
Coin's for sale/trade.
Tom Pilitowski
US Rare Coin Investments
800-624-1870
<< <i>The security at the adjacent parking garage is non-existant and unfortunately that's about the only place to park for the convention center. >>
All the more reason to be carrying "loaded and locked" in Rosemont.
<< <i>Interesting thought mrealygold. PCGS should advertise "Our holders bring more if you coins are ever lost or stolen"
Maybe and the same would be true for NGC.
How would you assign a value on segs coins? Showing an invoice? That's a laugh. So, then how would you do it?
It's going to require a lawyer and even then, it's a loser in my opinion. It's definitely something I'm going to ask my insurance person who specializes in the business though. I get this crap in from time to time on trade deals. I've never been ripped like this before so never thought to ask the question. I think it' a good one though. Hmmmm.
Tom
Coin's for sale/trade.
Tom Pilitowski
US Rare Coin Investments
800-624-1870
Most coin dealer insurance policies will only cover the theft if was an armed robbery or assault type of situation. If Fred left the bag behing the table and it was stolen when nobody was looking, then the insurance company will contest the claim under the condition that the inventory was not under Fred's control. I have seen this happen more than once. With a good attorney, he can fight the insurance company, but it will cost money and take 1-2 years at least.
So, was it an armed robbery or a snatched breifcase? This is really terrible news. I know Fred and am familiar with some of the coins that were stolen.
This story gives me goose bumps since I had told another dealer on Friday that I was real worried about getting robbed on the way home. I just had a bad feeling about walking back to the garage with my inventory. I did not renew my insurance this year since the cost is just so damn high. As others have mentioned, the security in the garage is zippo and there are some creepy dudes that dwell in and about the garage (hence the stench of urine). Last year someone got robbed at knife point in the convention center garage. Well, I made it home safe and sound again, thank goodness.
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Concealed weapons are not allowed in Cook County, although I agree with you (if you know what I mean
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