How to ruin a perfectly good rarity

Barry

I was interested in this coin in the ANR auction. I thought it odd that a coin that's probably worth about 30K (that's dollars, not drachmas, RYK) and it's raw made me wonder about it... As a matter of fact, this is the coin that prompted me to post this thread. Even with the scratch across the bust, a coin of this age and rarity would usually slab.

Anyway, a little while ago, I got off the phone with Frank V. from ANR. He looked at the coin and said the scratch looked recent (though it can't be too recent as this coin is the plate photo in the JR book and the scratch was present there), probably from a staple or being removed from a 2x2 with a sharp object. A real shame, given the pedigree of Robison and Lovejoy for this coin.

ColonialCoinUnion

Can you imagine just how nauseous the inflictor was the day this happened? That would have been one extremely bad numismatic day.

I guess this stuff happens, disastrous as it may be, though less so with the advent of slabbing - an underrated benefit of slabs in my humble opinion.

Punscoins

If that was my coin, I'd probably be dead from a heart attack after I did that to it.......


Marc Vetsch

OKbustchaser

How is this coin ruined? Does it have a scratch? Yes. Is it worth as much now as it would have been without the scratch? No.
But it is still a very attractive example of a very attractive date and denomination. It still has a very attractive pedigree. I can't afford it (and still bid on the bust halves I'm after) but belive me it would still be welcome in my safety deposit box.

Jim

elwood

That's a $10,000.00 scratch.......I'm suprised it's at 14K
(WHAT A SHAME!!!!)
If this coin came from the collection, I think its from??????, I believe that collector kept many of his coins in 2X2's.

DNADave

Hope it was the owner of the coin and not someone else that did the deed.

mrearlygold

A big OOPS!

Ouch!

Tom

nwcs

You'd think that owners who have this kind of money would be smart about handling their coins and the removal from their holders. I know I'd be super paranoid about even a $100 coin!

OKbustchaser

<< <i>That's a $10,000.00 scratch.......I'm suprised it's at 14K
(WHAT A SHAME!!!!)
If this coin came from the collection, I think its from??????, I believe that collector kept many of his coins in 2X2's. >>



It may now be a $10,000 scratch. (Personally, I think closer to $5000.00 by the time it closes but I am often wrong.) The scratch dates from at least mid 1982 when Allan Lovejoy owned and photographed it for the new book on early dimes. I don't have a copy of the Stack's Ellis Robison sale so I can't trace the scratch any further back (and it probably wasn't plated anyway). The bottom line is it has sold at least twice since injured...Someone doesn't think it is ruined.

Jim

ColonialCoinUnion

<< <i>I don't have a copy of the Stack's Ellis Robison sale so I can't trace the scratch any further back (and it probably wasn't plated anyway). The bottom line is it has sold at least twice since injured...Someone doesn't think it is ruined.

Jim >>



It was plated in the 1982 Robison catalog and described as 'Extremely Fine, and a lovely specimen but for a scratch extending from the 11th star to the 4 of the date'.

Barry

<< <i>That's a $10,000.00 scratch.......I'm suprised it's at 14K
(WHAT A SHAME!!!!)
If this coin came from the collection, I think its from??????, I believe that collector kept many of his coins in 2X2's. >>


The ANR catalog says it's from the William Subjack collection.

elwood

I'm pretty sure the current owner acquired it from that collection.

elwood

Barry
I misread your statement, I thought it was a recent scratch. When I looked at the dime book I realized it had been there for some time.

Barry

Steve,
Frank V. told me it was a recent scratch. He said probably in the last 6 monts. Later, I pulled out my Lovejoy catalog and JR book and noticed the scratch was present there too. I guess "recent" is a relative term, especially with a 200 year old coin.

Pistareen

<< <i>Frank V. told me it was a recent scratch. He said probably in the last 6 monts. Later, I pulled out my Lovejoy catalog and JR book and noticed the scratch was present there too. I guess "recent" is a relative term, especially with a 200 year old coin. >>



Hi Barry:

I was sitting next to Frank when he took your call, and I sort of cringed when he told you about the scratch. The scratch was there when Robison owned it (since at least 1982), when Lovejoy owned it (1982-1990), when Subjack owned it (1990 til mid 90s), and when a well known dime expert owned it more recently. While Frankie thought it looked fresh, I let him know (gently, of course) after your phone call that he was mistaken.

Its a great coin, and I have a feeling the scratch is probably far older than I am. This is one reason I love coins with pedigrees. A holed and plugged coin in my collection is much more palatable knowing it was plugged in the Bushnell sale (1882), the Jenks sale (1921), and when plated in Breen.

I hope you'll still chase the coin, and if not here's hoping you find an 1804 dime that fits in your collection some other time (maybe in a future ANR sale?)

John K.