Hypothetical #1958D- Payment received in coins

XpipedreamR

Suppose a local elderly widow hires me to do some work around her house for $40. After I have completed the work in a manner satisfactory to her, she reaches for her purse to pay me, and realizes that she is short on cash She proposes that she mail the payment to me. I agree to this arrangement, and two days later a thick, padded envelope arrives in the mail. Inside, much to my surprise, I find two gem Liberty head double eagles. Do you think I should accept the payment and count my blessings, or should I contact the woman?

Would it matter if the woman were a non-elderly widow? An elderly married woman?

Would it matter if I believed that the that the payment included a large gratuity for the exemplary job I had done?

Would it matter if I knew that the woman were very well-off financially?






Suppose I take my two coins to the coin shop, and the dealer informs me that they are counterfeit, but actually made of 22K gold. Do you think I should take this up with the woman?

Would it matter if they were base metal counterfeits?

Would it matter if my elderly widow employer were actually the counterfeiter? What if her dead husband had been the counterfeiter?







Now suppose I return to the elderly widow, and explain the situation to her, and she tells me that it was all a big misunderstanding. She asks me to hold on a minute, and shortly returns with two genuine Saint Gaudens double eagles. Should I accept the payment without question?

Would it matter if they were 1933 double eagles?

Would it matter if they were actually "magical" double eagles?






I am leading a summer seminar on doing housework for elderly widows in bizarro world, and your responses will help me to refine my questions















PS: Here's a new Franklin I just got in the mail...

longtimecollector

Never saw an "O" mint Frankie before........

Are you sure the "widow" ain't makin' these in her basement ??????

XpipedreamR

Hmmmm...I don't knOw

dimples

I'm curious, just what type of work did you do for her? Cleaned her plumping perhaps?

XpipedreamR

Hmmmmmmmm...would it matter?

ziggy29

The situation wouldn't matter -- I'd ask her if she realized that if she sold these coins, she could get in excess of $1,000 for them. If she said yes and didn't care, I'd let it go. If she didn't know that and didn't want to give away more than $1,000 in value, I refuse to take the payment.

To me, nothing about the marital status, gender, age or wealth matters. In this case, I don't think ethics are situational.

If the coins are fake, I'm not happy about it -- but I'm only out for $40 worth of my labor, so I probably let it go.

DNADave

What if she stole the coins from her coin collecting son, you bastage.

XpipedreamR

I didn't think of that

kryptonitecomics

Hypothetically I am inclined to not read this thread.....move along nothing to see here

PerryHall

XpipedreamR---You are one funny guy. I guess you're back on the pipe.

Russ

<< <i>To me, nothing about the marital status, gender, age or wealth matters. In this case, I don't think ethics are situational. >>



Agreed. This one is a no-brainer. Contact her.

Russ, NCNE

csw

Yes. No. Yes. Yes. Yes. Maybe. Yes. Yes. No. Not sure. Yes. Yes. Yes. No. Depends. Yes. Yes!! No. Doubtful. No. Yes. Yes. Yes. No. Yes. Yes. Yes. No, not at all. Don't know. No. No. Yes. Yes. Lampreys and Jellyfish. Yes. Yes. I think so, but am not sure. Yes. No. No, not at all. Emphatically no! Yes. Yes.

JrGMan2004

Nice Frankie, XpoopydiapR

Shamika

<< <i> Yes. No. Yes. Yes. Yes. Maybe. Yes. Yes. No. Not sure. Yes. Yes. Yes. No. Depends. Yes. Yes!! No. Doubtful. No. Yes. Yes. Yes. No. Yes. Yes. Yes. No, not at all. Don't know. No. No. Yes. Yes. Lampreys and Jellyfish. Yes. Yes. I think so, but am not sure. Yes. No. No, not at all. Emphatically no! Yes. Yes. >>


My thoughts exactly!

Keyrock

Regardless of who, what where when etc... I would contact her. Just bad karma to keep them without explaining the true value.

JRocco

I would tell her that before we even discuss this matter any further, she has to sign onto this board and read and answer the other 863 'hypothetical' threads that are constantly being cleverly topped . Only after doing so, and presuming that she is still alive after reading them all, can we finalize our situation here.

Numismatics

This is a hard question.

But if the woman is rich, then I will take the coins.
If the woman is not rich, then I will tell her the value of the coins.

beartracks42

Xpipe,

You are one troubled soul!!

mgoodm3

You should just be thinkful that she didn't send you naked pictures of herself.

LALASD4

and two days later a thick, padded envelope arrives in the mail.

If this is a logic question, I would say they might be from someone else.