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I just won the Syracuse wheat cent hoard!
Mercfan
Posts: 700 ✭✭
Pardon me if I sound a bit giddy, but I spent an awful lot of childhood hours reading coin magazines and dreaming about someday owning a genuine hoard of U.S. coins. Be careful what you wish for!
Some questions:
1) Can any of you suggest any "one-stop" sources of information about the history of hoards of U.S. coins? I'd be interested in learning more about some of the bigger hoards (both hoards of circulated coins and the kinds of MS hoards they find in bank vaults) that have been found and sold off in the past. Has anyone ever authored a book on the subject of U.S. coin hoards?
2) Will I have to change my username on these message boards? Despite this odd impulse buy, I really am more a Mercfan than a Lincfan. Nevertheless, I have a hunch I'll be opening and scrutinizing at least a few rolls of Lincolns over the next few days/weeks/years/decades.
3) What in the heck am I going to do with 257,000+ pre-1959 Lincolns? (Hold your offers to house this pile of copper in your living rooms at no charge. I have access to a private storage facility a reasonably short drive from where I live.) My question is, should I look to sell all of them, some of them, or none of them? Should I hold them without trying to look through them at all? Should I begin methodically looking through them as time permits? What would you do if you took delivery of a 5,112 rolls of wheats acquired during the fifties and sixties by a collector who was not a dealer?
4) Finally, anybody have any thoughts as to exactly how I should break the news of my latest coin purchase to my wife on Valentine's Day?
It's WAY past my bedtime, and I have a feeling that I should be resting my eyes. Thanks, as always, for any suggestions you sage collectors can offer!
Some questions:
1) Can any of you suggest any "one-stop" sources of information about the history of hoards of U.S. coins? I'd be interested in learning more about some of the bigger hoards (both hoards of circulated coins and the kinds of MS hoards they find in bank vaults) that have been found and sold off in the past. Has anyone ever authored a book on the subject of U.S. coin hoards?
2) Will I have to change my username on these message boards? Despite this odd impulse buy, I really am more a Mercfan than a Lincfan. Nevertheless, I have a hunch I'll be opening and scrutinizing at least a few rolls of Lincolns over the next few days/weeks/years/decades.
3) What in the heck am I going to do with 257,000+ pre-1959 Lincolns? (Hold your offers to house this pile of copper in your living rooms at no charge. I have access to a private storage facility a reasonably short drive from where I live.) My question is, should I look to sell all of them, some of them, or none of them? Should I hold them without trying to look through them at all? Should I begin methodically looking through them as time permits? What would you do if you took delivery of a 5,112 rolls of wheats acquired during the fifties and sixties by a collector who was not a dealer?
4) Finally, anybody have any thoughts as to exactly how I should break the news of my latest coin purchase to my wife on Valentine's Day?
It's WAY past my bedtime, and I have a feeling that I should be resting my eyes. Thanks, as always, for any suggestions you sage collectors can offer!
"Coin collecting problem"? What "coin collecting problem"?
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The carded coins had my interest , the early mint marked coins are probably in their .
It also seemed to have some bigger coppers in there .
Congrats & Have Fun !!
Dan
That's a chit load of copper...............
Dan
San Diego, CA
Self Indulgence | Holey Coins | Flickr Photostream
How about " King Abraham "
Dan
It's going to take you till next Fall to go thru all them Lincoln's.........
1. What your wife did when you told her, and are you brave enough to tell her on Valentine's Day and
2. What in the heck are you going to do with 50 or so bags of common wheats?
Has anyone heard of a larger hoard than this in the last 20 years?
==Looking for pre WW2 Commems in PCGS Rattler holders, 1851-O Three Cent Silvers in all grades
Successful, problem free and pleasant transactions with: illini420, coinguy1, weather11am,wayneherndon,wondercoin,Topdollarpaid,Julian, bishdigg,seateddime, peicesofme,ajia,CoinRaritiesOnline,savoyspecial,Boom, TorinoCobra71, ModernCoinMart, WTCG, slinc, Patches, Gerard, pocketpiececommems, BigJohnD, RickMilauskas, mirabella, Smittys, LeeG, TomB, DeusExMachina, tydye
I'm really happy a board member won that group. I posted the auction here originally, and for a short time even had a couple of other board members interested in pooling funds for a bid, but I got cold feet (or a case of reality, either way) and backed down from the plan.
To your specific questions...
1) Q. David Bowers wrote a book on "treasures and hoards," though I don't know if it covered any from recent times. There were three r four huge hoards purchased by Littleton in the early 1990s, I believe one of them involved more than a mllion wheat cents.
2) I wouldn't change your board handle just yet, but maybe reserve "BlearyEyed" or "SickofLincolns" for when the day does come.
3) As I said above... PM sent..
4) I suggest plying her with a lot of flowers or wine, depending on her temperament.
Anyway, congratulations on your purchase, I hope it gives you all the enjoyment you anticipate.
Sean Reynolds
"Keep in mind that most of what passes as numismatic information is no more than tested opinion at best, and marketing blather at worst. However, I try to choose my words carefully, since I know that you guys are always watching." - Joe O'Connor
Congrats and ... there goes the rest of your sanity
It would be cool to have something like that, or just to grab a few UNC OBW rolls if they are there......shovel off the rest
I've been told I tolerate fools poorly...that may explain things if I have a problem with you. Current ebay items - Nothing at the moment
A penny for your thoughts!
** Good Luck **
Wanna buy smoe more Lincolns?
Check out my current listings: https://ebay.com/sch/khunt/m.html?_ipg=200&_sop=12&_rdc=1
<< <i>The one thing you can never, ever do, under any cirucmstance, is....change your username. They won't let you. I've tried. >>
I changed my username. I used to be "sellsatan." I just opened a new membership with a name I actually like, PMed Carolj to let her know what I did and then posted a thread both here and on the darkside forum to let everybody know and make sure it was on the level.
When Sean originally posted that auction I wanted soooooo badly to buy it... but I know better. I hope you really enjoy your QUARTER OF A MILLION WHEAT CENTS! I know I would have, but they probably would have destroyed my house.
Hope you have some help
Michael
I'm sure we'd all be interested in hearing about any unusual finds.
Mike
Lincoln Wheats (1909 - 1958) Basic Set - Always Interested in Upgrading!
<< <i>Link-O-Matic >>
"The silver is mine and the gold is mine,' declares the LORD GOD Almighty."
1. Open all boxes, bags, rolls, etc.
2. Search the entire lot cherrypicking the shlt out of it
3. Skim the remainder of the cream
4. Purchase an old steamer trunk
5. Purchase a very small scoop
6. Purchase several boxes of ziplok bags
7. Dump remaining coins in steamer trunk
8. If not enough to fill trunk, make elevated false
bottom out of scrap plywood in order to give the
appearance of overflowing trunk
9. Post auction on sleazebay touting "UNSEARCHED"
wheatie hoard found in barn: 1909-S VDB? 1922-P? 1955 DDO?
10. All sales final, half a scoop for $10.00
Sit back and collect the dough!
do you live close? a ton of pennies will cost lots to ship
DickyBetz: I have no idea whether or not any of these rolls are original bank rolls. One can hope!
Dan383: I admit to being a sniper. But I'm an all-natural sniper (as distinct from an assisting software sniper, or "ASS"), relying only on my watch and E-Bay's authority regarding what time it is. I can't wait to see what's in those 1,700 2x2s!
LALASD4: I have a very good back--at least for now.
DThigpen: I couldn't fall asleep for two hours last night, alternately wondering what I might find in the hoard and wondering whether I should be kicking myself. Time will tell.
ClayChaser: I haven't yet said anything about this to my wonderful wife, and I think I've decided to leave the subject for AFTER Valentine's Day. I have no idea what I'm going to do with all the common dates.
SeanQ: Thanks for the PM and all your comments! "SickofLincolns" may well be right on target sometime down the road.
Bochiman: Thanks! I didn't have much sanity left anyway!
Rick M and 50cents: Thanks!
BlindedbyEgo: Thanks for the offer, but I believe I have more than a lifetime supply already! What do I look like, some kind of obsessive Loncoln hoarder?
Coindexter: I won't be letting this ton of copper into my house, so there's no danger of its being destroyed. Destroying my wife's confidence in me, on the other hand . . .
Moki: I haven't gotten the impression LucyBop especially likes Lincolns. Think she'd like to shoot a quarter million of them? I bet I have some almost exquisite 1944-Ps in F to VF!
Comoncents: I appreciate your good advice. I would never try to clean a Lincoln, and I visited the Coppercoins site several times before bidding on this lot. Great site, and it's clear that I have a lot to learn about die varieties.
Thanks to Outhaul and MrKelso for posting the link. I'm still creeping my way into the skills of communicating in cyberspace.
Outhaul: Your "Ten Steps" are hilarious and would probably be very effective (in a P. T. Barnum sort of way) at generating a profit. I'm just not profit-motivated enough or scammer enough to try it and see how it works. On a serious note, when one sells circulated rolls of anything, I suppose it's an automatic to have all sales final--if only to keep people from swapping a bunch of Goods for ExFs and then returning the roll for a refund?
Coppernicus and others on page 1: I will let message board readers know what interesting or unusual things I find. I'll even let all know if I find that I've purchased little more than many pounds of grimey copper. I hope to take possession by the end of this week and at least report briefly about the BU rolls and Whitman folders. I can drive to the seller's location, and I figure that two or three trips will avoid undue stress on my car's shocks.
MorganBarber: I agree completely with your comparison of the entertainment value. I just have to build more hours of entertainment time into my weeks. Going through the $12K in silver mut have been fun.
I think that the experience itself will be worth the dough. One way or the other, it's a once-in-a-lifetime event for me.
–John Adams, 1826
You are now an official coin hoarder. I suggest you buy two fresh, unopened bank rolls of Cents each year from your local bank to add to the hoard!
Then research other hoards. I don't see much on US coin hoards when I search Amazon for "coin hoards". There are several books on Greek and other ancient hoards. There are shipwreck "hoards" though those don't seem like true hoards but I guess it depends on your definition.
To go through the coins I would learn how to grade! If anyone has an opportunity to become a super expert Lincoln Cent grader is it you. Start on the most recent rolls and try to find some MS 67 Red coins. After searching say, 10,000 or so send the best 10 to PCGS for economy grading. Be very picky.
Now you can go through some of the older, better dates.
Oh, I guess I would go through the books and 2x2s before the rolls looking for better dates and quality coins. OH, forgot, the first thing to do is to buy a Cherrypickers book so you have a reference for varieties.
Gee, I guess I'm working backwards. You need a good work space with good light and a magnifying glass. Maybe one of those magnifying glasses on a flexible arm would save time. Or a loupe that attaches to your glasses.
BTW 1,800 lbs isn't much really. When I get a yard of gravel I'm sure that is about the same. I can move it in a day by taking several breaks. I would bring a young, strong friend though.
That should set the mood
XPipeDreamR: My 1995 Dodge Caravan (more than one trip for sure).
Carl: Thanks for the VERY helpful suggestions! I should be okay with the grading. I looked at many thousands of Lincolns during the 1960s. Never have gotten fond enough of the Lincoln Memorial reverse to find it attractive to keep many of those--other than a couple of gem BU rolls of 1972 DDOs. I had little success using the online search engines for "hoard," "coin hoard," or "U.S. coin hoard." The hoards (and hoarders) that interest me are the hoards pulled from circulation over the course of many years by ordinary people of ordinary economic means. It remains to be seen what, if anything, will jump out as a good candidate for TPGing. In my wildest dreams, I'm scrambling to find enough money to pay all the grading fees. In my more realistic moments, I'm the owner of a large number of raw AUs. I had thought about one of those lighted magnifying glasses on an adjustable arm. The Cherrypickers book is a great idea, since I'm far from a specialist on varieties. (But when it comes to varieties, I'm more inclined to just pass these rolls along to the experts and let them have the fun and get rewarded for their expertise.)
291fifth: Thanks for the hot tip! I think I'll leave the Detroit hoard (and all others) to other fortunate collectors. My plate is overflowing as it is.
Oh, and I was just kidding about those two BU rolls of 1972 DDOs. I'm a Mercfan.
My van thanks you for not letting me win that lot!
I just put a new engine in it on top of it.
I'd just love the opportunity to get a couple buckets of them and take em home
-Daniel
-Aristotle
Dum loquimur fugerit invida aetas. Carpe diem quam minimum credula postero.
-Horace
<< <i>.
4) Finally, anybody have any thoughts as to exactly how I should break the news of my latest coin purchase to my wife on Valentine's Day?
>>
Dat's a lot of.... CENTS...........................
I also have about 8 bags quantities of uncirculated obw and tubed wheatie rolls, mostly in the 1950's.
Some of those obw rolls are a number of 1943-P through 1954-P cents that I bought from Wayne Herndon in 1999. He was one of the best at the time.
Virg Marshall in the mid-1990's had an unlimited supply of obw wheatie rolls dated in the mid-1950's at $2.10 per roll. No one wanted them then!!!!
<< <i>Mercfan:
My van thanks you for not letting me win that lot!
I just put a new engine in it on top of it.
Geez, Oreville, I mostly got excited about this lot because you placed multiple bids on it. I figured that if you saw something there, I must have been right to think there was something there. PM me at our convenience and let me know what date rolls you're looking for. How long a drive would that have been for you?
Sean Reynolds
"Keep in mind that most of what passes as numismatic information is no more than tested opinion at best, and marketing blather at worst. However, I try to choose my words carefully, since I know that you guys are always watching." - Joe O'Connor
Was it just "put together" hype for Ebay? Judging from the zero follow up from the OP after the "euphoria" of "winning," it's quite possible it turned out to be nothing fresh at all....or the wife rolled the barrels down the street when hubby was at work. Interesting that the OP became bolder once they realized Oreville was bidding as well.
Check out my iPhone app SlabReader!
I read 2 pages of this thread wondering why the eBay link was dead and why I hadn't heard of this sooner, and lo and behold, this was a decade ago. :S
Yeah but..........scrolling through the replies and seeing all those long gone members! So many familiar ones which were either bammed or have moved on.
The name is LEE!
I read 2 pages of this thread wondering why the eBay link was dead and why I hadn't heard of this sooner, and lo and behold, this was a decade ago. :S
Yeah but..........scrolling through the replies and seeing all those long gone members! So many familiar ones which were either bammed or have moved on.
This thread was certainly a blast from the past. I remember when this hoard was sold and I certainly remember most of the members that originally posted to this thread.