PCGS U.S. Cent/Dime Mule sells for $138,000.

Byers

PCGS U.S. Cent/Dime Mule sells for $138,000. today at the Heritage Auction at Central States. WOW

bhartman35

Looks like some mint employee has quite the lucrative business!

millennium

<< <i> Looks like some mint employee has quite the lucrative business! >>



I have often wonderd if it was actually possible, if you could get all the players to admit truth, to trace a coin like this back to the mint via the people that actually knew the guy that made it...

roadrunner

Any chance the US mint could eventually come back and confiscate said Mule should the true story (probably illegal) of its manufacturing should ever come to light?

What ever happend to the guy who was hoarding the Sac mules a few years back? There was the thought at that time that confiscation was a real possibility and that he might take his coins into hiding.

roadrunner

lloydmincy

I just came back from the sale. I was in the room with Fred Wienburg, (the error kingpin) and MAYBE two other collectors, and a few dealers with phones in their hands for this thing. I was the only one in the seats NOT in the front row.

One collector ( I know well) started the opening bidding at $65,000. He bid up until $85,000 against the "phone" bidder. I then start my bidding at 90k. Phone bid went to $95K, me 100,000, phone CUT bid at $105,000, me $110,000. Another phone bidder bids $120,000, and I say forget it. I pushed it up another $35K.

What I HOPE happens is that others "pop" up, like the quarter/dollar mules because of the price realized for this one. It is believed there are about 15 mules in existence. We'll see if it brings any out of hiding...

wondercoin

This looks like the first ultra-modern (1999-date) coin that has broken through "six figures". In fact, this might be the highest price ever paid for a coin dated 1970-date? That price level really is amazing.

Wondercoin

lloydmincy

I shoulda gone higher. This coin is an EXOTIC blatent error. Mules are in a class by themselves.

BECOKA

Sorry to ask but what is a mule?

PerryHall

<< <i>I shoulda gone higher. This coin is an EXOTIC blatent error. Mules are in a class by themselves. >>



If it is made this way on purpose, is it really an error?

PerryHall

<< <i>Sorry to ask but what is a mule? >>


Mule---a coin produced from obverse and reverse dies that were never intended to be used together.

ER

<< <i>

<< <i>I shoulda gone higher. This coin is an EXOTIC blatent error. Mules are in a class by themselves. >>



If it is made this way on purpose, is it really an error? >>


My theory is, it's a purposedly manufactured rarity.

bhartman35

<< <i>I shoulda gone higher. This coin is an EXOTIC blatent error. Mules are in a class by themselves. >>


It'
It's not an error. It's one or more mint employees playing with the dies. It's not possible for something like this to accidentally happen, any more than it's possible to accidentally breed an actual mule. I think the name of the rarity is particularly instructive in this respect.

That's not to say it's not rare, or it's not cool. But calling it an "error" is an afront to the good people at the mint. The mule in question is actually a sort of vanity coin, produced specifically for people to ooh and ahh over.

roadrunner

Well not much different from all the odd rarities that came out of the mint from 1834 to 1913 imo. 1913 Lib nickels, 1894-s dimes, 1804 silver dollars, proof 1801-1803 silver dollars and hosts of other coins.
Those are neat, and probably at some point in time these mules will be in the same league.

Note that mules are much more affordable if you buy Oregon commems. Well maybe some of those had mules.

roadrunner