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Remembering a true gentleman and a purchase made 40 years ago today.

goldengolden Posts: 9,972 ✭✭✭✭✭
From November 9 to 11,1973 I had my second ever bourse table at the Blue Bonnet Coin Show held at the Shamrock Hilton Hotel in Houston,Texas. The bourse layout was most unusual. It was shaped like a capital letter P. The entrance was at the bottom left of the P. A single aisle, with about 10 bourse tables on each side, lead up to a square area off to the right where the other dealers were located. My table was located on the inside top of the letter P.
At that time I dealt in U.S. type coins and paper money ( mostly National Bank Notes ). I had one case of coins and one case of paper money. I had my best coins, out of their flips, sitting on a black felt tray in the middle of my coin case. The best coin I had was an 1807 Capped Bust Right $5 Gold in a nice XF grade priced at less that $1000. I wish I had that coin back!
In my paper money case I had several very rare Nationals. To the side of my paper money case I had a homemade sign stating that I wanted to buy National Bank Notes from my home state.
On opening day a gentleman named Frank M. Stirling ( 1905-1984 ) came by my table. I had never met him before. Unbeknownst to me was the fact that he was a specialist and expert in Flowing Hair and Bust Silver Dollars. I had one Bust Dollar for sale, a 1798 in VF or so. ( I had sold an 1800 AMERICAI Dollar, Bolender 19, grading a very nice AU, to David Hall, for $995, at my first show back in August ). Frank looked at my Bust Dollar and without taking it out of the case identified the Bolender number.
We talked for a few minutes and then he saw my sign. He said that he had a $20 1882 Brownback on my home state. He took it out and showed it to me. It was in a very nice VF+ grade. I asked the price. He said that it was not for sale. I begged him to sell it to me. He said that he would only sell it to a collector. I told him that it was for my collection and not for resale. It took me a long time to convince him to sell it to me. He finally priced it at $200. I started to write him a check for the note. He told me that since he was on Social Security he had already made the maximum allowed for the year, without penalty, under Social Security rules. I said that I would give him cash. He said no. He instructed me to write him a check for $200 and date it January 2,1974. I wrote him the check and he gave me the note. On January 2,1974 he duly cashed my check.
After that I saw Frank a number of times at shows around the country. He always asked if I still had the note. I answered in the affirmative each time. I don't think that he ever 100% believed that I would keep the note in my collection. Today after 40 years the note still resides in my collection.
Frank passed away in 1984. His collection was sold in a couple of sales by Heritage in 1986.

Comments

  • drwstr123drwstr123 Posts: 7,045 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I'm lifting a cold one to Frank.
  • Walkerguy21DWalkerguy21D Posts: 11,623 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Great story, and thanks for taking the time to share it with us!

    Successful BST transactions with 171 members. Ebeneezer, Tonedeaf, Shane6596, Piano1, Ikenefic, RG, PCGSPhoto, stman, Don'tTelltheWife, Boosibri, Ron1968, snowequities, VTchaser, jrt103, SurfinxHI, 78saen, bp777, FHC, RYK, JTHawaii, Opportunity, Kliao, bigtime36, skanderbeg, split37, thebigeng, acloco, Toninginthblood, OKCC, braddick, Coinflip, robcool, fastfreddie, tightbudget, DBSTrader2, nickelsciolist, relaxn, Eagle eye, soldi, silverman68, ElKevvo, sawyerjosh, Schmitz7, talkingwalnut2, konsole, sharkman987, sniocsu, comma, jesbroken, David1234, biosolar, Sullykerry, Moldnut, erwindoc, MichaelDixon, GotTheBug
  • StaircoinsStaircoins Posts: 2,577 ✭✭✭

    Here's to Frank, and one to you as well for sharing his legacy.

    Would be wonder to see a pic of the note if you care to post one.

    image
  • AMRCAMRC Posts: 4,280 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Great story. There are many coins in my collection that I bought as parts of estates that will never leave my collection. That is the best part of all of this; the bits and pieces we trap along way that truly define our interests.

    I like to think/hope every dealer collects something. I know that is not necessarily true, but hopefully at least for the majority it is.
    MLAeBayNumismatics: "The greatest hobby in the world!"
  • keyman64keyman64 Posts: 15,521 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Great post and good for you for keeping the note!
    "If it's not fun, it's not worth it." - KeyMan64
    Looking for Top Pop Mercury Dime Varieties & High Grade Mercury Dime Toners. :smile:
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  • hchcoinhchcoin Posts: 4,836 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>I love posts or threads like these, just love em. You also are a great writer, you got the gift! I thoroughly enjoyed your short story and hope to read more, thanks! >>



    Agree
  • lkeigwinlkeigwin Posts: 16,893 ✭✭✭✭✭
    image Warms the heart.
    Lance.
  • Cougar1978Cougar1978 Posts: 8,714 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Thanks for sharing. I took my first table at a show at the Greater Houston Show in 1990 at the Adams Mark Hotel.

    I would have loved to have been buying Nationals back then. They are so much more expensive now.
    Coins & Currency
  • 123cents123cents Posts: 7,178 ✭✭✭
    Great story. Thanks!
    image
  • MrEurekaMrEureka Posts: 24,391 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Stirling's collection of Bust Dollars (sold by Heritage in 1986) was quite memorable. For those of us who know the coins but did not know the man, it's nice to have a story like this to merge with the memory of the coins.
    Andy Lustig

    Doggedly collecting coins of the Central American Republic.

    Visit the Society of US Pattern Collectors at USPatterns.com.
  • krankykranky Posts: 8,709 ✭✭✭
    Nice story, I appreciate that you shared it. There are a lot of solid people in this hobby.

    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.

  • Great story...pictures?
    All the best,

    Rob

    image

    Successful Trades with: Coincast, MICHAELDIXON

    Successful Purchases from: Manorcourtman, Meltdown
  • ShamikaShamika Posts: 18,785 ✭✭✭✭
    I love when dealers share their stories. Thanks.

    image



    Buyer and seller of vintage coin boards!
  • rickoricko Posts: 98,724 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Great story, thanks.... a lot of neat things such as this happen in coin collecting.... Cheers, RickO
  • johnny9434johnny9434 Posts: 29,063 ✭✭✭✭✭
    thats a wicked cool story. some things one should never part with image
  • ZoinsZoins Posts: 34,401 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Great story about the human side of collecting about a great person. It's great to hear these stories to remind us about the memorable moments in collecting image
  • Golden,

    Thought about this thread a few times today. Just a great piece of info. If only every collectable came with a story that could be told.image
    All the best,

    Rob

    image

    Successful Trades with: Coincast, MICHAELDIXON

    Successful Purchases from: Manorcourtman, Meltdown

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