Urban Legends
Tibor
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Keets brought up a very interesting one about the 1889-CC bag of dollars.
Are there other "Urban Legends"? Share them here. Prove or refute.
Are there other "Urban Legends"? Share them here. Prove or refute.
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Looking for Top Pop Mercury Dime Varieties & High Grade Mercury Dime Toners.
Looking for Top Pop Mercury Dime Varieties & High Grade Mercury Dime Toners.
Is the 1894-S 10c "Ice Cream Story" a legend?
Was ice cream even invented back in 1894?
Is the 1894-S 10c "Ice Cream Story" a legend?
Was ice cream even invented back in 1894?
I cannot attest the source, but...
"An ice-cream-like food was first eaten in China in 618-97AD. King Tang of Shang, had 94 ice men who helped to make a dish of buffalo milk, flour and camphor..."
Ice Cream
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Packs of cigarettes were supposedly 23 cents and there were two cents wrapped in the pack of cigarettes for change.
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How about the 1955 DDO Lincolns in packages of cigarettes from vending machines?
Packs of cigarettes were supposedly 23 cents and there were two cents wrapped in the pack of cigarettes for change.
I just shared this exact story on the "10 Greatest Lincolns" thread. While it is true that cigarette machines did give two cents change in the manner described, the idea that the machines in the Boston area were spitting out doubled dies might be apochryphal.
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
Is the 1894-S 10c "Ice Cream Story" a legend?
Was ice cream even invented back in 1894?
I cannot attest the source, but...
"An ice-cream-like food was first eaten in China in 618-97AD. King Tang of Shang, had 94 ice men who helped to make a dish of buffalo milk, flour and camphor..."
Ice Cream
George Gervin. Remember him? Ice man.
Turned out it wasn't a legend at all. Maybe those 1889-CC Morgan urban legend rumors will find the same ending.
- Bob -
MPL's - Lincolns of Color
Central Valley Roosevelts
How about the 1955 DDO Lincolns in packages of cigarettes from vending machines?
Packs of cigarettes were supposedly 23 cents and there were two cents wrapped in the pack of cigarettes for change.
I just shared this exact story on the "10 Greatest Lincolns" thread. While it is true that cigarette machines did give two cents change in the manner described, the idea that the machines in the Boston area were spitting out doubled dies might be apochryphal.
Sean Reynolds
I thought that this story came from Dave Bowers when he was young dealer. From what I remember he bought out the contents of the cigarette machine to get the coins. Back in 1955-56 these coins were only worth 35 cents a piece. They hit $50 retail in BU circa 1959.
A lot of 1955 doubled dies showed up in the New England area. When I belonged to the Collectors Club of Boston, one of the members there told me that he and his dad pulled 25 of them from circulation and sold them to buy other coins years later.
I have heard this from multiple dealers over the years and some that are Heritage employees now.
Probably true that he had 20 proofs
NGC registry V-Nickel proof #6!!!!
working on proof shield nickels # 8 with a bullet!!!!
RIP "BEAR"
Is the 1894-S 10c "Ice Cream Story" a legend?
Was ice cream even invented back in 1894?
Yup, and the ice cream sundae was invented in my home town of Ithaca, NY in 1892!
The roll of 69s ddo comes to mind. Have not heard that one in some time.
That one can't be true given the low population numbers we see today for both Mint State and circulated examples.
The roll of 69s ddo comes to mind. Have not heard that one in some time.
That one can't be true given the low population numbers we see today for both Mint State and circulated examples.
What is the "legend" for this one?
this containing original bags of early date walkers, like the 18D, 19S, 20D, and 23S, among other scarce coins.
I don't know if this has ever been debunked or not. Certainly there was a Wells Fargo hoard, but was it ever carefully cataloged by a legit source?
Cheers, RickO
I can personally attest the the cents in packs of cigarettes.... used to get them for my Dad.
Cheers, RickO
The cents or the cigarettes...
The roll of 69s ddo comes to mind. Have not heard that one in some time.
That one can't be true given the low population numbers we see today for both Mint State and circulated examples.
What is the "legend" for this one?
I don't recall all the details. Wasn't it like a dealer in Michigan had found an original bank roll of them?
I got to thinking and maybe the biggest "Urban Legend" I can think of is " "The Coin".
The supposed MS69 1793 Chain Cent that people bring up but to my knowledge has zero basis in reality. It would be pretty interesting to know the origin of "The Coin" Urban Legend.
xt
Ice cream was there but cones were not invented til about 1903.
Both...Cheers, RickO
It appeared to take a full three years for the FED to completely rotate their stock when they adopted FIFO accounting in 1972 so it's well within possibility that an '82 pallet was discovered in mid-1985. ...But not '82-P at Kansas City (probably).
"The Coin!" is for real, but it is not an MS-69. "Coin Facts" lists it as a SP-67. It has not been formally graded by PCGS.
Here is a coin that is in the opinion of some experts a little better than "The Coin!" Heritage auctioned it last January at the FUN show for $2.35 million. Bill Noyes who is an ultra conservative EAC grader calls it "MS-62, Choice." He rates "The Coin!" as "MS-62 Average Plus." PCGS graded Noyes finest known example MS-66. Here are the Heritage photos and a link to the sale. This coin is not an MS-69, but it's still "a monster."
Heritage Link 1793 S-4, MS-66
The roll of 69s ddo comes to mind. Have not heard that one in some time.
That one can't be true given the low population numbers we see today for both Mint State and circulated examples.
What is the "legend" for this one?
I don't recall all the details. Wasn't it like a dealer in Michigan had found an original bank roll of them?
I got to thinking and maybe the biggest "Urban Legend" I can think of is " "The Coin".
The supposed MS69 1793 Chain Cent that people bring up but to my knowledge has zero basis in reality. It would be pretty interesting to know the origin of "The Coin" Urban Legend.
Thanks for the info.
These are all interesting legends/folklore and I was not aware of a lot of these. It seems that people's imaginations run wild when there is an "unexplained" rarity.
As BillJones said, the 1793 Chain nicknamed "The Coin" is real. It also is, or was, graded by PCGS. Below is a promo photo of several 1793 cents put out around the time they were graded in 1992 or 1993. They came from the Naftzger collection which was broken up then. It is the SP67BN.
This picture was posted in an interesting thread back in 2008 here:
1793 Large Cent MS69
"To Be Esteemed Be Useful" - 1792 Birch Cent --- "I personally think we developed language because of our deep need to complain." - Lily Tomlin
I recall seeing some of these he had on display at an ANA show in the early '90's.
Yes, I think Jay Parrino's The Mint handled almost all of the Naftzger 1793 to 1814 large cents.
Here is how Heritage shows part of the pedigree for one of the coins from that collection which would apply to all that Parrino had:
R.E. Naftzger, Jr. 2/23/1992; Eric Streiner; Jay Parrino (The Mint)
"To Be Esteemed Be Useful" - 1792 Birch Cent --- "I personally think we developed language because of our deep need to complain." - Lily Tomlin
My understanding of "The Coin" is that is a MS69 Chain Cent.
We have explained what the coin is, and that it exists. "MS-69" is not possible on an Amerian coin from that era. They were not struck in MS-69. That grade implies perfect execution of the design plus virtually perfect preservation.
My understanding of "The Coin" is that is a MS69 Chain Cent.
We have explained what the coin is, and that it exists. "MS-69" is not possible on an Amerian coin from that era. They were not struck in MS-69. That grade implies perfect execution of the design plus virtually perfect preservation.
Hence the Urban Legend aspect.