Numismatic crack, or 'my brief visit to the local coin show'

Stork

What is it about local shows???? Last time I went I bought something outside my norm and ended up buying several more pieces (Japanese bean money) over the next couple months.

It's not a big show, maybe three guys have darkside (and one of them wasn't even there this time). I thought I did my ridiculous buy getting some notes from occupied Japan. But, no. At a table tucked into the corner (and the only one where there was more than one customer...) I saw some decent looking darkside (talers/double talers in slabs, a Central America gold, South America). Naturally I did a quick 'do you have any Japanese or Albanian'. He thought he did (but turned out it was back home), and had actually sold some Albanian stuff not too long ago. Hmm, a potential follow up person .

And then it happens...I spotted a few hammered coins in slabs. Now, my youngest son once got me asking about groats in the past but never did too much to pursue that line. But, as I was looking at the ones in the case it occurred to me 'hey this stuff is pretty neat'. So I looked at it and accidentally ended up bringing home his most modest piece. Sigh.

I did not need this. Nope. No way. And, I really don't need to buy more. Nope. No hammered coins for me. Did I mention he also sells conders (another thing I don't collect even though I seem to have several...). Perhaps I will consider this a down payment on future purchases if he happens to end up having some Japanese/Albanian coins to send my way.

Out of curiosity (and the fact I can't figure out how to look this up in the ATS price guide....likely the price guide doesn't cover this), just how much should I have spent???

I think this show is a numismatic gateway drug. You walk in, walk around, buy something completely random and next thing you know you take home something you never thought to try...and then buy more.

I suppose I should liberate it from the slab, but oh well.

bronzemat

I love hammered coins. As for this, are there scratches on the coin or just the slab? It has alot of wear on the portrait. I'd say it's worth about $120 - $150, pending scratches.

You can find full portraits on ebay for less than $200.

Stork

It's a scuffy slab and really not a fancy coin. A few of the scratches are the coin, but mostly it's the slab.

Like ancients, I'm not sure how I feel about slabbing the older and circulated stuff. I spent years buying only through the internet so I do like slabs (not that they are perfect, but it is helpful). But, my experience with hammered/ancients is virtually nil so I never would have bought it without the slab.

The biggest problem was the fact I had money in my pocket (aka my checkbook). There is a local auction house that had an event yesterday--my husband and I had planned of buying something but it went over our limit. I had anticipated spending some money, but didn't...so there it was burning a hole in my pocket and I literally drove by the sign for the coin show on my way home.

Sounds like the price was right on target...which is great. Got to love a dealer who clearly has an impulsive and ignorant shopper standing in front of him (and no price guide in sight) who didn't do a rip off. Of course, I was asking about other things too...so maybe we were both making a down payment of future sales

He's out of Charlotte, NC. If anyone from the area would care to PM me then I can ask if you know him. He said he didn't hang out on forums. I was writing a check and he asked if people in the room knew me...not so much as I'm not a member of the local club yet. I was going to try and use you guys as references. He settled on my ID (DL and military), my contact information, and a handshake. Oh, and my eBay ID--gave him that too.

The show is not so big but I ALWAYS walk away with something new and different. Maybe because it's small so I take the time to look at 'other'.

bronzemat

I've had issues like that, $ burning a hole in a pocket, lol. But 9 times outta 10 I don't regret buying whatever it was I end up getting.

I mainly collect ancients but I dabble in Medieval, like my post a few threads down. I enjoy them just as much though. And I continue to buy raw, can't stand slabs.

It's still a nice coin as a whole and would like to get one of the type in time.

bidask

I like it!

Especially the crack part .

asheland

Great coin there!

laurentyvan

I've always believed in the perversity of inanimate objects.
That coin wanted to go home with you.
A wise person once said: "The goal of all inanimate objects is to resist man and ultimately to defeat him."

YQQ

I like Stork's story much better than mine.

My story stops before buying at a Coin Show in BC - Canada about 3 years ago. Dealer had a short line up. so while he chatted with others he handed me the two coins I was interested to see, a ungraded 1947 Maple leaf and 1948 Canada silver dollar. two top years. I usually search for bargain prices for these.
It did not take me very long to make up my mind. he had them priced at CAN $ 1450 for the 1948 and 285 for the 1947.
Actually a good buy if you need to fill a hole in your collection. He eventually gave me the asking eye to solicit an offer. he said it has to be reasonable. So I said: for both together I will offer you $2.50. Both are Chinese fakes!
he blushed with all colors one can see in a rainbow and looked at me and said: how do you know?
so we had a private chat while his assistant looked after other customers.
"Two reasons" I said, i am sure you do know it, as the majority of your other coins are graded and these two, normally high end coins, are not.
Plus, I told him about the very obvious markers for these Chinese fakes.
Before leaving his table I also suggested for him to stop trying to rip off the uneducated.
about 1/2 year later his business was closed.

Stork

Yikes! Glad he got shut down. I can be impulsive but I try and keep it to slabbed things or the fairly inexpensive. So far I've only had one big counterfeit buy...lesson learned on that one.

Funny, when I'm looking at raw coins on eBay one of the things I look at is how much of the seller's other items are slabbed. If 95% is slabbed then I do question if something isn't (assuming it's a thing where cost would justify). Glad you saw it, glad you called him out on it, and glad he's not selling anymore.