The one that got away.....
craZ4coins
Posts: 81 ✭
Being new here, I suspect most topics have been covered in depth.
That said, how about a post about coins that slipped through your hands and have nagged you for years.
My most prominent was a fine-very fine 1792 half disme that Leon Hendrickson had for sale at a Long Beach show circa 1979. It sticks out in my mind because it was in a gigantic Capital white plastic holder (about 8X10 inches) that was overkill for such a tiny coin. Leon was at $3200 and I was steadfast at $3100.
Yeah, I am the idiot that walked that coin for a hundred bucks. Probably in the $50K range now.
I would be interested in hearing about your foibles.
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This one is only around 24 hours old now. I had been watching a Washington Quarter on Heritage that went to auction yesterday. It was a 1941-D PCGS MS-67 that happened to be an unattributed FS-101 Top Pop. The coin had been sitting at $240.00 going into the auction, I was prepared to go as high as $1000.00 on it hoping no else noticed it.
When the lot finally came up to the block, I entered my bid and it almost immediately shot up to $2,000.00 with buyer's premium. I didn't have the money to go that high, so I was bummed. I think the coin would be worth in the $5K - $10K range considering that a MS-65 sold on Great Collections in 2015 for $2,600.00 with juice with a MS-66 in the population. It's frustrating, because had it been February, I could have bid higher. Oh well, the ones that get away.
I just dusted off an old hard drive from the early 2000s to grab a photo and I found images of a coins I sold that has haunted me. Had to have been FUN in 2003 or 2004 and I showed a few coins to TNFC just for fun since they had some nice toners on display, and they ended up making me what was a a very strong offer for a toned MS-64 at the time($1,250) that I had recently picked up on eBay for a few hundred dollars. It was an 81-s and it was exceptional; but I figured it PCGS must have seen some light lines on the coin as hairlines when they graded it around 1986 (yep, it was a rattler). Saw it a few weeks later on eBay in a PCGS 66 holder and it quickly sold for $3,500...the "hairlines" of 1986 had been correctly diagnosed as die polish. Probably $8k-$10k today easy, and I bet it made it to a 67 holder (let me know if anyone knows where it ended up).
There are two times I hesitated and I still am kicking my self in the arse on both of them and can't even write what they were. Too painful. Bad Mark
Fellas, leave the tight pants to the ladies. If I can count the coins in your pockets you better use them to call a tailor. Stay thirsty my friends......
The biggest mistake I made was not buying a Thomas Jefferson 1801 inaugural medal that became available at a winter FUN show a few years ago. I had the money and did not follow my instincts, which is usually a mistake. I regret that mistake to this day because I will never have another opportunity to buy and example of that piece at an affordable price, or perhaps even a chance at buying one at any price.
It still gets me even four months later, I was at an estate auction that had some coins. There was not really much there to brag about. It was mostly just generic crud except for one little piece that was listed as a clipped planchet. This particular piece was an Indian cent with a full date that looked to be AU at worst. I was trying to be sneaky about what I know, so I was trying not to use my loupe too much. In hindsight I think that I should have not cared, and inspected that cent a little closer. I did know with 100% certainty that that Indian cent was not a clipped planchet like it was claimed to be by the auctioneer. It was about a 30% off center strike and it looked to be struck on another similar sized coin, maybe a foreign coin. I did have a little doubt in my mind that it was genuine, but if I had used my loupe I would have known for sure. There were initially four people budding on it when it came up on the block. Two dropped out when it hit about $25, and that left me and another lady battling it out. I dropped out at $100, and after it was over I was left with a little regret that I stopped bidding. If it was what I think it was, I know it was worth way more than $100. I did find out later that the lady that won item was thrilled to have it, so that helped a little. I am not really certain that she knew what she really had, but you never know, maybe she did. Lesson learned for me, use my loupe even if it gives away my position a little, I am not a coin ninja yet.
I have my share of regrets. There was one such incident about 14 years ago involving a certain date WLH. I have had others...
Experience the World through Numismatics...it's more than you can imagine.
I've been outbid on a lot of coins I wanted. But one thing I learned is if you don't get a coin, another one will come along.
Most recently I put a $500 snipe on a 1959 1c PR68DCAM via Gixen but for some reason I don't know, it didn't fire.
The coins sold for $120 ($925 Price Guide)
Actually, it didn't get away. You landed it then sold it to the fishmonger for a profit and now think it was the whopper.
I'm sure I'm not the only one to experience having to sell a numismatic treasure because time were tight only to regret it later when financial tides had turned. At the time it meant paying my rent for a couple months so I went for it. Taking some profit and having regrets over a sale are not mutually exclusive experiences.
You seem to have an abrasive way of interacting with the world. Weird thing to ask people to share their collecting stories and then take that as an opportunity to criticize them.
A couple of weeks ago a was having breakfast and started my iphone Barber Half search on eBay. Clicked newly listed. First coin up was a BU details 1904s Half in an ICG or some such holder for about $675.
I clicked on it and scrolled down to at least adjust my eyes on the photos and what appeared to be a lightly cleaned lustery coin and tapped to enlarge them only to see the screen go to "this item is no longer available".
I closed the window and continued with my breakfast. I never did revisit the listing to find out WTF.
Someone gets a you suck award as this should be a 5K coin.
No criticism intended young man - my comments actually constituted an apparently failed attempt at humor.
Read carefully and you will see that what I said actually tracts your post in a clever fishing analogy.
Boy oh boy, there seems to be a bunch of sensitive people on this site. Where are the crusty 'ol guys?
constituted an apparently failed attempt at humor.......................this
Actually, for me, the one that got away was not a coin... it was a hand carved, ivory chess set in Copenhagen... I was a young sailor, it was Christmas time, and I had money to buy presents for my family... I passed on the amazingly reasonably priced chess set.... and year after year I think about it and while I do not regret getting the gifts for my family, I sure would like to have had that chess set. Cheers, RickO
Coin was listed in an eBay auction back in the early 00's, an 1813 large cent, Fine-ish condition, with a big (maybe 10%) clip at K-3 and really choice surfaces. I wasn't focusing on type collecting at the time and I didn't understand just how hard it was to find a nice Classic head large cent, nevermind one with a huge error. Listed once for $99, didn't sell, and I never saw it again.
There was also the time I found two heavily damaged but genuine off center nickels, one Buffalo and one Liberty, at a flea market, I could have had both for under $100 but I passed because they were cleaned and had deep scratches. That was an opportunity that never knocked again.
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
Back in the early 70's I stopped in at a local coin shop and the owner, who knew I liked error coins, showed me what appeared to be a circulated 1965 silver dime. A customer had left it on consignment to try to sell. I had read that an Uncirculated one had recently sold for $200, so I said I would pay $100 for it. Wasn't sure it was genuine, but I thought it might be.
Next day the dealer called me to say that the owner had accepted the offer, and I could come by and get it. Stopped in the next day and the dealer said that the owner had changed his mind, come in and picked it up, and now wanted $150. I said a deal was a deal, and refused to pay the higher price (which was a heck of a lot of money back then).
Right on!
@CaptHenway What do you think it would be worth today?
Not the coin that got away, but the girl that got away!
Fortunately I got her back. :-)
regrets, I've had a few, but then again, too few to mention.
Though my story doesn't involve an individual specific coin, like the OP it has to do with 1792 half dismes. Back 25 years ago I could've afforded a lower end, straight graded example, but on a couple of opportunities decided to wait for whatever reasons. Now my income is not the same, I have different responsibilities, and the value of the half disme has gone up substantially. I will consider myself lucky if I ever own a details example in my lifetime. I should've pulled the trigger back then.
Great transactions with oih82w8, JasonGaming, Moose1913.
I have been working on my 19th Century Everyman Set for a little over a year and saw a 1875 3CN in PCGS AU58 with a BIN/Make An Offer. I made an offer, but I soon received notice that it was no longer available for sale and apparently someone paid what the seller was asking or placed a higher offer than I did. I have not been able to find another problem free example as of this day.
Moral of the story; If you want something bad enough, you gotta open your wallet a little wider at times.
BST transactions: dbldie55, jayPem, 78saen, UltraHighRelief, nibanny, liefgold, FallGuy, lkeigwin, mbogoman, Sandman70gt, keets, joeykoins, ianrussell (@GC), EagleEye, ThePennyLady, GRANDAM, Ilikecolor, Gluggo, okiedude, Voyageur, LJenkins11, fastfreddie, ms70, pursuitofliberty, ZoidMeister,Coin Finder, GotTheBug, edwardjulio, Coinnmore, Nickpatton, Namvet69,...
A few years ago I walked into my local coin shop just as they were about to close. I saw an 1868 two cent piece in a PCGS rattler graded MS-64RD. I asked how much and was told $300. I did not have that much cash on me at the time, so I asked if he would wait until I could go to my bank up the street to get the cash. He said he really needed to go and that he would hold it for me if I could come back the next day. I said I would but it would be late in the evening because I had to work. When I went back the next day a different man was there and said he had sold the coin that morning. Price guide value at that time was $1300 and $1500 now
The shop reneged. Other than becoming irate, not much you could do after they sold it out from under you.
Had been collecting from circulation for many years but the concept of actually buying a coin was new to me when my wife and I attended the Eliasberg sale.
Was timid and bought a few small things, was there mainly for the experience.
Sure wish I had been willing then to spend what I'm willing to spend now - I would have bought the Quintiple Stella which is out of reach for me now.
Reminds me of an early auction experience. I was the under bidder on a 1794 Dollar that was graded near VF. Now that coin is multiples of what it sold for in the auction. Have always wondered if I could have gotten it for a bit more or if continued bidding would have just kept jacking the price up higher for the ultimate buyer. Same experience with one of the small ingots from the insurers' auction of their share of the S.S. Central America gold by Sotheby's in 2000.
I had a gorgeous 1905 super toned proof IHC (I think it was a NGC PR 66RB, but not sure - failing memory) get away from me at the Baltimore show about 12 or so years ago. I had it out to show a dealer and he pulled out a couple of fantastic coins to show me. I didn't pay attention to the two guys who sat down on each side of me. When I stopped examining the dealer's coins with my loop the two "gentlemen" had disappeared and so had my coin.
That puts a whole 'nother spin on "got away," Pushkin.
A brick & mortar dealer I used to buy from in the 1990s had a glassy, fresh, mirrored 1890 Morgan in his case for $33. It was one of those coins with no white spots or haze that probably never saw the dip jar. He was a real conservative grader who priced things right near greysheet. It might have been an MS64 PL to him, but it's today's MS65+ DMPL. Oh yeah, I flipped it over and it was an 1890-O. Why, oh why, did I not buy it?
A couple of 2001-2002 era stories come to mind, too. I passed on an 1802 Bust half in VF offered at $800 at a local show back in 2001. It had two faint hairlines from mishandling. But come on man, Red Book was $550! Still never owned an 1802 half to date. I also passed on a 1794 in PCGS VG10 around that time at a Baltimore show because the outrageous price of $3,400 was being asked.
@Pushkin....sorry to hear that.... there are always nefarious types at coin shows... Less at gunshows, for good reasons....
Cheers, RickO
ok. i guess it is time to share this one and there unforunately have been several and a few even WAY more valuable than this one. it is tough being made of dirt sometimes...
(pretty sure i haven't shared it before)(just looking through my files for something to share and this one put a knot in my stomach upon seeing it again)
@messydesk @dcarr @ifthevamzarockin @AUandAG
I was offered a 1885 CC MS65 for 450 and I didn’t take it - wasn’t that long ago either. And it had a nice PL look ... just a horrible decision!
I went back a few days later and it was gone.
It pains me everytime I see one because it’s still a date I do not have.
Never have found a counterfeit that is so well known. Must not have been many, 'eh?
bob
Back when I had my Morgan prooflike set, I was missing only 3 dates: 1883-S (every one I looked at was more PL on one side than the other), 1893-S (doubt a "real" one exists), and 1921-S. I found a perfect 21-S in auction. It was NGC 64DMPL if I recall. I underbid and dropped out. Heard it was actually a Zerbe proof. I coulda' woulda' shoulda' gone much higher on that one. So I picked one of those at Teletrade years later in another NGC holder. But that is another story.