Canada - New Zealand Mule story as promised in another post within this forum
YQQ
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Canada New Zealand Mule Story
It is all about the timing! 
As promised in an other previous post, here is the story of the NZ Mule I once owned .
One snowy very early Tuesday morning I woke up around 03:30 and was unable to fall asleep again. So I got up, made coffee and started to check out some European coin dealer websites online, looking for some interesting coins.
I found a small dealer who had a 1948 Silver Dollar for sale. Being aware of fake 48s I wanted to chat with the seller.
So I called him to see if he would entertain an offer for it.
He was pleasantly surprised getting a call from the West Coast and agreed to negotiate with me about price.
But, he said, perhaps you are also interested in my other 2 Canadian very interesting dollars. Yes, of course I was interested and he proceeded to get them from his safe. He told me that he does not speak or understand any English. He said that one of the Dollars is inside this “American” plastic box. So he started to spell what it says on it. It appeared to be a PCGS graded MS 64 1966 Canada Silver dollar. By the time he spelled the word “small” I really had a difficult time to control myself because it could only be a Small bead Dollar, which is a true rarity.
Now my mind was racing…first a 1948 Dollar, very rare, and then a 66 small bead even scarcer…. what could the other be?
So he told me he does not really understand why a 1985 Canada Nickel Dollar has a Canoe and the word CANADA on the reverse side and has New Zealand on the obverse side next to the Queen.
Needless to say my mind went crazy… Is it possible that a small dealer in a very small town overseas has 3 extremely rare Canadian coins all in one place? Chinese Forgeries ??.. went through my mind.
I asked him for the numbers on 1966 PCGS Dollar. It checked out perfectly. So i was ok with it.
Our Conversation went on and he confirmed he wanted to sell all 3 as there is no interest amongst his clients.
I needed to relax, catch my racing heart and think about this. Did he know what he had, or was he not aware of it.??
I told him I would send him a non negotiable offer via email and then follow up with a phone call within 10 minutes.
After some soul searching about the ifs and the buts my mothers words came to mind: "You have to like the guy you see in the mirror every day when you shave" . ****
I made him an email offer, non negotiable.
The terms were:
He sells me the coin for the amount in the offer.
I will pay him over night from a bank account in Europe.( European banks work fast. and for a small fee, extra fast)
When he has the money, he will express – ship the coins to my friends home in Bavaria. My friend, a Airline Pilot had a scheduled flight to Vancouver this coming Friday and he was going to bring the coins for me.
So I did send the offer and called back. When he got my call he was busy with a client. He asked me to hang on as the client was just leaving. He had not opened my email yet but would do so right now with me on the phone.
Has it ever happened to you when you called and surprised someone with something? There is this silence on the phone and you can hear the other person “breath and swallow”. His words: are you sure?
Yes I said, I am always fair and told him again my conditions. He agreed, sent me a confirming email and we had a deal.
Everything went like clock work. Payment was made over night, seller shipped the coins and my friend received them on Thursday AM and brought them to Vancouver on Friday.
After ICCS certification I eventually eventually sold the NZ Mule to a high end collector in British Columbia. Also traded the 1948 dollar for another coin, as I had a better 48 in my collection.
That is the story of the New Zealand Mule I owned. I believe it is one of only 17 or so known.
Comments
Wow, quite a story. And good on you for not taking advantage of the dealer. Most people would let the dealer come up with a less educated price for the lot and claim it as a big score.
8 Reales Madness Collection
Great story!
So the Royal Canadian Mint struck coins for New Zealand? I never knew that.