Have you forgotten you had a coin and almost bought a duplicate?

Bochiman

I did, just this week.
I haven't been too active in buying coins lately, but I saw one for sale that fit part of our collection. Proof IHC.

I looked at my spreadsheet and didn't see that date. Contacted the seller as I felt the price was a bit high, had a nice exchange, made an offer, and was counteroffered a little above.

I had already made, what I felt, was a very fair offer for the coin given what it was and the holder/etc it was in (I took things into account but, in reality, they didn't mean that much to me, so I did only give a nominal premium to my offer....I was giving the bulk of the offer for the coin itself, from the pics).

2 days later, I was looking something up on ebay and came across a purchase from 6 months ago (had a lot going on back then, having just lost my mother just over 2 months before the purchase, which is likely why I didn't list it...just had too much to deal with and didn't think about it.
So, I had already purchased the same year with what I consider better toning and for less $ (of course, I only have mine actually in hand and am just going by pics on the other).

So, I came close to buying a dupe. I have bought dupes in the past when I had forgotten. This time, I'm glad I didn't as I do like my current coin. I do have a couple of dupe IHC proofs... 1908 and 1896. I just can't decide which I like better...I like them ALL (when toned nicely and without a lot of distracting carbon spots).

And, as many have said in the past, this thread would be worthless without pictures, so here is a picture of my coin (PCGS Trueviewed by the previous owner):

So, anyone else care to post an "almost duped" coin they have?
How close were you?

shorecoll

I have almost and actually. Mine comes from stopping and starting collecting multiple times.

1630Boston

I have not yet done that but then my 3 'formal' collection sets contain a total of only 48 coins. They are almost complete which makes it easier to remember the coins that I still need.

Jimnight

Nope .... I haven't done that yet.

ricko

I did that once, intentionally.... I really liked the coin - and I liked the coin I had already....Since I buy coins I am attracted to, I am surprised I have not done it more frequently - either intentionally or unintentionally. I still have both coins since I do not sell any.... I may give it as a gift though to a YN in the family....Cheers, RickO

oih82w8

I am always on the lookout for an upgrade, has happened a few times.

kaz

Happened to me, 2 1844 seated dollars. I actually like them both so still have them.
the 2 ladies:

Walkerfan

I have purchased duplicates but not unknowingly.

jwitten

At one point I had over 100 1911 $2 1/2 Indians. Duplicates? Yes, a whole bunch of them! haha

BuffaloIronTail

Ask crazyhoundog that question. His Herd is the size of Montana. There gots ta be some dupes roaming around out there.

Pete

BillJones

I have never bought a duplicate on a coin, but I have done it a couple of times with a political token. Here was an interesting example.

These two pieces were issued for FDR's New Deal during the Depression. The first one has a very attractive mahogany finish

The second one, which I bought by mistake, is yellow bronze.

Actually ending up with both of them was not the worst mistake I've made.

LindeDad

No not almost have bought several over the years. Some for looks, some just because i could.

Cameonut

I did it on a dcam SMS dime.

AUandAG

I actually twice in the last three months. Ugggggh.
Sold both the extras.

bob

coinhack

I definitely have. More than once and not on purpose.

coinnut

I have "duped" many times. A few accidents but most of them on purpose. If I like the coin I don't care if I have others.

lkeigwin

Yes, I did last year...an auction screw-up. I sold it at FUN and lost some money, which was a good lesson to be more careful and one I deserved.
Lance.

MikeInFL

More than once. I now carry a list.

Overdate

I once owned 100 rolls of wheat cents but never checked to see if there were any duplicates.

au58

A few weeks ago, I sold a double row box of cents that included 18 different 1911-S cents and multiples of most other semi-key dates. Does that count?

Raybo

@MikeInFL said:
More than once. I now carry a list.

I'm with Mike in "more than once"

Bochiman

I've done that too....the auction "screw up duping".

@lkeigwin said:
Yes, I did last year...an auction screw-up. I sold it at FUN and lost some money, which was a good lesson to be more careful and one I deserved.
Lance.

Bochiman

Glad I am in good company
I used to carry a list....got tired of all my markings on it...and tired of always printing (I would leave out certain cells when printing from my XLS).
Tried to just put it on the cloud and access through my phone...usually works ok, but, when I have things happen in my life and still buy a coin and don't enter it in, then having my list doesn't help at all.

@Raybo said:

@MikeInFL said:
More than once. I now carry a list.

I'm with Mike in "more than once"

RogerB

Did that many times years ago -- and usually found that the "new" coin was not as nice as the one I already had!

DIMEMAN

I've done worse than that. Didn't realize I already had a coin until I bought and received the new "dup".

Elcontador

I know what I have, so that's not an issue for me. I do my best to buy for me, the 'right' coin the first time, so I am usually not tempted to get another one.

Bochiman

I'd much rather buy a duplicate, as an upgrade or just an addition, KNOWINGLY....than what I almost did, and have done (unknowingly purchased the dupe) as that takes funds that may have been better slotted to something else.

jmski52

I was giving PCGS a hard time when I couldn't access a TrueView for a coin I owned and had sent in for pics.

After some digging, I realized that I had upgraded to a PCGS coin that hadn't been TrueViewed.

oooops.