The biggest shocker at a coin show
Onedollarnohollar
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What, in your experience, was the biggest shocker at a coin show. What I mean by "shocker" is something shown/found/discovered that was totally unexpected, out of left field, and was
the talk of the show, the story of the year, or became a numismatic legend.
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<< <i>Rediscovery of 1913 nickel at Balt ANA >>
Please elaborate for your audience here. Thank you.
Whaddya do?
<< <i>
<< <i>Rediscovery of 1913 nickel at Balt ANA >>
Please elaborate for your audience here. Thank you. >>
linky
Not a shocker, but definitely the talk of the year from a show.
<< <i>Rediscovery of 1913 nickel at Balt ANA >>
This is it for me. I drove down to Baltimore to go to this show and was lucky enough to see the 5 nickels for about 5 minutes with no one else in line behind me. Kinda had them all to myself for a little while.
My icon IS my coin. It is a gem 1949 FBL Franklin.
<< <i>I don't have any stories like that, but I was shocked at the summer ANA to be offered a coin I had only sold a few months before. I bought it at auction, tried unsuccessfully to get it to cross at PCGS, got a "questionable color" tag with the "did not cross" designation, and I sold it for a slight loss. When it was offered to me again, it was in PCGS plastic, at a higher grade, with a CAC sticker, and the asking price was 5 times what I had sold it for.
Whaddya do? >>
Uggh!
<< <i>I don't have any stories like that, but I was shocked at the summer ANA to be offered a coin I had only sold a few months before. I bought it at auction, tried unsuccessfully to get it to cross at PCGS, got a "questionable color" tag with the "did not cross" designation, and I sold it for a slight loss. When it was offered to me again, it was in PCGS plastic, at a higher grade, with a CAC sticker, and the asking price was 5 times what I had sold it for.
Whaddya do? >>
ANA LM
USAF Retired — 34 years of active military service! 🇺🇸
<< <i>
<< <i>Rediscovery of 1913 nickel at Balt ANA >>
This is it for me. I drove down to Baltimore to go to this show and was lucky enough to see the 5 nickels for about 5 minutes with no one else in line behind me. Kinda had them all to myself for a little while. >>
For me too. I flew to Baltimore just to see the 4 1913's. What a shock when all 5 were there when I walked into the show. The display was my first stop.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
<< <i>Anyone ever see a fist fight at a coin show or someone being arrested?
Oh yeah, at a local show. Dealer (a little guy) literally dove over his table at some big dude. I don't know what it was about, I was across the room, but I think the little guy would have ripped the other guy apart if a couple guys didn't hold him back.
My icon IS my coin. It is a gem 1949 FBL Franklin.
Not anyone arrested but I did see a fist fight right in one of the aisles at the Westchester County Show about ten years ago - security did nothing about it and that's the big reason I've never gone back to that show.
Member ANA, SPMC, SCNA, FUN, CONECA
<< <i>As a regular at the Baltimore show told me, if you hear the report of a firearm, get on the floor immediately; she said there is a lot of "hardware" on that bourse floor. >>
As is the case at many coin shows.
The big surprise was that the coin he was trying steal was a Proof Ike dollar that was worth less than $10. My personal assessment of the guy, given the expression on his face, was that his elevator couldn't quite make to the top, but that was only a causal observation.
unexpected, out of left field, and was the talk of the show, the story of the year, or became a numismatic legend". I thought we got off to a good start (thank you ms. morrisine et al) but
somehow got sidetracked with violent actions at a show??? (thanks Perry Hall..haha...I forgive you
Please regale us with your best "numismatic" stories, legends, and historical occurrences. Did an unknown (to the collecting/collector world) person walk into a showroom with something
special for instance? These are the things that I'm after. Were you that unknown person?
<< <i>I don't have any stories like that, but I was shocked at the summer ANA to be offered a coin I had only sold a few months before. I bought it at auction, tried unsuccessfully to get it to cross at PCGS, got a "questionable color" tag with the "did not cross" designation, and I sold it for a slight loss. When it was offered to me again, it was in PCGS plastic, at a higher grade, with a CAC sticker, and the asking price was 5 times what I had sold it for.
Whaddya do? >>
Winner!
<< <i>The Anaconda Peace Dollar. >>
Go on.....we're listening....what about it?
Last appearance of it at auction was in 2008, when Heritage sold it for $603,750.
"Everything is on its way to somewhere. Everything." - George Malley, Phenomenon
http://www.american-legacy-coins.com
<< <i>Anyone ever see a fist fight at a coin show or someone being arrested?
Not anyone arrested but I did see a fist fight right in one of the aisles at the Westchester County Show about ten years ago - security did nothing about it and that's the big reason I've never gone back to that show. >>
I went to two shows back to back and arrests took place at both of them!!! At each occurrence, someone swiped some gold when a dealers back was turned. The culprit was apprehended at both shows!
<< <i><< Anyone ever see a fist fight at a coin show or someone being arrested?
Not anyone arrested but I did see a fist fight right in one of the aisles at the Westchester County Show about ten years ago - security did nothing about it and that's the big reason I've never gone back to that show. >>
I went to two shows back to back and arrests took place at both of them!!! At each occurrence, someone swiped some gold when a dealers back was turned. The culprit was apprehended at both shows! >>
This will be my last attempt at directing the conversation. I thought this would be a great thread to discuss numismatic history. We'll see how it goes
<< <i>Anyone ever see a fist fight at a coin show or someone being arrested?
yes, a fist fight and the dealer lost $20,000 in coins. they never found the culprits either. . just saying
The woman showed it to people at the show and was directed to someone who recommended that it be graded by a TPG (it was eventually graded by NGC). The woman ended up coming back to a later show that year (the 2005 SF ANA?) and met the same person again. The coin was submitted at the show for onsite grading. I believe it cam back with an MS grade. It later was sold at an auction for over $200K.
The appearance of the coin created quite a bit of "buzz" at both shows and in the hobby as it is one that had a very low surviing population (maybe even single digits).
<< <i>
<< <i>Anyone ever see a fist fight at a coin show or someone being arrested?
yes, a fist fight and the dealer lost $20,000 in coins. they never found the culprits either. . just saying >>
Was this on the bourse floor or did they attack the dealer outside the show?
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
<< <i>I paid for dinner. .
After how many drinks?
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
<< <i>
I recall that about 8 years ago at a coin show in the SF Bay Area (Santa Clara?) a woman showed up at the show with a coin that had been passed down through her family for multiple generations. It was (I think) an 1854 S half eagle. It had been acquired by an ancestor in the SF area in the 1850's or so, had been set aside and protected. The family that owned the coin is of Chinese background. It passed from one generation to the next until the woman (and her adult children if I recall) decided to see what it might be worth.
The woman showed it to people at the show and was directed to someone who recommended that it be graded by a TPG (it was eventually graded by NGC). The woman ended up coming back to a later show that year (the 2005 SF ANA?) and met the same person again. The coin was submitted at the show for onsite grading. I believe it cam back with an MS grade. It later was sold at an auction for over $200K.
The appearance of the coin created quite a bit of "buzz" at both shows and in the hobby as it is one that had a very low surviing population (maybe even single digits).
I recall that about 8 years ago at a coin show in the SF Bay Area (Santa Clara?) a woman showed up at the show with a coin that had been passed down through her family for multiple generations. It was (I think) an 1854 S half eagle. It had been acquired by an ancestor in the SF area in the 1850's or so, had been set aside and protected. The family that owned the coin is of Chinese background. It passed from one generation to the next until the woman (and her adult children if I recall) decided to see what it might be worth.
The woman showed it to people at the show and was directed to someone who recommended that it be graded by a TPG (it was eventually graded by NGC). The woman ended up coming back to a later show that year (the 2005 SF ANA?) and met the same person again. The coin was submitted at the show for onsite grading. I believe it cam back with an MS grade. It later was sold at an auction for over $200K.
The appearance of the coin created quite a bit of "buzz" at both shows and in the hobby as it is one that had a very low surviing population (maybe even single digits).
>>
Thank you for a great story Sanction! This is the "shock and surprise" type of story I'm after. Completely out of the blue discoveries!
The gold coin was a 1879-O double eagle, one of the great rarities in the series. I'm not a scholar of double eagles, didn't recognize the rarity at first, and I couldn't believe it when I checked the sheet - so I was sure I had the wrong date/mint. Took another look at the coin - yeah, that was right. I said it looked like this could be a valuable coin. He said he had looked in the Redbook but wasn't sure how to use it so he was sure he was reading it wrong. Asked if he would mind if another dealer looked at it, he was OK with that. After a few minutes of examination and consultation, he was offered $30,000 which freaked him out. He stammered a bit, said "Have to think about that", and put the coins back in the rag and left the show.
New collectors, please educate yourself before spending money on coins; there are people who believe that using numismatic knowledge to rip the naïve is what this hobby is all about.
<< <i>1879-O double eagle, one of the great rarities in the series >>
bring today?
Seeing John Albanese walking the bourse.
Watching Heritage buy a dealers inventory (minus the Stella)
PCGS Registries
Box of 20
SeaEagleCoins: 11/14/54-4/5/12. Miss you Larry!
<< <i>Since the OP didn't you had to have been there, the number one shocker was the 1962 ANA when David Spink unveiled the existence of the King of Siam Proof set. Presses had to stop, books rewritten, and the entire history of the 1804 dollar needed to be reexamined.
Wow!
PCGS Registries
Box of 20
SeaEagleCoins: 11/14/54-4/5/12. Miss you Larry!
<< <i>
<< <i>
<< <i>Anyone ever see a fist fight at a coin show or someone being arrested?
yes, a fist fight and the dealer lost $20,000 in coins. they never found the culprits either. . just saying >>
Was this on the bourse floor or did they attack the dealer outside the show? >>
the dealer was leaving and 2 staged a fight, the third grabbed the brief case. i figure it was the dealers fault for not paying attention. ( something along them lines ). it was just outside the show. best wishes
<< <i>
<< <i>
<< <i>
<< <i>Anyone ever see a fist fight at a coin show or someone being arrested?
yes, a fist fight and the dealer lost $20,000 in coins. they never found the culprits either. . just saying >>
Was this on the bourse floor or did they attack the dealer outside the show? >>
the dealer was leaving and 2 staged a fight, the third grabbed the brief case. i figure it was the dealers fault for not paying attention. ( something along them lines ). it was just outside the show. best wishes >>
Sounds like the classic diversion. Teams working a show will distract a dealer while one of them grabs something out of the dealer's case. Dealers need to keep everything locked in their case or have really good peripheral vision.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
<< <i>
Sounds like the classic diversion. Teams working a show will distract a dealer while one of them grabs something out of the dealer's case. >>
Haha ... just like you're trying to divert the purpose of this thread's conversation teaming up with others to discuss fist fights and thieves... oh well, it's an open forum.
Thank you to those who have shared some great stories. I hope to enjoy reading more about numismatic history and discovery from the greatest collecting minds in the world.
Long Beach June 2004, discovery of 1807 O-115 half dollar
Liberty: Parent of Science & Industry
<< <i>That would have been a great "rags to riches" story had he sold it. What would that
<< <i>1879-O double eagle, one of the great rarities in the series >>
bring today? >>
Glancing at the PCGS price guide (and assuming the coin would grade), it looks like around $40-45K.
New collectors, please educate yourself before spending money on coins; there are people who believe that using numismatic knowledge to rip the naïve is what this hobby is all about.
<< <i>It's probably not what you had in mind, but I was at a New York City coin show many years when ruckus broke out. A guy grabbed coin and tried to run up the stairs with it. (The show was held in the basement of Park Sheridan Hotel.) The dealer took off after him and tackled him the stairs, and then more people got involved and held him down.
The big surprise was that the coin he was trying steal was a Proof Ike dollar that was worth less than $10. >>
Geesh! I knew Ike collectors were crazy, but that's what I call passion. I'm impressed even though his actions were illegal.
I didn't recognize it until I picked it up. Someone had prompted him to do it, just to see the expression on my face.
I found out later that this person owned a roll quantity of High Relief 1907 Saints.
"Everything is on its way to somewhere. Everything." - George Malley, Phenomenon
http://www.american-legacy-coins.com
sometime in the late 80's at the Long beach show a couple of gay women
were standing and making out in the center of the entire bourse floor putting on a show.
everyone I saw looked, then went back to their coin business.
Krueger
<< <i>sometime in the late 80's at the Long beach show a couple of gay women
were standing and making out in the center of the entire bourse floor putting on a show.
everyone I saw looked, then went back to their coin business.
Krueger >>
Sounds like it could have been a planned distraction while someone lifts a coin or two from a dealer's case.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
I've decided that "Quest. Color" when you see it on your PCGS graded copper coin is to be taken with a grain of salt.I have a 1907 IHC that has been graded "PCGS Genuine-Quest. Color- UNC Details." There is nothing about the color of this coin that I find questionable.I think that some graders,good as they are, simply don't have the experience in some series.Copper is an especially tough one for some graders,myself included.Sadly,many "newer" to the hobby people stay away from collecting bright old copper coins out of fear of getting the Genuine designation from TPG.
I consider my 1907 IHC to be an unquestionable MS62 RD.It would be choice or MS63 except for one short,not deep, scratch by "OF." When I go to sell it,I want MS62 RD money for it.This coin will not be resubmitted to PCGS,at least not by me.
The measure of intelligence is the ability to change.
Albert Einstein (14 March 1879--18 April 1955)
To be honest, the quest. color thing didn't really surprise me. Crossovers only have a 40% success rate and a great many of those are no-brainers or situations where there is minimal risk to our host. Seeing that someone else had shot the moon with the plastic/sticker game was 1/2 the shock. The other 1/2 was the simply seeing her again so quickly in a different home..... sort of like seeing Jacoby Ellsbury in pinstripes. Interestingly, when it failed to cross I showed it here on the boards and got a couple of PM's about how it would never cross, how it was 100% AT, how the graders at PCGS figured out that particular doctor's scheme before NGC did, etc.
Perhaps the guy I sold it to simply tried again to cross it, but I think it's more likely it was cracked and submitted raw. It seems the graders are pretty conservative when it comes to attractive color that could go either way.
Six months later I see it's still on the website of the dealer who showed it to me at the summer ANA. I'd like to have her back, but not at that asking price (many multiples of PG value for toning premium I suppose).