What is the most "important" coin you've ever almost lost?
DCW
Posts: 7,623 ✭✭✭✭✭
And by "lost" I mean gone for good!
Mine is a 1964 SMS Roosevelt Dime that I purchased off LasVegasTeddy a few years back. For those unfamiliar with these special mint set strikes bearing the date 1964 (the year before the official mint rollout of the SMS in 1965) they are incredibly rare. Perhaps a dozen or two known, they were recovered in the estate of former Mint director Eva Adams by dealer Lester Merkin and sold at auction in the early 90s. They go for thousands of dollars when they come up for auction, and they do not appear frequently.
Anyway, as previously stated I buy the SMS dime from Teddy and wait patiently for it to show up in my post office box. I get notification that it arrived, and I try and retrieve it before heading into work.
The Post Office is slammed, but I decide I'll have to be late and wait in this enormous Eastern European bread line to get my coin. Twenty minutes later I get the padded envelope and race out the door.
I put it on the seat next to me and took off towards Trenton at around 88 miles per hour, making my best effort at time travel. But, I'm not in a Delorean, I'm in a 1993 Toyota Camry with no air conditioning.
Windows down, I throw caution to the wind!
Well, that very same wind kicked up and into that car and lifted that padded envelope containing that special coin, launching it through my swatting and air grabbing hands over the seat and into the back. I turned around in terror to find the envelope pressed gingerly against the glass of the half opened window! I was like a parent who just realized his child was about to chase a soccer ball over a cliff overlooking a pack of mountain lions.
I pulled over, narrowly averting tragedy.
I then closed all windows, placed the coin in the glove compartment, and sweated my way down 195W to work and didnt even look at it until I was safe within the confines of my man cave.
Anyone want to share their story of a momentary lapse of reason?
Mine is a 1964 SMS Roosevelt Dime that I purchased off LasVegasTeddy a few years back. For those unfamiliar with these special mint set strikes bearing the date 1964 (the year before the official mint rollout of the SMS in 1965) they are incredibly rare. Perhaps a dozen or two known, they were recovered in the estate of former Mint director Eva Adams by dealer Lester Merkin and sold at auction in the early 90s. They go for thousands of dollars when they come up for auction, and they do not appear frequently.
Anyway, as previously stated I buy the SMS dime from Teddy and wait patiently for it to show up in my post office box. I get notification that it arrived, and I try and retrieve it before heading into work.
The Post Office is slammed, but I decide I'll have to be late and wait in this enormous Eastern European bread line to get my coin. Twenty minutes later I get the padded envelope and race out the door.
I put it on the seat next to me and took off towards Trenton at around 88 miles per hour, making my best effort at time travel. But, I'm not in a Delorean, I'm in a 1993 Toyota Camry with no air conditioning.
Windows down, I throw caution to the wind!
Well, that very same wind kicked up and into that car and lifted that padded envelope containing that special coin, launching it through my swatting and air grabbing hands over the seat and into the back. I turned around in terror to find the envelope pressed gingerly against the glass of the half opened window! I was like a parent who just realized his child was about to chase a soccer ball over a cliff overlooking a pack of mountain lions.
I pulled over, narrowly averting tragedy.
I then closed all windows, placed the coin in the glove compartment, and sweated my way down 195W to work and didnt even look at it until I was safe within the confines of my man cave.
Anyone want to share their story of a momentary lapse of reason?
Dead Cat Waltz Exonumia
"Coin collecting for outcasts..."
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I sold all my gold and silver when silver hit $45, and thought these were part of that sale, so I wasn't missing them.
DNADave, do you have anything else with storage compartments that you want to discard?
I purchased a 1884-S Morgan through the mail when I was overseas in The Netherlands around 1991. The coin looked really nice back then and I put it and my other coins in one of the those fire resistant boxes for safe keeping. I have not seen that box in over 25 years. Hopefully it is in one of the stacks of boxes from another military move over the years. One of these days I need to have a big yard sale and clear out some of the clutter.
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(I may have told this story here before). Really love that coin. I moved from WA to NYS and had carefully packed all my coins for the move. When finally relocated, and unpacked (in general) I commenced with the coins... all went well...until I looked for my Indian. It was nowhere to be found...checked, rechecked and counter checked. Finally gave up, decided somehow it vanished during the move. Fast forward three years.... I opened a large flat box of ammunition of various calibers and voila'.... there was my coin. To this day I have no idea how it could possibly have entered that box...but sure glad it did.
Cheers, RickO
The pouch was in my desk and I'm sure the missing one is at the bottom of my safe.
Time for a Treasure Hunt, I'm sure I'll find something I forgot owning!
I 'cringe' when thinking about Fred's tale of woe.
So I'm selling the Eliasberg 1913 Liberty Head nickel for $5M. I transport it to Las Vegas where I'm meeting up with Laura and George the next morning who are taking it (with armed escort) to California to the buyer. I check into the Palms and put the coin into a safe deposit box. The next morning, I meet LS and GH in the deposit room and hand the guy my box key. I'm chatting with them not paying too much attention and take the box he hands to me and open it: EMPTY! My face goes white and my first thought is "OMG, they stole it!". I show the box to the Legend team and race through the alternatives.
I turn to the attendant and notice another box on his desk. I quickly say "hey - are you sure you gave me the right box" and hand him the empty box. He looks at the number, looks at the other box, laughs and says "sorry" as he hands me the other box. Yup, the right one with the nickel safe and sound inside.
I honestly about died that day from heart failure...
Wow!
"If I say something in the woods and my wife isn't there to hear it.....am I still wrong?"
My Washington Quarter Registry set...in progress
Found it in my desk, 1909 D Half Eagle, AU +.
Figured logically that was the best place to start, rather than empty out a very large gun safe.
(Ricko, could have had a little gun show, though!)
As stated, I was looking through some common raw gold, KNEW I had the Half Eagle, even checked my records to be sure I purchased one.
I started collecting coins when I was around 8 years old (1977-1978-ish). I had a few wheat cents and buffalo nickels, and a redbook. I was intrigued by the 1972 doubled die Lincoln cent, and began looking for one in change. I eventually found what I thought was one, and the guys at Alamo Heights Coins (I lived in San Antonio at the time) agreed. One of them suggested I send it to ANACS for authentication. I did, and it came back with a photo certificate stating it was an authentic die 3.
I still have the coin. What I can't find is the photo cert. It has been missing for at least the last 15 years. I've looked for it many times but have been unable to find it. I'd really like to locate it, as that coin was what really got me serious about coin collecting. Another reason is that I now work for ANACS, and I think it would be really cool to have the photo cert and coin together in one of the Capitol Plastics holders they make for displaying them. I'm 100% sure I didn't throw it away- I'm betting it's filed somewhere and is in a box in a closet. Now that I'm thinking about it, maybe I'll look for it again this weekend.
Fred Weinberg has the best (worst) story!!! Maybe he will chime in.
Fred's tragic story is not about an "almost lost" coin, sadly. Would that it were...
Lance.
I honestly about died that day from heart failure...
I can only imagine what that would feel like.
It's a good thing the guy didn't know he had $5m sitting on his desk.
I keep really good records with a database of every coin I own. Where I bought it, what it cost, grade, variety, etc., etc., whatever. Doesn't matter how "important" the coin is, or how much it cost.
Now, I only do "inventory" about every 5 years or so. Fun rainy Sunday activity.
But every time I do it, I come across a coin I JUST DON'T REMEMBER HAVING!! Sure, it's in the database. I must have bought it. But my feeble mind doesn't remember it!
Unfortunately....they are always cheap pieces of crap.
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Empty Nest Collection
Fred Weinberg has the best (worst) story!!! Maybe he will chime in.
Fred's tragic story is not about an "almost lost" coin, sadly. Would that it were...
Lance.
Can someone please tell the story?