The bad part of being a West coast dealer (or collector but not so much)
topstuf
Posts: 14,803 ✭✭✭✭✭
Is the absolute near vacuum of the type of historical relics that originated in the more early days of the US.
I....NEVER ..... had any neat colonials (or even large cents) come in the shop.
You guys on the East coast (E of the Rockies 
) get to see the older and better stuff.
Even the MORGANS that came in were from low budget ...accumulators... and it was even rare to see a real GEM Morgan. (Some did show up in rolls)
I can't even imagine someone bringing in a family heirloom that had some real history behind it.
Collectors out here are in a bit better position because they can order whatever they want when they want it. Although it's a ....bit... of an advantage to get to see some cool new purchases by a local dealer.
Hmmm....what's my point?
Oops.
Oh.... Early coins are rarer on the West coast.
There.
Comments
I once briefly considered getting a metal detector, and trying my luck in my California neighborhood.
Then I realized that my neighborhood was scraped out of a hill that used to stand there, and had probably stood there since before the dawn of the forging of metal by man.
The East Coast has all of the 200 year old houses and dirt, too! Damn you!!
Same with the Antiques Roadshow. Coolest really old stuff tends to be on the West Coast.
Oops, East Coast.
Maybe you just need to go for a walk on a ridge somewhere and keep an eye out for old paint cans.
The "slugs" I find aren't gold.
Bug-Geta seems to get rid of them though.
My shop is in PA and you are not alone in not seeing great collections.
In 10 as a full time I only purchased one collection. I have seen one or two but they were not ready to sell and haven't still haven't . The big companies with connection are getting these collections.
Look on the bright side, you have all the CC and S minted coins down the street.
EAC 6024
One of the reasons why I never really gravitated to the San Francisco, Carson City or Denver product... such contemporary stuff.
'dude
I'll agree that Colonials are tuff to find
out here, but the "S" mint coins that
pop up, (over the past many decades)
is impressive (not collections per se,
but single coins walking into coin shops
or coin shows).
The best part about being a West Coast Dealer is that we live on the West Coast.
I live on the west coast and I bought a goldbug metal detect to find gold nuggets and not a relic detector.
Some east coast collections still go to small dealers who can't spell IRS. Some of the old timey dealers in this area made their fortunes like that.
There must be some real treasures in this area then... settled in the 1600's, old buildings etc., and not a coin dealer in miles and miles.... Would love to get into some of these old house attics or basements... Got to be some good stuff stowed away. Cheers, RickO
@FadeToBlack... Right... and there are no shows... so the only place I can ask about such things are antique shops, and they are pretty tight lipped...Cheers, RickO
For us kids growing up in California, it was frustrating that we could only find the S-mint cents for our folders. Where were all the "common" plain ones?
As for interesting old coins walking in the door - Manny Acosta finding the 1795 Overton 132 comes to mind.
Pacific Northwest Numismatic Association
Ricko, in that area, you just know there are some buried stashes, but likely no one would let you search for them. There are many rumors of those in this area, but if they are found, they likely just disappear.
Still and all, I can recall only maybe 3 "special" coins just "showing up" over 25 years in the shop.
The only memorable CC entry was a roll of "BU"
1878 CC dollars.
There may not exist a more bagged up roll than this one was. WAS as I sold it as fast as possible.
I live on the West Coast and can confirm this in general.
Fan of the Oxford Comma
CCAC Representative of the General Public
2021 Young Numismatist of the Year
I am on the west coast too, and I don't see many rare coins. I remember a fellow collector showing me a Charolette gold Five he snagged out of the local shop years ago.
Maybe with the internet, scarce coins may pop up locally if there are still shops with the open sign on
Oh WAIT! That just reminded me. I got in a Moffat $5 once that a guy dug out of his yard.
Where do you think his shovel bit deeply in to the extent that it even BENT the coin?
Ouch! Square on liberty's cheek?
right
down
the
middle.
ow.
It may be even worse in the Denver area, as old SF mint coinage is not as commo in the Rockies as it iz on fhe left coast. Oldest Denver coins are about 110 years old.
In Detroit, Canadian coins were all over the place. Mostly traded at par until an angry customer rebelled.
In fly over country, we get the worst of both coasts.
``https://ebay.us/m/KxolR5
Bad part about being a west coast dealer is we need to get up super early to go fishing in the Pacific Ocean just like Today!!!
I was being facetious as Aubrey Beebee, Hewitt Judd, Byron Reed and others (as mentioned) , are just a few notables in, around, or from my hometown. I think great coins find their way to great collectors and dealers find their way to the coast ...or more importantly; have long been established there. It’s really not geographic As much as demographic.
``https://ebay.us/m/KxolR5
And don't forget about the WEST COAST settlers.