Coin Karma - The story of a CBH Die Marriage that would not go away

pursuitofliberty · February 25, 2026 7:41PM

Anymore I tend to post my NEWP's on the Saturday Morning Coffee and Coins thread, read a little almost every day on page 1, and comment some. It's been a while (I think) since I created a thread. But, it was a good couple of days, and I feel like writing.

Hopefully you like reading because I have been told I can ramble with the best of them!

And if you have a story of an issue that came back to you ... either as a same exact coin, or another one that fit your set even more ... please share.

Happy Hunting!

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So back in the first part of 2025 I had some discussions with my friend @Davidk7 about a coin he had recently made (found and had graded). A nice 1823 O-109 in P35, and a pretty rare Die Marriage (r.5 / revised from r.6 maybe 7 or 8 years ago).

Anyway, he had been trying to sell it, but wasn't having much luck as there were two others on the market at the time (as I remember) in about the same grade.

I really like the DM as it has a lot of cool things about it. It's a remarriage, so there is the economy of the mint and it's use and reuse of dies. It is also a bit of a "crack monster", with various Obverse cracks from it's shared Obverse Die with the O-108a latest die state. Further, two of the A's on the reverse are defective (A1 and A3 have missing inside right serif's) but the other one (A2) is full and normal ... which is kind of odd in and of itself. And, in keeping with the crazy 3's from 1823, the 3 has been reworked (but of course!).

In early March last year he was about to fire sale it, but at the last minute we struck a deal and it came to live with me. I inspected it, disagreed with David that it probably would CAC (he thought not, I thought so), and put it in the SDB after a week of looking at it every other day and enjoying it for what it was.

I always figured I would probably sell it at some point, because VF35 really isn't my grade target (although generally, I love all CBH's) and they aren't inexpensive.

It traveled with me to OKC. I wanted to show it around and maybe sell it if a Club Member wanted it, and also get some opinions on what other people though about it's CAC merits.

DISCLAIMER: I hope any comments don't devolve into CAC discussions. I only mention them here because they are part of the current marketplace, and while I don't always feel it is justified, CAC stickers can have an outsized influence on price and marketability.

So, in OKC most people agreed with David (no bean for you), and very few people seemed interested, as David had experienced. Well, all except one person. I distinctly remember my friend Brad @BustDMs trying to tell a new member in the Club that they should "just buy it right now" as they wouldn't find another 35 that looked like that, maybe ever. Crazy as he can seem (and is!) I respect Brad a lot, and while I never asked him what he thought about if it would CAC, I did feel a little pride for my baby.

And she came home with me, so in my usual about once a year fashion, she got put on the glass closely again, and she made the cut to get included in the box to see JA in late October (to be shipped back when I returned from NZ).

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As I figured, she returned with a green earring on her dinner jacket and I was pleased, although still thought I would probably sell her. She stayed home for the month of December, and like before, I looked at her every other day or three.

I decided I would bring her to FUN when I made the decision to go, and then I had a thought.

I reached out to another friend before I left, as I knew he would be interested. He and I communicate via email, and while we haven't met face to face, yet ... I have some ideas of what he is collecting (more now than then actually). He has shown the coin here on the boards I think, but I'll let him chime in if he see's this. I told him to let me know before FUN, otherwise I was offering it for sale there.

I got an email back the night before I flew to see my youngest son for a late Christmas celebration (from where I went to Orlando 5 days later). This part made me chuckle (especially since the email came in at 1:31am, and we live in the same time zone);

"I keep trying to talk myself out of this coin, but I keep coming back to it again and again. I think this is my final decision and I will take the coin if you are still inclined to sell it to me."

Never ever felt that way, ever!

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When I returned I sent it to him, as agreed. But I can tell you, for sure, that the coin had grown on me a little. I almost felt guilty selling her, and was a little disappointed ... as they are pretty hard to find nice, and I might not find another I liked more.

I decided to chalk it up to that I enjoyed her while she was here, and I was a good steward. I'll likely never get all of the Die Marriages, but at least I HAD owned this one. I can say that about a couple of really tough DM's that I eventually let go.

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Fast forward to last Wednesday, when I got a group email with a coin for sale. I saw the email within a few minutes after it came in ... which I must say is a little unusual, as it is quite common for me to see these two or three hours later on days I am busy (as I was).

Tag line of email was 1823 O-109. Nothing more.

Huh?? Cool.

Open email and look. Open the attachments.

Oh sh**, it's an AU50. Images look pretty good. Nice look. New PCGS holder.

"Wanted to offer to everyone here first. Freshly graded and new to the market, has not been sent to CAC yet."

With price, which immediately seems reasonable to me.

Damnitman.

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I stop everything I'm doing. I know this email went out to about 100 other Bust Half Nuts and based on the look and the price, I probably do not have a lot of time to consider.

I look at the images on the big screen. I try to extrapolate. The price is favorable I think. I check a few references. Yes. That should be right for what I see. The coin looks like it is good. l hear the clock in my head.

I type out a quick response and send.

Thankfully I didn't wait long to hear back or I might have screamed.

But then, of course, you have to wait until you get the coin in hand!

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Yesterday the postman arrived. Well, that's not quite how it works here, but I went down to the PO shortly after lunch and picked up my package.

I got a business call before I could open it, so I was on the phone with a somewhat longwinded colleague of mine while looking at a partially open box.

Then a box with bubble wrap around a cardboard mailer.

Then a PCGS slab with a coin in terrible light and when I couldn't focus.

And then ... finally ... the call ended and I could properly take a look.

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Is there Coin Karma? Do they sometimes find us when it's our time to be the next caretaker?

Sometimes I think the Power of the Universe certainly has a say.

This time, I think what was said to me was, "You are not done with this Die Marriage yet. And just so you are paying attention, it's in a grade that fits your set."

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Here is my new 1823 O-109 in PCGS AU50.

Will she CAC? I can see it. And if not, it doesn't really matter.

She's a good coin with good character and lovely surfaces and without issues, and I suspect that she will grace this spot in my DM set for a very, very long time to come. She might not be flashy, but she's solid. When I first looked I thought, "That's the nicest EF48 on the planet" ... and for context, that felt really good to think based on my grading, the coin and the price. Is it a 50? Yes, it is.

I am very happy.

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CircCam · February 25, 2026 8:08PM

Great tale and sweet coin, Todd! She’s a crusty beauty! Congrats.

TomB · February 25, 2026 8:18PM

She's beautiful! You, on the phone with a longwinded colleague? That conversation must have lasted...errr...a while. I think she will CAC for you.

Pnies20 · February 25, 2026 8:31PM

Beautiful and crusty.

Typekat · February 26, 2026 5:50AM

Great story!
(Also an enlightening case study for psychologists who study collector behavior.)

Most importantly, what a nice original O-109 you ended up with - Congrats!

Eldorado9 · February 26, 2026 7:48AM

You tell a great coin tale Buddy....Highly entertaining. Do great coin's somehow find us?....Do we will them into our hands? Can we draw an entire collection into existence with our mind?

lermish · February 26, 2026 8:10AM

Great read and great coin!

@Eldorado9 said:
Do great coin's somehow find us?....Do we will them into our hands?

I do believe, without mysticism involved, that this occurs.

Copperindian · February 26, 2026 9:20AM

Great story Todd - a thoroughly enjoyable read! Most of all, though, a fabulous coin! CONGRATS!
Ken

pursuitofliberty · February 26, 2026 9:56AM

Thanks everyone! Pretty cool turn of events for me, really.

I forgot to give credit to the term Coin Karma.

While I am a great believer in the Power of the Universe and the way life and objects are sometimes intricately interconnected, I have never used the term before now.

Thanks Scott! @Southcounty

You are an integral part of this story ... in more ways than one!

jesbroken · February 26, 2026 10:01AM

As usual, great CBH story Todd. Beautiful addition to your set.
Jim

Southcounty · February 26, 2026 11:22AM

Todd @pursuitofliberty that was a great story and I was glad to be a part of it and a beneficiary of it. You embody the true sense of collector camaraderie and it has been a pleasure getting to know you as a person and a collector. That is saying something coming from a late night vampire like me.

These are Todd's photos of the nice 1823 O-109 that he was kind enough to offer to me as he knew it fit a particular side quest collection that I have been working on for a number of years. I think this example might be the top CAC example for an attributed 23 O-109, if I am reading the CAC census correctly, until hopefully Todd makes a new pop top.

Davidk7 · February 26, 2026 1:28PM

Nice to see the coin in good hands! I sure miss it! Thanks for the excellent read as usual Todd

pursuitofliberty · February 27, 2026 6:22PM

Thanks for chiming in and showing us the VF35 coin in the story Scott! @Southcounty

And another shout out to David @Davidk7 as because if it wasn't for some texts back and worth about the merits of that coin and what was happening with him and life in general almost exactly a year ago, I may have never had the chance to own her for a while.

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Kliao · February 27, 2026 6:48PM

Great story Todd! And a very nice crusty CBH.

Coin Karma - The story of a CBH Die Marriage that would not go away

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