What was your most embarrassing moment in numismatics?

MrEureka · February 26, 2004 12:43PM

Mine was acknowledging that I posted 3000 messages on this forum in 14 months.

Wondo · February 26, 2004 12:47PM

Sending a comb-over Frankie to the Hair Club for Men and having it bodybagged.

LucyBop · February 26, 2004 12:48PM

hmmmm....

nankraut · February 26, 2004 1:10PM

A long time ago, at a local coin club auction, I bid $3.00 for a VF 1865 Indian head penny, then discovered I had only $2.30 on me. They gave it to me anyway, and I brought the rest of the money in at our next meeting.

LucyBop · February 26, 2004 1:16PM

you big spender you!

tradedollarnut · February 26, 2004 1:16PM

I bought a Carson City strongbox off of ebay.... later found out that some guy was making them in his garage and they were a dime a dozen... so I bought a few more and we used them as flower planters in the garden.

jbsteven · February 26, 2004 1:20PM

TDN

that's rough.........

but funny

foodude · February 26, 2004 1:23PM

Ah Jason, I think you have a good story about a $1 bid

hookedoncoins · February 26, 2004 1:26PM

I definately know mine. Very similar to nonkraut's experience.

When I was at the TNA show a few years back, they had a youth auction where they supplied every YN with "$20" (fake money to bid). After stepping into the auction room, I thumbed through the auctions to see what I should bid for. I picked out two special mint sets that I wanted and figured that if I had anything left over, I could give it to my friend. I picked up the first SMS easily for $8 or so, but got into a bidding war for the second. In the heat of the auction, I bid $2 over what I had

. After winning the set, the guy came to collect my money. I felt really bad when I noticed I was short and offered to give him $2 real money, but he just took what I had, gave me a nasty look, and walked away.

Wondo · February 26, 2004 1:32PM

The day I bought a Frankie!

foodude · February 26, 2004 1:33PM

The day I bought a Frankie!
Hey, that's not so funny

LucyBop · February 26, 2004 1:34PM

<< <i>The day I bought a Frankie! >>

SLAP!

hookedoncoins · February 26, 2004 1:34PM

<< <i>The day I bought a Frankie!

>>

Better watch out for the wrath of Lucy. She'll make your Tassa slap look like nothin'

.

edit: looks like my warning didn't get there in time

.

Wondo · February 26, 2004 1:35PM

Bought three coins from a well-respected dealer. Returned all three because I did not think that they stood up. We talked and he told me that one of the coins he agreed with, but the other two were PQ for the grade. He suggested I take an ANA grading course. I must say, he was professional and quite sincere. Being a relative newbie (two years) I was a tad squeemish. The coins did not go with the rest of my collection, however. Kinda proud , too!

foodude · February 26, 2004 1:50PM

When I was a teenager in the '70's I bought what I thought were two beautiful red Indian Cents (Common dates). I paid $35 a piece. Years later I found out they were whizzed (my whizzing standars, they are really nice; even today when I show them to some experienced collectors, they are fool by them).

I still have those coins. If you ever see me set up at a show*, ask about the coins. I carry one with me to show others what not to buy (I believe educating people about the hobby is important). Now of course I can spot these a mile away, but then the learning curve was more steep.

* In fact if you are interested in learning more about AT and NT coins, when I setup, I also have a number of examples of AT (hopefully none out for sale, unless clearly marked as such) and NT coins that I show to show people what AT coins look like. While you can read a lot about books and articles about AT coins, until you see them in person it can be difficult to understand what people are talking about. Once you see actual examples the text you've read about AT will make a lot more sense.

oreville · February 26, 2004 2:25PM

Most embarrasing moment?

Went to a New York City coin dealer, long out of business back in 1969.

Wanted to buy a 1932-S quarter real bad. Found one in EF condition, gorgeous in late August 1969.

Price was too good to be true. Only problem was that the "S" accidentally fell off the coin and onto the floor as I was turning the coin over in my fingers for the 27th time.

Panicked and started looking for the tiny piece of metal that should not have been on the coin! As a 16 year old who worked at Gristedes Supermarket the entire hot summer on 48th Street and Madison Ave, this was supposed to be my big day.

Dealer accused me of damaging his 1932-S quarter and/or switching quarters on him. Can't remember now but I was very flustered and angry. Never went back, of course, and even though I left with all of my money and no coin, I began to wish for a slabbing grading and authentication system.

At least now if the "S" falls off the next 1932-S quarter, I can find it right in the slab?

Donovan · February 26, 2004 2:36PM

When I went to raise my paddle and bid on the Dexter specimen of the 1804 Dollar, the stitches holding my left hand to my arm came loose and my hand, paddle, and all, went crashing to the floor. Needless to say, I didn't win the lot.

Robgetty · February 26, 2004 3:28PM

Back when I first started to collect seriously, I purchased a
1872 G$1 in MS63. Showed my great "steal" to a group of
local collectors, and got my first explanation of what Accugrade
really stood for.

(It was actually a cleaned AU). Oh well, there
went a big chunk of my coin buying budget that year......

dorkkarl · February 26, 2004 9:57PM

i once cracked out a proof liberty nickel at a show with my trusty ol hammer. somehow, the coin shot out of the holder, bounded gleefully across the bourse floor, bouncing a couple feet up in the air so it seemed w/ each bounce. it crash landed practically clear across the room under another dealer's table. truly embarrassing, & you'd be amazed at how much racket one little coin can make.

ok ok, it's 1 more reason to own all slabs, i know in know!

K S

MadMarty · February 26, 2004 10:13PM

Jason, tell us about the 1921 Morgan you picked up in St. Louis!!! You know the lock MS67!!!

darktone · February 26, 2004 10:30PM

I do so many stupid embarrassing things that if I were to tell you about just the ones I have done in the last week or so CU would have to start a new forum about them

. mike

BigGreek · February 26, 2004 11:27PM

My first coin show I asked a penny specialist if I could see
his better condition 1933-S Lincoln Cents so I could fill the
hole in my album.

cladking · February 26, 2004 11:59PM

I post on the open forum! I know embarrassment. Embarrassment is a friend of mine...

Welcome aboard BigGreek.

barberlover · February 27, 2004 1:34AM

I'll pick out the top 4.

Lets start with the smallest to the largest BAD COIN DAY.

4. In 1974 when I was either 17 or 18 [depending on if before or after my birthday in October] I bought a beautifull 1900 o over cc silver dollar from Northwest Terrestories gold & Silver Exchange for the huge price of 30 dollars, I sold it the next year for a 5 dollar loss. Today that coin would grade at least m.s. 64, maybe as high as 65.

What would that be worth today ?

3. Lost 1000 on a half cent that wasn't as good as
it looked in the auction picturea couple years ago, not going to go into much detail here, I forgot the date on this coin and got lectured about "no such coin exists" because I forgot the date. I wish the 1000 dollar loss wasn't real either.

2. In 1978 I bought a Gold coin from James v. Smith at a local coin show, it was a type date saint for around 250 dollars, it was what I thought was the best one he had in a plastic display case of high grade saints. I sold the coin for a 50 dollar profit in 1980, [sold to buy a stereo!]. That coin in my opionion would have made m.s. 67.

If I would have held onto that coin untill 86, got it slabbed by pcgs as a 67 and sold it somewhere in the 89-90 timeframe, what would that have been worth ???

1. Ah yes, how could I forget me best [worst] of all time, my infamus 77 cc quarter. It would take to long to reveal everything that happened with that coin, allthough I did share the whole story with a few the memory is to fresh and to painfull, lets just say due to economic need I had to have money right away when I decided on either selling the coin outright or auctioning it, I chose wrong and the coin sold at auction to the benefit of the new owners for the worlds record price for the date in any grade ever at 16 thousand dollars !!!!

The long time coin collectors motto, by L. Levin; woulda, shoulda, coulda.

Les

nepbrs44 · February 27, 2004 1:36AM

Pulled out a credit card at a coin show without even thinking

mrfred · February 27, 2004 1:40AM

At the first coin show I ever attended (Central States in St. Louis in Spring 2001), I wanted to buy a trade dollar as a type coin -- I've since grown to like them and have picked up a few more. Anyway, I was real nervous. This dealer had about four or five in a tray, all raw, and all unmounted. I asked if I could pick one up and look it over (I knew to ask, at least) and he said 'yes'. I was sweating and nervous. The coin went spinning out of my hand and hit the hard cement floor. PING!

Everybody looked at me. Needless to say I bought it. Truly, though, the fall did not hurt it; it was a solid VF and one more contact with a hard surface would not have done much harm. Now, when I look at coins at shows, I try to take care to hold my hands over the table.

dorkkarl · February 27, 2004 2:40AM

would there be anything more embarrassing then when a dealer shatters the glas on his coin case?

K S

Dennis88 · February 27, 2004 2:56AM

On some reason I always buy coins wich I don't need for my sets, or maybe even don't like them. I really have to stop this....

Dennis

Elcontador · February 27, 2004 3:17AM

Six years ago I was just getting back into coin collecting after a long hiatus. I had some money to spend & went to the Long Beach Show, looking for an MS 65 Barber Dime. I looked at 20 to 30 of them, and none of them were nice.

Rather than just walk away, I bought the nicest of the not so nice Barber dimes. I still have it; a low end MS 65 Barber Dime which I wished I never bought in the first place.

I have never made that mistake again.

LovethoseIndians · February 27, 2004 3:18AM

Placing a fingerprint on a 1952 Proof Lincoln

PhillyJoe · February 27, 2004 3:24AM

"having my picture taken at Long Beach with a well-known stalker"

-IdahoGal

ANACONDA · February 27, 2004 4:14AM

A fellow shared his medical troubles on a coin message board.

I came to the thread reading about his original post about his medical problems then replied with some words of encouragement regarding the extremely high probability of a full recovery, however, posting that if he had a bad result that i know where i can find him a good lawyer (or something along those lines).

What I didn't know was that shortly after his original post, he had died. People continued the thread with nice comments about him and the fact that death is such bummer, we're all dust in the wind, blah, blah, blah.

Fortunately, a dear friend of mine called me (knowing that i'm not the quickest to reply to PMs...) and said, "Uh....Crane, the dude died, you might want to fix your post."

OK, now am I the only stupid one who has replied to this post? I guess I'll have to go back and read four pages of "only an idiot would answer that question of what was the most embarrassing moment in numismatics......"

adrian

Shamika · February 27, 2004 4:19AM

"When I went to raise my paddle and bid on the Dexter specimen of the 1804 Dollar, the stitches holding my left hand to my arm came loose and my hand, paddle, and all, went crashing to the floor."

Now that's funny!

Shamika · February 27, 2004 4:21AM

"it crash landed practically clear across the room under another dealer's table"

So... Was it damaged?

dorkkarl · February 27, 2004 4:47AM

he11 yeah! rim dings. i ate the cost on that 1.

K S

haletj · February 27, 2004 5:46AM

When I was a kid, about 9 or 10, I saved up to buy a large cent. I went to the store, carefully (so I thought) looked over the one I liked, and bought it. When I got home I realized someone changed the E in Cent to a U. I did not know what that meant of course, but first thing, I was embarrassed I bought a problem coin after looking it over for so long in the store, and now, many years later, I'm embarrassed when I remember that story and now do know what that means! My dad seems to remind me of that story a little too often.

jakebrake77 · February 27, 2004 1:19PM

I went to pay for some lots I had won at an auction in Longmont, CO a few years back. After pulling my wallet out and was in the process of counting out the money, I knocked my bottle of beer, which I had set on the table over. The beer ran into his money tray, onto the receipts and on his lap. That was ugly!

ealandg · February 27, 2004 5:07PM

When I was new I went to a local dealer and asked him if I could see that beautiful draped bust dollar (I was quite puffed up that I knew the "official" name"). He said, "I don't have a bust dollar on display. Do you mean this half?"

MadMarty · February 27, 2004 10:12PM

The first time I posted an order with an AU58 Frankie on it. Now for some reason, I can make MS64FBLs and MS65FBLs but all anyone notices is if there is an AU58 on the order!!!

roadrunner · February 28, 2004 12:12AM

1988 Cincinnati ANA show at Heritage auction lot viewing. The overhead flourescent lighting was terrible and made all the coins look fuzzy. I asked them to turn down the lights and they obliged.
Still did not matter. When I got back to my hotel room with all the lots I had purchased a few days later....at seemingly bargain prices.....I realized I was nearly a full point off between hotel room vs. auction hall. Cost me thousands in the end. My first real bath at an auction and all the coins were raw. Made money on a few of them but for the most part lost 50% on most of them.

Usually now the rooms have lower overheads and the lights are pretty much turned off. Something to be careful about.

roadrunner

foodude · February 28, 2004 1:12AM

The first time I posted an order with an AU58 Frankie on it. Now for some reason, I can make MS64FBLs and MS65FBLs but all anyone notices is if there is an AU58 on the order!!!

Marty. at least some of us notice your non-AU58s, and in particular some of your major hits. It's just more fun to talk about the AU58s

beorn · February 28, 2004 1:16AM

I bought a fractional gold piece at a pawn shop that turned out to be a fake.....got exactly what i deserved and fortunately didnt pay too much for my lesson.

Colorfulcoins · February 28, 2004 8:09AM

Admitting I've had an embarassing moment!

oreville · July 20, 2006 9:06AM

ttt

MrEureka · July 20, 2006 9:15AM

Mine was acknowledging that I posted 3000 messages on this forum in 14 months.

Ouch.

larrynj · July 20, 2006 9:17AM

superior , back when the goldbergs owned it, was serving wine at one of their auctions in la in maybe 1980, and i overindulged a bit. i wasn't too embarrassed about bidding on a couple of lots out of order, and buying a couple of nice barber quarters, but was embarrassed after asking mrs. goldberg for a date. i thought she was just an incredibly gorgeous employee.

D · July 20, 2006 9:25AM

130$ on a Morgan Dollar with a juiced photo.

Got it in hand and it was rather hideous.

-Daniel

relayer · July 20, 2006 9:35AM

Would sharting at a coin show count?

AU58WALKERS · July 20, 2006 9:39AM

<< <i>I do so many stupid embarrassing things that if I were to tell you about just the ones I have done in the last week or so CU would have to start a new forum about them

. mike >>

This I can relate to.

291fifth · July 20, 2006 9:48AM

In the early 1980's I was new to collecting Roman Imperial coins. At a fall Michigan State Numismatic Society show I purchased an early denarius of Nero from an out-of-state dealer. The next day I was back at the show and was looking through a dealer's stock when he bagan talking to another dealer. They were chuckling about a conversation they had with the dealer I purchased the Nero denarius from. He had apparently been bragging about how he had buried some new collector in a Nero denarius. I said nothing. The dealer is still active today...and hasn't seen a cent of business from me since.

coinkat · July 20, 2006 11:42AM

I am not sure there is just one...

What was your most embarrassing moment in numismatics?

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