So, I get a call today from some lady with a two headed quarter.

Russ · May 15, 2007 9:44AM

Her: How much is a 1994 quarter with two heads worth.
Me: No such thing.
Her: I have one in my hand!
Me: It's a magician's token, not a mint error.
Her: I took it to a friend who collects coins, and he said it's real!
Me: I'm sorry, but your friend doesn't know what he's talking about.
Her: Well, since you don't want it I'll just call somebody else! Click.

Russ, NCNE

LucyBop · May 15, 2007 9:46AM

See if I ever call you again.....

ColonialCoinUnion · May 15, 2007 9:46AM

She called me next, sent me a scan, I sent it to well known error dealer, authenticated it, and flipped it for a quick $61,325.

TorinoCobra71 · May 15, 2007 9:47AM

Thanks Russ. As always your comedy relief has worked once again!

TorinoCobra71

UtahCoin · May 15, 2007 9:49AM

Did you really say, "Your friend doesn't know what he's talking about"?

StrikeOutXXX · May 15, 2007 9:50AM

Just out of curiosity, what are the dates and denominations on the two known legit two-headed coins found in the safe deposit box of the mint employee in California???

Russ · May 15, 2007 9:50AM

Actually, it was a welcome break from the usual "How much are silver pennies worth" or "I have a <insert year> dollar with an error, it has a v instead of a u in trust".

Russ, NCNE

Russ · May 15, 2007 9:51AM

<< Did you really say, "Your friend doesn't know what he's talking about"? >>

Of course.

Russ, NCNE

Aegis3 · May 15, 2007 9:55AM

<< Just out of curiosity, what are the dates and denominations on the two known legit two-headed coins found in the safe deposit box of the mint employee in California??? >>

Those were two-tailed technically.

coindeuce · May 15, 2007 9:55AM

You should have told her it can't be a quarter since with two obverses it doesn't show a denomination

Petescorner · May 15, 2007 9:59AM

<< Actually, it was a welcome break from the usual "How much are silver pennies worth" or "I have a <insert year> dollar with an error, it has a v instead of a u in trust".

Russ, NCNE >>

How about buffalo nickels that are so rare, the dates were left off of them?

UtahCoin · May 15, 2007 10:00AM

<< 

<< Did you really say, "Your friend doesn't know what he's talking about"? >>

Of course.

Russ, NCNE >>

When you said that, you got her mad at you. When I get these same kind of calls (with the same expert friends advice), I politely tell how well made these magicians coins are and that it REALLY is a manufactured coin. After all, for all you know this lady could have her late husbands complete Morgan set and might need to sell it. Also I invite them to drop in and we'll look at the coin and show them the seam. Gets them in the shop and at times they even buy things.

Just a thought....

Russ · May 15, 2007 10:09AM

<< << Did you really say, "Your friend doesn't know what he's talking about"? >>

Of course.

Russ, NCNE >>

When you said that, you got her mad at you. >>

She started yelling as soon as I told her there was no such thing. Besides, I wanted to leave her with no doubt that she wasn't going to be getting rich off the coin.

Russ, NCNE

fastrudy · May 15, 2007 10:16AM

Russ,
geez! you are so sweet sometimes, it kinda makes me cry! Hope I die before I get old and call you!

StrikeOutXXX · May 15, 2007 10:18AM

<< 

<< Just out of curiosity, what are the dates and denominations on the two known legit two-headed coins found in the safe deposit box of the mint employee in California??? >>

Those were two-tailed technically. >>

OK, pretty much leaves out dates, what were they though?

Russ · May 15, 2007 10:22AM

<< Russ,
geez! you are so sweet sometimes, it kinda makes me cry! Hope I die before I get old and call you! >>

Actually, I'm usually very patient and take time to provide a little education to the non-collector types who call. But, not when they start yelling at me right out of the gate like I'm trying to rip them off. Oh, and she wasn't old.

Russ, NCNE

notwilight · May 15, 2007 10:25AM

I made about a dozen of those ont the lathe and gave them away a couple of years ago. Some of them had two different years on them. They're really valuable. Then I realized I was losing 25c on every one of them....

ricko · May 15, 2007 10:45AM

Dang Russ... I got cramps from laughing so hard... I have got to get a listed number and a yellow page ad... just for the phone calls you guys get.. Cheers, RickO

GoldenEyeNumismatics · May 15, 2007 10:47AM

I get a lot of people who ask me how much an 18XX large cent is worth. When I say "it depends of it's condition, but probably around $10" they always exclaim "Only $10!! I saw one on the internet sell for <insert 5-figure dollar amount here>"

UtahCoin · May 15, 2007 10:59AM

I had a guy bring in a 19xx Barber Dime in Good condition and set it down and ask me what is was worth once. I told him about a buck or so (what ever it was at the time). He makes a load grunt and pulls out a printout from an eBay auction showing the same date in a PCGS MS67 for some odd thousands of dollars. No amount of talking could convince him that his coin was NOT worth the same as the MS67. After all, it's the same date....

Russ · May 15, 2007 11:04AM

Yeah, I get a lot of "but I saw one for $xxx" responses. A good method is to ask them if they watch Antiques Road Show. Most people have. Then you remind them of how many times on the show the appraiser will emphasize condition as part of the value.

Russ, NCNE

Russ · May 15, 2007 11:06AM

Or another thing you can do, if it's a face to face, is pull out a Greysheet and show them the difference in value between a heavily circulated 1884-S Morgan and an uncirculated example.

Russ, NCNE

RotatedRainbows · May 15, 2007 11:16AM

You should have told her 50¢ since it is two quarters merged together.

nankraut · May 15, 2007 11:52AM

Russ: I have some "old" quarters that have a head on one side and a tail on the other. Am I rich???

skeeterhawk · May 15, 2007 11:49PM

<< 

<< 

<< Did you really say, "Your friend doesn't know what he's talking about"? >>

Of course.

Russ, NCNE >>

When you said that, you got her mad at you. When I get these same kind of calls (with the same expert friends advice), I politely tell how well made these magicians coins are and that it REALLY is a manufactured coin. After all, for all you know this lady could have her late husbands complete Morgan set and might need to sell it. Also I invite them to drop in and we'll look at the coin and show them the seam. Gets them in the shop and at times they even buy things.

Just a thought.... >>

I have had calls like this as well and my usual response is to tell the caller to sell it to the "friend" and be sure to get cash...before he changes his mind. Seems like most calls always have an expert "friend" who is obviously more educated then I am about coins. After all, I am fairly new to this market as I have only been collecting/dealing in coins since 1968!!!!!!!!

BlindedByEgo · May 15, 2007 11:54PM

Down here, the yellers are usually meth addicts.

FredWeinberg · May 16, 2007 12:07AM

WELCOME TO MY WORLD

PhillyJoe · May 16, 2007 12:42AM

"Heads I win, tails you lose."

Joe

slipgate · May 16, 2007 12:52AM

The funniest people are those that equate age directly with value.

Veep · May 16, 2007 1:05AM

A guy called last week to check on his two rare silver dollars: 1878 and 1923. He said that he saw on the internet that the 1923 was worth $25,000! After letting him down easy, a lady called a couple of hours later about an 1856 dollar and a 1928. That piqued my interest. Upon questioning her further, it turns out that it was her son who had called earlier. She had gotten the dates wrong. She had planned to sell the coins to pay college bills! She still didn't believe me until she drove 30 minutes round trip to have me look at them live.

jmski52 · May 16, 2007 5:42AM

Russ, you should have flipped her for it.

Pentimento · May 16, 2007 5:50AM

<< A guy called last week to check on his two rare silver dollars: 1878 and 1923. He said that he saw on the internet that the 1923 was worth $25,000! After letting him down easy, a lady called a couple of hours later about an 1856 dollar and a 1928. That piqued my interest. Upon questioning her further, it turns out that it was her son who had called earlier. She had gotten the dates wrong. She had planned to sell the coins to pay college bills! She still didn't believe me until she drove 30 minutes round trip to have me look at them live. >>

That's really funny.

Bochiman · May 16, 2007 4:29PM

<< Her: How much is a 1994 quarter with two heads worth.
Me: No such thing.
Her: I have one in my hand!
Me: It's a magician's token, not a mint error.
Her: I took it to a friend who collects coins, and he said it's real!
Me: I'm sorry, but your friend doesn't know what he's talking about.
Her: Well, since you don't want it I'll just call somebody else! Click.

Russ, NCNE >>

Did ya give her Marty's number and tell her he would likely be interested?

gamr0n · May 16, 2007 4:47PM

Do you run ads in the paper as a consigner or an appraiser?

lordmarcovan · May 16, 2007 7:10PM

Well, I feel sad for you, having to deal with such poor pickin's.

I had the privilege of examining no less than eight identical 1800 Draped Bust dollars from a local estate the other day.

The owner bought them from a street vendor in Thailand. I guess I need to get myself some airline tickets and explore the streets of Bangkok. Who knows what numismatic delicacies will turn up?

RegistryCoin · May 16, 2007 7:20PM

<< I have some "old" quarters that have a head on one side and a tail on the other. Am I rich??? >>

Well that depends on which side the head is on. On some mint products, the head was mistakingly placed on the wrong side. If you have one of the coins where the head and tail were reversed, and placed on the wrong side, then you may have a very rare piece.

lonelyp · May 16, 2007 7:21PM

<< How about buffalo nickels that are so rare, the dates were left off of them? >>

Those arent so rare, I have a pile of them

Don't tell anyone, but most don't say which mint screwed them up either.

lordmarcovan · May 16, 2007 8:01PM

What about 'dem silver pennies from 1943?

I heard Paul Harvey say on the radio that they were worth millions. I have four of 'em right here. I'll let you have 'em for $500,000 apiece.

numisma · May 16, 2007 10:18PM

Had that same call many, many times. You will never get them to believe you until you say, "I sell them. How many do you want for $1 each?" That's when the conversation usually ends.

Once had a lady call me about a rare coin she found in change. She was having a panic attack and could hardly talk. All she kept saying was that it was a half dollar that was really, really old. I finally got her to calm down and then I asked her the big question: what's the date? Her response? ................................................1979. I explained that a coin from 1979 is actually quite recent and told her that she could buy a decent coin from 50 A.D. for $5. She didn't believe me.

UtahCoin · May 16, 2007 10:43PM

A couple of years ago I had spent most the day cataloging gold dollars (1849-1889) so I had 'gold dollars" on my mind. I take a phone call from a guy who wants to know how much "gold dollars" are worth. I give him the short story about condition, date, mint mark and all that and tell him worst case $50 (or what ever is was at the time) up to hundreds or thousands of dollars. He's pretty excited and says he'll be in.

Couple hours later this guy comes in (after stopping at all the banks in town) with about 200 "gold dollars". Yep, you guessed it. Boy was he upset...

Russ · May 17, 2007 1:32AM

<< Do you run ads in the paper as a consigner or an appraiser? >>

I run an ad as a buyer in a weekly called The Little Nickel. Rarely yields anything, but it's only $7 a week. I get more action through referrals.

Russ, NCNE

oxy8890 · May 17, 2007 1:39AM

<< Down here, the yellers are usually meth addicts. >>

Where Russ is they have had too much Coffee!

Writersblock · May 17, 2007 1:40AM

<< He makes a load grunt and pulls out a printout from an eBay auction showing the same date in a PCGS MS67 for some odd thousands of dollars. No amount of talking could convince him that his coin was NOT worth the same as the MS67. After all, it's the same date.... >>

I ask them "If you took a car off the showroom floor and rolled it out on the highway and a semi slammed into it would it still be worth the same amount?" They say of course not. I then point to their eBay ad and say "This one is still on the showroom floor." then I point to theirs "This ones been hit by the semi." Or if it is a nicer piece "This one hasn't been hit by a semi, but it's een driven around for 100,000 miles." Vary the milage depending on the quality of the coin. I find that car analogies like that tend to work pretty well. Especailly with men.

Shortgapbob · May 17, 2007 1:58AM

I'm not even an active coin dealer, but as an avid collector who does buy collections on occasion, I get calls from friends, friends of friends, and other acquaintances about some "ultra rarity" that someone owns or has found. People are so disappointed to hear what their wheat cents are worth in bulk, or that their indian cents are worth about a buck each.

I once had the grandfather of a friend call me, asking about three gold pieces he owned. When I asked the denomination and year of the coins, he said they were all $20 pieces from 1933!!

After a 20 minute conversation, I thought I had made myself clear in explaining that they were the cheap reproductions one can buy online or through a magazine. However, a few days later, I receive these coins via highly insured, certified mail. The package contained a note, asking for my careful examination of these rarities. The note also said that he hoped I would offer him a fair price for them. Needless to say, along with a long note, some advertising clippings, and some online information, he received the coins back through the mail.

These are some funny stories, and I have enjoyed reading them!

lordmarcovan · May 17, 2007 2:03AM

Anytime the "dummies in coinshops" theme comes back around, I usually find an excuse to repost one of my favorite yarns.

Here 'tis, yet again (forgive me if you've seen it 1000 times already). Thanks, Carl, for printing it on your site.

Poetic Justice: The Scammer Who Scammed Himself

percyb · May 17, 2007 2:09AM

I am "the friend."

BigE2 · May 17, 2007 11:42AM

I ssem to get offered a lot of those gold and platinum state quarter sets from the shopping shows.

MORGANHUNTER2 · May 17, 2007 12:01PM

Yesterday I'm sitting in a classroom at work attempting to be a proactive participant in out leadership learning module- we have a 2 minute discussion on what we do in life outside of our jobs.
I of course state that i collect coins - old coins to be exact and of course I tell them and pull out my pocket piece- my lucky 1878 8tf I'm trying to wear off some of the 'cleaned' look to it). I actually pass it around asking that they hold it by the edge.
one of the young ladies looks at it and then states, as I'm talking - that she has a 'silver' penny that looks really really nice- as good as my dollar!! I did not know if I was being challenged on my expertise- but I told her that there really is no such thing as a silver penny- she then proceeds to say her father has 3 of them all 1943 !!! So with that another class member looks at her and then at me- and sez as politely as he can-

She is a blonde you know.

just picture 23 people laughing so hard that the class had to take a smoke break.

jmski52 · May 17, 2007 12:14PM

Morgan, that's really pretty funny!

RareBronzeCollector · May 17, 2007 12:14PM

<< Anytime the "dummies in coinshops" theme comes back around, I usually find an excuse to repost one of my favorite yarns.

Here 'tis, yet again (forgive me if you've seen it 1000 times already). Thanks, Carl, for printing it on your site.

Poetic Justice: The Scammer Who Scammed Himself >>

Great Story........

AZCoinDevil · May 17, 2007 12:28PM

<< See if I ever call you again..... >>

ROFLMAO!!!

So, I get a call today from some lady with a two headed quarter.

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