Please be on the lookout for PCGS 1899 French 1 Franc

coinrookie · June 4, 2009 9:24AM

It is PCGS #1528526750063023. The coin is russett with device on the obverse outlined in green. The reverse is russett with a slpash of champagne.
This and quite a few high grade raw Eddies were stolen from me. I am extremely frustrated by the local police. I solved the crime myself. It was a houseguest who was later arrested on another charge. I got a full confession on a collect call from jail from the &*#%bag. The police are dragging their feet. Comments were made by them, that the coins were only worth $2000.00 plus and not 2 million. I have been persistent.
The 1 franc was my pride and joy. It is a pop 2 coin, with Typetone owning it`s twin sister. This theft and the police dept`s attitude has pretty much ruined the joy of coin collecting for me.

Steve

ormandh · June 4, 2009 9:29AM

Sorry to hear about that. I will keep an eye out for it. o you happen to have a picture of it? It probably would help with the identity. -Dan

Stork · June 4, 2009 7:50PM

That sucks! What grade is the coin, and do you have any idea of the venue your 'houseguest' may have tried dumping it on? Unless he stole it and kept it?

Cathy

ASUtodd · June 5, 2009 12:23AM

Chances are if you talk to them in a civil tone they may work with you on this. Understand that most Officers are not coin collectors and therefore have no idea what you are talking about. People try to swindle us on the value of items everyday when it comes to reports. Take them some proof and show them what you are talking about. If the coin was REALLY worth that much then you probably should have had it insured and therefore you would have proof of the value. Also, your own investigations into crimes do not usually stand up in courts of law. Leave the detective work to those that do it on a daily basis. You wouldn't tell a doctor how to remove your gall bladder, would you?

SYRACUSIAN · June 5, 2009 1:42AM

Sorry to hear about it. The part with the house guest and the stolen coin is deja vu for me, without the arrest. I ended up getting my coin back, but I've decided that it carried bad karma and sold it. Good luck with yours.

mrpotatoheadd · June 5, 2009 3:41AM

<< Leave the detective work to those that do it on a daily basis. You wouldn't tell a doctor how to remove your gall bladder, would you? >>

Depending on where you live, that might mean nothing would get done. When my house was broken into, the police told me if any of the stuff I listed as stolen turned up, they'd get it back to me. They also told me they wouldn't be doing any detective work to find it because it wasn't enough for them to worry about, even though the loss was equal to half a years pay for me.

I guess it's a matter of priorities- looking for thieves would mean that they'd have to take somebody off the radar gun detail, and writing speeding tickets brings in a lot more money than catching crooks does.

But then again, maybe the police are different where you live.

coinrookie · June 5, 2009 7:55AM

I spoke to the police in a very civil and respectful tone. This got me nowhere. I also tried to swear out a warrent for arrest in the begining. The magistrate told me that I needed to basically do the investigation myself and report my findings to the police and re-apply for a warrent. Well I gave them the new info on the confession which I am sure the jail records all the outgoing calls and have not had a reply from the police.
I believe they feel that is not a Brinks Armored Car robbery so they are not very interested. I will be persistent however. If they do not take any action I will file complaints and write editorials. Sometimes the sqeaky wheel does get the grease. My going by the book approach has been fruitless so far. Afterall, their moto is To Protect and Serve.

Steve

ASUtodd · June 6, 2009 12:22PM

Just to set the record straight for folks, the PD, nor the municpalities, get a kick back from the writing of tickets. That is a falsehood that folks like to bring up when "griping" about the police. The money from tickets goes to run the courts that we have to have so that those that got the ticket can come in and try to say they didn't deserve it. If everyone obeyed the traffic laws then we wouldn't need to pay for the courts.
As far as getting the police to work on your case, you guys are right, sometimes the area police aren't interested in doing the job. If you keep calling and asking around you will eventually find a detective to give you a hand. If you are in NC, or surrounding area, give me a PM and I will see if I have a contact at that PD to give you a hand. Sometimes, as sad as it is, it's not what you know but who you know. I'm sorry that your experience with Law Enforcement has tainted your opinion of all of us. Some of us work our butts off for the people we serve. Thanks
Todd

ProofArtworkonCircs · June 6, 2009 3:20PM

I was running at night, years ago, when a passing car threw an iceball at me and nailed me in the b*lls. I couln't even walk afterwards. A janitor, locking up for the night, saw it and gave me a ride home. The sole response from the local police was laughter.

ASUtodd · June 7, 2009 12:08AM

We actually charged a man with assault with a deadly weapon for throwing a snowball at a lady that caused her to be knocked out and she hit her head on the curb as she fell. Plead guilty to it also.....

ormandh · June 7, 2009 1:14AM

<< I was running at night, years ago, when a passing car threw an iceball at me and nailed me in the b*lls. I couln't even walk afterwards. A janitor, locking up for the night, saw it and gave me a ride home. The sole response from the local police was laughter. >>

I am not making light of your incident, but isn't it always funny when someone gets hit in the nuts? No, seriously though, I would have been pretty angry. Probably some punk kids who have no girlfriends and have nothing better to do. These kinds of guys usually do something stupid and get caught later on.

Cruzi · June 7, 2009 1:37AM

A lot of people really do not understand the worth of collector coins, a couple of years ago the media here got in a tizzy about a man being sentenced to 18 months jail for stealing 50c. They ran the family expressing their outrage at such injustice, the families lawyer also expressed outrage at how 50c could lead to jail sentence, then back to the taliking head in the studio with commentary on harshness of the sentence. Then a quick comment on how it was a collector coin allegedly worth $2000 before going on about 50c again.....

Never let the truth get in the way of a good beat-up

coinrookie · June 7, 2009 4:04AM

The police are aware of the value of my coins. I showed them the original bill of sale on every one. This was even a conservative estimate. This takes into consideration that I have had these coins for 5 to 8 years. I went off of the original price and did not factor in any appreciation.

Steve

mrpotatoheadd · June 7, 2009 9:19AM

<< Just to set the record straight for folks, the PD, nor the municpalities, get a kick back from the writing of tickets. That is a falsehood that folks like to bring up when "griping" about the police. >>

Just to set the record straight, I wasn't "griping" about the police. I was stating a fact regarding my one experience when I called for their "help" (such as it turned out to be). And I didn't say anything about kickbacks- I noted that writing tickets generates more money for the government (of which the police are a part, are they not?) than catching crooks does. And in this neck of the woods, that seems (from my limited experience) to be important to the police.

I'm perfectly willing to support and applaud the police when they "protect and serve", but experience shows that the police often have a different opinion regarding what their mission is than the average individual does.

ASUtodd · June 7, 2009 9:29AM

Most people form their opinions on law enforcement based on a limited experience and not what the facts REALLY are... I will say that you said nothing about generating money for the government. Your comment was that writing tickets it brought in more money than catching crooks. To me that was griping about your local police and saying that they were getting money for tickets. That money goes to the state for courts and other items, not to the local police...

mrpotatoheadd · June 7, 2009 9:49AM

<< Most people form their opinions on law enforcement based on a limited experience and not what the facts REALLY are... >>

I'm well aware of the facts of my experience with the police- I was robbed of half a year's pay, and they didn't think it was enough money to do anything about. How do I know? They told me so.

<< Your comment was that writing tickets it brought in more money than catching crooks. To me that was griping about your local police and saying that they were getting money for tickets >>

I can't help that you assumed I meant something I didn't say.

edted to add... Before my house was burglarized, I was in the camp who believed that if something like that happened, you call the police and they'll help you. I now know that's a false assumption, and I was relating my experience to confirm to the OP that he's not the only one who's had that kind of experience.

edited once again... If the police where you live would have responded differently, good for you. You should count your blessings, because it's not like that everywhere.

ASUtodd · June 7, 2009 10:22AM

I am the police where I live....

ASUtodd · June 7, 2009 10:28AM

I'd also like to add that unless you live in a BIG city, like New York, Chicago, Houston, or the like, then I DOUBT they straight up told you they weren't going to work your case because it wasn't enough money. Most uniformed officers aren't going to work cases like this, they are passed on to detectives who work them. Most of the time you will not know what they are doing until they arrest someone or they recover your items. They simply don't just "not" work cases... If this is the case then you should be complaining to someone about it. I will say that we work harder than most folks give us credit for.

mrpotatoheadd · June 7, 2009 10:39AM

<< I DOUBT they straight up told you they weren't going to work your case because it wasn't enough money. >>

I don't have a tape recording, but when the police came to take a report (the morning after my call), the conversation went something like this:

Me: So what do you do now about finding the stuff that was taken?

Police: Nothing, really. There's not much we can do. If anything on your list shows up, we'll let you know.

<< I will say that we work harder than most folks give us credit for. >>

Well, I guess we're even there- I work harder for the money I'm taxed to pay the police than I'm given credit for, too.

edited to add- I'm not saying that the police are never any help. They might be. Or they might not- who knows? I'm just confirming the OP's comment...

"The police are dragging their feet. Comments were made by them, that the coins were only worth $2000.00 plus and not 2 million."

so that others don't continue to operate under the misconception that what's important to them will also be important to the police.

ASUtodd · June 7, 2009 10:42AM

I'll ask, was their any evidence in the crime? fingerprints? blood? footprints? Did you have any suspects? If you answered no to these then only thing that they can do is wait for your stuff to show up at a pawnshop or coin shop. They can't rub a magic lamp and make the suspect appear. If they have nothing to go then that is why they didn't investigate the case, NOT because it wasn't important as you previously stated.

ASUtodd · June 7, 2009 10:48AM

Going back to the original poster. Most of the times, depending on the jail, phone calls are recorded. Our jail, however, is only recorded when we call and ask them to do so. I would suggest that you take a trip down to your local PD and ask to speak to a Criminal Investigations Supervisor and relay the information you have found. If nothing is done, then go to the Chief. No results there then go hit the City Manager or City Council/Mayor.

Stork · June 7, 2009 10:52AM

<< Some of us work our butts off for the people we serve. >>

Which I think alot of us do appreciate! My 2 cents.

Cathy