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A screw-up with a happy ending

BarberianBarberian Posts: 4,643 ✭✭✭✭✭
A few months ago, I spotted the coin below on EBay as a BIN for $125. The coin spoke to me with its nice even gray toning and almost mark-free surfaces; a choice VF25 or 30. A bit expensive but perfect for my mid-grade SLH collection housed in a Dansco folder.

I received the coin but just wasn't completely comfortable with it. To me, its surfaces looked a bit glossy like it may have been polished a long time ago. SO I packaged up the coin and returned it. Unfortunately, I didn't contact the seller, which I normally do. A few weeks pass, and the USPS indicated the coin was delivered and signed for, but my Paypal account showed no reimbursement issued. I contact the seller via Ebay and ask about a refund…

The seller tells me that he never received the coin. I tell him that I have a signature indicating its delivery. “What’s the address?”, the seller asked. I told him. He said, “I don’t live in Arizona! I live in New York!! You sent it to the wrong person!” OH PHOOEY (or stronger words to that effect)! I scrambled to try to remember to whom I sent the coin and contact them. I figured that I must have sent it to another seller I purchased a coin from three weeks before, so I researched his phone number from an address on an old envelope I hadn't tossed yet and was able to finally reach him after an anxious day of calling. He couldn't remember receiving the coin, but I had signature confirmation, so he said he'd look around to try and find it and call me later. After a few hours of anxious waiting, he called with good news. It turned out he’d included the coin in a group of coins shipped out to PCGS for grading. YES! I was both relieved and curious if the coin would grade after I had my doubts about it.

Sure enough, PCGS found no problems with it and graded it VF30. After sending money to cover the grading fee and shipping to me, I finally have the coin again 2 months after putting it in the mail. With the high BIN price plus the cost of grading and shipping it twice, this may be the most expensive VF30 1854-O anybody’s purchased this year, but I’m just glad I was able to recover the coin (with nice assistance from the seller I sent it to by mistake).

imageimage

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    BochimanBochiman Posts: 25,790 ✭✭✭✭✭
    From the pic, it has a nice look.
    Kudos to the honest seller who received the coin and looked for it for you. If they have a busy business, I could understand some of the confusion.

    Glad it worked out for you in the end.

    I've been told I tolerate fools poorly...that may explain things if I have a problem with you. Current ebay items - Nothing at the moment

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    BarberianBarberian Posts: 4,643 ✭✭✭✭✭
    The above photos are the seller's photos. The coin in hand is somewhat darker and more brown in color, with a bit more contrast than the pictures above.
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    CoinCoinsCoinCoins Posts: 698 ✭✭✭
    weird.


    good looking coin
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    rickoricko Posts: 98,724 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Amazing story.... the happy ending is great, with the added benefit of being slabbed. So many things could have gone wrong... Cheers, RickO
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    greghansengreghansen Posts: 4,301 ✭✭✭
    That is a nice coin...and a better story! Glad it all turned out for the best. Enjoy that coin. You will never forget it, or how you acquired it, that's for sure.

    Greg Hansen, Melbourne, FL Click here for any current EBAY auctions Multiple "Circle of Trust" transactions over 14 years on forum

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    BanemorthBanemorth Posts: 986 ✭✭✭
    Glad it all worked out for you and congrats on the great looking coin!
    Justin From Jersey

    Successful Transactions With: JoeLewis, Mkman123, Harry779, Grote15, gdavis70, Kryptonitecomics
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    astroratastrorat Posts: 9,221 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I hope you become a loyal customer of that NY dealer. image
    Numismatist Ordinaire
    See http://www.doubledimes.com for a free online reference for US twenty-cent pieces
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    crypto79crypto79 Posts: 8,623
    Let me get this strait, you got a full happy ending for miss-shipping a coin? May I please have that address?
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    SamByrdSamByrd Posts: 3,131 ✭✭✭✭
    Great post and a real cool story attached to that coin now. The coin is superb though for its grade no distractions whatsoever perfect rim and even attractive wear. image
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    DorkGirlDorkGirl Posts: 9,994 ✭✭✭
    image
    Becky
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    InYHWHWeTrustInYHWHWeTrust Posts: 1,451 ✭✭✭
    Great coin and great to hear some GOOD news- very refreshing Barberian image

    Thanks for taking time to share something positive!!
    Do your best to avoid circular arguments, as it will help you reason better, because better reasoning is often a result of avoiding circular arguments.
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    BBQnBLUESBBQnBLUES Posts: 1,803
    This coin WANTED YOU to have it image

    as Martha Stewart would say: "It's a Good Thing"
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    keyman64keyman64 Posts: 15,650 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Wow, that's crazy.
    "If it's not fun, it's not worth it." - KeyMan64
    Not really looking for much these days but if I were, it might be a toner. :smile:
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    johnny9434johnny9434 Posts: 33,100 ✭✭✭✭✭
    im glad it all worked out for you and the seller. its all good
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    BarberianBarberian Posts: 4,643 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>I hope you become a loyal customer of that NY dealer. image >>



    I may not have made this clear, but the seller I sent it to by mistake was in Arizona. I had purchased the coin below from him a few weeks earlier and hadn't tossed out the shipping envelope. So I sent the coin to him by mistake. The Arizona seller goes by "stevemb0_2" on Ebay.

    We had several nice discussions after the whereabouts of the SLH was resolved, including about the coin I purchased from him earlier (below). This seated dollar is remarkable in having so little damage for a seated dollar in good. Aside from a small planchet flaw at the top of the shield (which looks like a dig but is only some surface roughness), the rims and surfaces are flawless. I grade the coin as G4, but PCGS graded it as G6. I suspect they bumped it up for its remarkable surfaces. Sorry for hijacking my own thread but I wanted to give props to this seller.

    imageimage
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    astroratastrorat Posts: 9,221 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>

    << <i>I hope you become a loyal customer of that NY dealer. image >>



    I may not have made this clear, but the seller I sent it to by mistake was in Arizona. I had purchased the coin below from him a few weeks earlier and hadn't tossed out the shipping envelope. So I sent the coin to him by mistake. The Arizona seller goes by "stevemb0_2" on Ebay.

    We had several nice discussions after the whereabouts of the SLH was resolved, including about the coin I purchased from him earlier (below). This seated dollar is remarkable in having so little damage for a seated dollar in good. Aside from a small planchet flaw at the top of the shield (which looks like a dig but is only some surface roughness), the rims and surfaces are flawless. I grade the coin as G4, but PCGS graded it as G6. I suspect they bumped it up for its remarkable surfaces. Sorry for hijacking my own thread but I wanted to give props to this seller.

    imageimage >>

    Whoops ... I must have gotten confused! image Looks like you found a good Arizona dealer, then!
    Numismatist Ordinaire
    See http://www.doubledimes.com for a free online reference for US twenty-cent pieces
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    ColonialCoinUnionColonialCoinUnion Posts: 10,087 ✭✭✭
    Dodged a bullet.

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