$200,000 in coins and merchandise stolen from car

[Schatzy]

 

LADSON -- A coin dealer at the Lowcountry Coin Club's annual winter coin club said more than $200,000 worth of rare coins and merchandise were stolen from his car late Friday.

 

Dealer Hank Passafero said he'd left the items in the trunk of his car outside a North Charleston restaurant where he ate. When he returned, the trunk looked to have been pried open by a crowbar.

 

Many of the U.S. coins were gold, with some dating to the mid-1800s.

 

Passafero thinks he fell victim to thieves who make a habit of targeting coin dealers, following them after a show closes for the night. Friday was the first day of the show at the Exchange Park Fairgrounds.

 

"Nobody would have known I had anything in the trunk," he said.

 

The coins were in two large brief cases and were insured. The difficulty is that the insurance does not cover the items if they are ever left unattended, Passafero said.

 

His car had been parked at the Longhorn's on Rivers Avenue. It was one of several places he tried to find to eat.

 

Security was tight at the event Saturday. Attendees were asked to show identification.

 

Passafero, who has been a dealer for 30 years, said theft is a common problem for coin dealers. He's heard stories of thieves applying for keys to vendor cars, or placing GPS units under vehicles in order to follow their movements and gain entry.

 

Some of the coins included a $2.5 Liberty gold piece from 1898 and a one cent piece from 1793.

 

The theft was reported to the North Charleston Police Department.

 

Randy Clark, president of the Lowcountry Coin Club, said the thief or thieves knew what they were doing in marking potential victims. During the show, the dealers' cars and the public entrance was separated by gates and fences.

 

"It's happened before," he said of robberies against the industry. "And it will happen again.

 

At least 1,500 people attended Saturday's event.

 

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[kryptonitecomics]

They never learn...what a shame......stinkin theives

[Schatzy]

If you carry that much coins to a show, I never understand why the dealers stop to eat and leave the

car unattended. I would go through a fast food drive thru and go straight home or to the bank.

[johnny9434]

I'm curious if it might be4 the same ones that knocked off Julian in the, i belive, in the New York area last year? jmo, could be a network

[DWLange]

Before I worked for NGC, I'd travel to shows by car with a buddy or two. Stopping for food meant either going to the drive-up window and eating in the parked car or sitting inside at a table where the car could be seen at all times. Anyone who leaves a car holding coins or notes unattended and out of sight is asking for trouble, and it's a lesson that some dealers never seem to learn until it's too late.

[Conder101]

he'd left the items in the trunk of his car outside a North Charleston restaurant where he ate. When he returned, the trunk looked to have been pried open by a crowbar.

Passafero, who has been a dealer for 30 years, said theft is a common problem for coin dealers.

And robberies with this MO have been occurring on a regular basis for at LEAST the last forty years. Yet he still blissfully goes off and leaves the coins in his trunk while he goes off to eat.

 

The coins were in two large brief cases and were insured. The difficulty is that the insurance does not cover the items if they are ever left unattended, Passafero said.

And the dealers know this too, yet they still leave their coins unattended and throw away their insurance coverage. (This is why those people who question whether or not it might be an insurance scam when something like this happens don't know what they are talking about. How can it be an insurance scam when they void their coverage by admitting they left the coins unattended?)

 

He's heard stories of thieves applying for keys to vendor cars, or placing GPS units under vehicles in order to follow their movements and gain entry.

Have to admit I've never heard of thieves applying for the keys to the dealers cars. As for the GPS stories, I strongly believe that is an urban legend because not a single GPS tracking device has ever been found on a dealers car. People have been folowing dealers cars for years before GPS was ever available. Why attract attention to yourself by messing around with the dealers car when all you have to do is follow it?

[SWNGC]

Safe Mounted in Trunk - ?

Pack a lunch - ?

Eat Carryout/Drive Thru - ?

Alarm on Car/Trunk - ?

Travel in pairs - ?

Pack Heat (NRA sticker/No NRA sticker, who do you, as a thief, target??) - ?

Carry it with you if you MUST leave - ?

Keep a less well hidden/unsecured heavy decoy bag/case in the trunk -?

Pet Rattlesnake:) -?

Something... Anything... less idiotic than just walking off for a $10 rot-gut steak...

 

Are we supposed to fell sorry? Bad things happen to those who do stupid things - it's unfortunate but the way it is!

 

Furthermore, you've wasted money on the insurance when you don't abide by the terms of your policy... Double Foolish! Lost merchandise, lost premium = Robbed Twice!

 

My Headline for this article

"A FOOL AND HIS MONEY" - Front PAGE!

 

 

 

[physics-fan3.14]

Huh, kind of surprised that I didn't hear anything about this when I was there Saturday morning. They were checking ID's, but that didn't seem out of place because I've been to many shows where they did that. I did see several cops walking the floor, but again, didn't really think anything of that.

 

I know most of you are not familiar with Charleston, but Rivers Ave (where he stopped to eat) is one of the worst neighbourhoods in the area - North Charleston has one of the highest crime rates in the country. Simple security measures would go a long ways against these sorts of robberies.

[World Colonial]

If you carry that much coins to a show, I never understand why the dealers stop to eat and leave the

car unattended. I would go through a fast food drive thru and go straight home or to the bank.

 

Me either. When I travel with coins, I am always paying attention to what is around me and I never leave my coins unattended. And I do not even carry $200K with me (for the minor reason that my collection is not worth anywhere near that).

[coinman23885-migration]

If you carry that much coins to a show, I never understand why the dealers stop to eat and leave the

car unattended. I would go through a fast food drive thru and go straight home or to the bank.

 

Exactly. I'm not taking up for the the thieves; however, this dealer shouldn't expect any sympathy.

[coinman23885-migration]

I rent a vault for storage, costs $115 a year for a 4ftx4ftx4ft space.

Out of curiosity, is there a wide storage chain that offers these across the U.S.? If so, I'd love to know about them. I would love any information that you might have - my most valuable coins are stored with a bank and they charge ridiculous sums of money. Even though I have a couple of safes, I still don't trust that someone wouldn't make me open them at gun point.

[bartlesvilleok]

Huh, kind of surprised that I didn't hear anything about this when I was there Saturday morning. They were checking ID's, but that didn't seem out of place because I've been to many shows where they did that. I did see several cops walking the floor, but again, didn't really think anything of that.

 

I know most of you are not familiar with Charleston, but Rivers Ave (where he stopped to eat) is one of the worst neighbourhoods in the area - North Charleston has one of the highest crime rates in the country. Simple security measures would go a long ways against these sorts of robberies.

 

On the subject of checking ID's at shows. This of course is not a problem for me but I was planning on going to the ANA in Fort Worth in March and one of my friends little brothers who collects coins was wanting to go with me. He is 14 and does not have an ID. With him being a minor would they be checking his ID also and is there a special ID for him to have or would we have to get him some sort of state issued ID?

[PerryHall]

Huh, kind of surprised that I didn't hear anything about this when I was there Saturday morning. They were checking ID's, but that didn't seem out of place because I've been to many shows where they did that. I did see several cops walking the floor, but again, didn't really think anything of that.

 

I know most of you are not familiar with Charleston, but Rivers Ave (where he stopped to eat) is one of the worst neighbourhoods in the area - North Charleston has one of the highest crime rates in the country. Simple security measures would go a long ways against these sorts of robberies.

 

On the subject of checking ID's at shows. This of course is not a problem for me but I was planning on going to the ANA in Fort Worth in March and one of my friends little brothers who collects coins was wanting to go with me. He is 14 and does not have an ID. With him being a minor would they be checking his ID also and is there a special ID for him to have or would we have to get him some sort of state issued ID?

 

I doubt that there would be a problem with a minor as long as he is accompanied by an adult.

[World Colonial]

I rent a vault for storage, costs $115 a year for a 4ftx4ftx4ft space.

Out of curiosity, is there a wide storage chain that offers these across the U.S.? If so, I'd love to know about them. I would love any information that you might have - my most valuable coins are stored with a bank and they charge ridiculous sums of money. Even though I have a couple of safes, I still don't trust that someone wouldn't make me open them at gun point.

 

I would not feel comfortable with that type of storage. I do not even feel comfortable using a bank safe deposit box in a part of town that I consider run down. If you have concerns storing coins at home, I would have bigger concerns using a self storage facility. You never know the type of people that might be there.

 

I have three safe deposit boxes, one where I live and two others in another city where most of them are kept. It takes that much space because I have about 300 NGC and PCGS coins. The price of the boxes is $70 to $100 each per year which I do not consider to be that much in proportion to the value of my collection.

[physics-fan3.14]

Huh, kind of surprised that I didn't hear anything about this when I was there Saturday morning. They were checking ID's, but that didn't seem out of place because I've been to many shows where they did that. I did see several cops walking the floor, but again, didn't really think anything of that.

 

I know most of you are not familiar with Charleston, but Rivers Ave (where he stopped to eat) is one of the worst neighbourhoods in the area - North Charleston has one of the highest crime rates in the country. Simple security measures would go a long ways against these sorts of robberies.

 

On the subject of checking ID's at shows. This of course is not a problem for me but I was planning on going to the ANA in Fort Worth in March and one of my friends little brothers who collects coins was wanting to go with me. He is 14 and does not have an ID. With him being a minor would they be checking his ID also and is there a special ID for him to have or would we have to get him some sort of state issued ID?

 

My 13 year old sister was with me, and the guy had no problem letting her in without an ID.

[coinman23885-migration]

I'm sure that your 13 year old sister hardly looks like the type that would pull off a $200,000 coin heist. I'm doubtful that they do check minors on a regular basis, although it is notable that when I was 17, the annual coin shows at the Maryland Convention Center (ANA or other other show - I cannot remember the name now) always checked my ID. I was also with my parents who both provided IDs; however, that wasn't good enough for them.

 

[Coindude]

Didn't anyone learn from Julian's mishap?

[johnny9434]

I dont think so coindude. More then likely the figured it wouldnt hanppen to then jmo

[Conder101]

Didn't anyone learn from Julian's mishap?

Of the hundreds of other times it has occured in at least the past forty years?

[just-john]

IF you can afford to leave $200,000.00 unattended in the trunk of your car go and eat and not keep your car in sight.Then you can afford the lost . I'm surprised he even mentioned it to the police since he wasn't to concerned about it to begin with.

Bet the thief didn't leave it in his or her trunk but used the drive thru on the way to EBAY

 

[cpm9ball]

Woman in Toronto leaves $20,000 in rare coins lying around and throws a party. Guess what happens:

 

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/crime/article/761928--thief-makes-off-with-20-000-coin-collection

 

The link didn't say anything about a party. Is there another story?

 

Chris