Share your favorite coin story!

[Amanda]

I love good stories.

 

Stories about coins or coin people or coin memories are even better, then!

 

Please share your favorite story. Anything funny, cute, inspirational, heartbreaking, just a story!

 

Thanks.

 

-Amanda

[braddick]

I purchased a PCGS GD06 1979 SBA from Jim Barlow back in 1998 or so.

 

Fast forward to 2004 and up on eBay is another PCGS GD06 SBA. I bid and win the coin. (These are neat in low grade and tough to locate what with problem free worn out surfaces as these generally just didn't circulate.)

 

The coin arrived and while placing it along side the first one I had purchased six years earlier noticed the insert numbers were only one apart!

 

These must have, obviously, been graded at the same time and who knows the travels of the second one after I had purchased the first!

 

I just thought that was interesting and quite the coincidence.

[JamminJ]

Mine is the Great Birthday Coin Hoax.

[Stanley]

That is a very fascinating story and you guys seem to be having so much fun.

That is what it’s all about.

 

 

Cool thread Amanda

[Wihlborg]

Amanda,

 

I have many fond memories of coins, coin shows, and coin people that would make good stories, but my most memorable coin related experience happened a few years ago at a coin show in New Jersey that TomB had a table at. Rather than retell the whole story, I’ll link the original thread.

 

My most memorable coin story

 

John

[John Martinez]

Great thread Amanda.

 

I hope to MAKE great coin stories. Whenever a friend or neighbor has a child, besides giving the PARENT the gift (clothes, furniture, etc.), we also give the CHILD a gift. We give the child a US Mint Proof Set for the year of their birth. We tell the parents the improtance of coins and their appreciation and also tell the parents that this set is not candy money. Hopefully we are creating great coin stories for future generations to tell.

 

The first time we did this was for my boss' child. Since he was born in 1999, we thought that would be a good year for him. My boss looked at me like "how dare you give me such a poor gift". I told him if was for HIS SON, not him. Well, I had the 2000 set to give to him for this childs' Baptism, but after that response I just kept the 2000 set. I did not; however, let his response deter me from doing that in the future, and we have received more than we have given in joy. I also tell every parent that when they feel their child is ready, I'd be happy to discuss the importance and history of coins with their children. I can't wait to see the look on the child's face when I show them their 2006 proof set and a coin from 1906, 100 years earlier. Someday, I may own an early 1800's coin to show as well.

[DC Dawg]

I just so happens that I have a good story that just happened. Read it on my blog. (shameless plug included )

 

Scott

[cpm9ball]

Great story, Scott! What a wonderful thing for your father to do. Be sure to tell your father how much you love him as often as you can,

 

Chris

[Amanda]

These are great stories!

 

-Amanda

[cpm9ball]

This isn't my favorite story, but it's interesting because it just happened last night:

 

Sunday nights at work are usually pretty quiet so I decided to take some of my Morgans with me to examine to pass the idle time. I have about 120 raw coins that I've purchased over the last 2-3 years that I've never checked for varieties. Whenever I bought one of these, I'd just put it into a flip, note the date on the insert, and put it into a zippered portfolio that holds the 20-coin pages. I grabbed my Van Allen/Mallis Encyclopedia, the Bowers Red Book of Morgan Dollars and the Fey/Oxman Top 100 VAM Keys to take with me for cross-referencing.

 

I decided that carefully examining every coin would be too time-consuming, so I started with the VAM Keys, first, and proceeded to go through the book page-by-page. If I didn't have a coin in the portfolio for that date/mintmark, I'd just move on to the next page. I had examined about 20 Morgans................nope!......nope!......next page......nope!.......next page........nope!.......next page.......and so on.......you get the idea. I finally came to the 1888-O, and I had four specimens in the portfolio. The VAM Keys lists five noteworthy varieties for the '88-O: the "E on Reverse", "Scarface", "Hot Lips", "Doubled Arrows" and "Oval O" Mintmark. I checked the four coins..........nope, nope, nope, nope..........no "E"............nope, no "Scarface"..........no "Hot Lips". I had checked three of the four coins for the "Doubled Arrows".......nope, nope, nope.......and I was about ready to "mouth" the word "nope" as I turned the fourth coin over....... BINGO!! .......there it was........VAM 9........"Doubled Arrows".

 

 

I had to look at the coin a couple more times just to make sure that I didn't have a case of "double vision". As I did so, I noticed more doubling on the eagle's tailfeathers, the ribbon above the mintmark, the leaves immediately to the left of the ribbon, the leaves and berries on much of the right-hand wreath, "ONE DOLLAR", the star on the right and "ERICA" of AMERICA.

 

None of this was mentioned in the VAM Keys book, but you have to bear in mind that the book, unlike the monster Van Allen/Mallis Encyclopedia was intended to be a handy, pocket-sized reference that you could carry anywhere. In order to accomplish that, they had to exclude much of the details for each coin and just list the major variety. So, I checked the "Encyclopedia", and sure enough, there it all was! There is only one problem..........Van Allen/Mallis indicates only "slight doubling" on the olive leaves, but my coin is strongly doubled in this area. Also, it doesn't mention the strong doubling of the berries or the ribbon. Do you think that maybe.......................................???

 

I feel a certain amount of self-satisfaction in "discovering" this variety, but at the same time, a little bit of stupidity that I let it sit here for 2-3 years without my knowing. For you Morgan collectors, if you don't already have the Fey/Oxman book, The Top 100 Morgan Dollar Varieties: The VAM Keys , I'd suggest that you get it because it is a great reference to carry with you.

 

I did find one other coin while I was examining these, but it isn't a variety. I have about 30 - 1921 Morgans because that is the year my Mom was born. I didn't realize it, but this one is DMPL and I could read print in the mirrors from 6-8 inches away. According to the Bowers "Red Book" (2004 Edition), the certified population is only 181 in grades MS60-65 out of 44,690,000 struck.

 

Now, I just wish that I could find a '78-P VAM 44!

 

Chris

[Stanley]

Chris

I done the very same thing a few years ago when Vams started becoming popular. Page by page and I found a few. I found maybe 6 1921 Vams of which there are several varieties.

[IlikeZARcoins]

A near favourite story of mine:

 

A young lady won one of my give-aways once.

 

Nothing special about that you might say. Well that's true except a week or so later I received a handwritten note of thanks from her in the mail.

 

The world needs more people like that imo.

[Snowman24]

Amanda,

 

This story is about a normal dime (1970?) Our family talks about it around the dinner table every so many years with others to gross them out and make them laugh.

 

Back in the early 70's my brother and i went in the public bathroom by ourselves when i was very young 8 ? and brother was 6. Was a time when parents didnt have to worry about weirdos back then. They waited out in the lobby for us to come out.

 

Then my brother and I found a dime in the urinal but it still had pee in it. So i convinced my brother to get it out but he didnt want to. So, im the mean time I had to go and check to make sure my mom was still out side waiting for us. She says that she remembers me poking my head out the door and closing it. She was thinking what is going on. I did this a few times going back to the door and checking to make sure they didnt leave us.

 

So back to the urinal, somehow I got my brother to get it out and i got to keep it. I think we didnt flush either - YUCK !!!!!!

 

What are big brothers for.

 

My brother still jokes about it that he did all the work and didnt get to keep it.

 

I still have the dime in a jar and still remember that day because the dime still has black coloring on it - Double yuck

 

Maybe NGC - ANACS? will let me get it encapsulated (sentimental reason) and i'll give it back to my brother after all these years. What do you think ? make a great gag Christmas gift -

 

Jeff

[cpm9ball]

Jeff, did it have a Pee mintmark? If NGC graded it, it would have to come out Bathroom Urinal.

 

Chris

[EZ_E]

The first time we did this was for my boss' child. Since he was born in 1999, we thought that would be a good year for him. My boss looked at me like "how dare you give me such a poor gift".

 

It would have been the 1999 silver proof set then I'm sure that his tone would change.

 

Pretty poor attitude on your boss' part but a great attitude on your part!

[EZ_E]

Jeff, did it have a Pee mintmark? If NGC graded it, it would have to come out Bathroom Urinal.

 

Chris

 

That's the Chris we all love.

 

My daughter and I went to Vancouver Canada the summer of 2003 and I got a pristine PL 2003 cent in change. I just spent $30 for PCGS to grade it since it has sentimental value. I listed the value at one cent.