Just looking for some guidance for anyone who has a coin stuck in US customs. Recently I purchased a coin from a German dealer for about $25. It has had the status of being processed by customs for about 2 weeks. I contacted the USPS who is the shipper to find out if they knew anything. Their response was the package was flagged by customs and there is nothing they can do. I plan to wait a bit more to see if I get any communications about why it is flagged and held, and if not try to find a contact for customs to find out the issue. Has anyone else experienced this? What did you have to do to get the item through customs?
From an old post . . . I'm still waiting for a 1907 quarter eagle that was mailed to me from England sometime before 2010. It was tracked to US Customs, and never left there . . . at least not in the package addressed to me. All of my other foreign purchases have come through Customs just fine after being hung up for a few weeks, so you shouldn't feel too uncomfortable just yet. - Mike
Best way to avoid this..... Just tell them to send the coin "discreet". This way, no customs hassles or taxes or theft! This is esp. great for $$$$$ ones.
Thanks, this is the first time with all my foreign purchases this has happened. I guess it had to happen sometime. I'll just have to be patient....not one of my strongest qualities.
I wouldn't worry about it yet. I have had customs hold on to packages for 6 weeks or longer but they always arrive eventually.
I bought this coin from France last June and it was held up in Customs for weeks. I had to pay a duty on it (I forget how much, but something in the $50-75 range). It did finally make it to me. Had me sweating for a while, though. It was worth the wait. And the extra fee (which I hadn't been expecting). France: ca. 1380-1422 gold Ecu d'or of Charles VI, from the Lucerne Abbey Treasure (100 Years' War)
Still waiting for a Sinkiang coin from 2018, Netherlands West Indies from 2019 and a ancient Roman for 2020. I gave up on trying to get anything through CBP in New York JFK after that unless I was willing to take a potential loss. Lost about $500.00 up to that point.
That would be US Customs and they can do whatever they want. I used to drive a truck across the Canadian border for my employer. My company would print name and addresses on a page for a calendar and trim them to the correct size. One day I had 6 pallets of pages but they were for 2 separate months. Customs seized the truck and held the truck for a few days short of a month. I had to call my daughter to come and pick me up. The reason they seized the truck was to the Customs official that inspected the truck, claimed it was a calendar not pages for a calendar. I was s 10 pages short of a full calendar but not to Customs. When they finally cleared the truck, which was after they agreed it was just pages for a calendar, I had to get a ride back up to the border to pick it up. That was 18 miles. The agent that seized the truck got a good piece of my mind. They can do whatever they want. The laws are written that way. The book they have is about 15 inches thick and it describes everything known to man. Not sure how to deal with a coin but I’m sure you’ll have to deal with US Customs. Some coins are not allowed to enter the US due to their country of origin, and that’s regardless of their age. Best wishes.
I rarely have anything hung up in customs and if it is it's only for a few days. Nearly everything I buy overseas is from the UK or Ireland which goes through customs at JFK in New York. I've never had anything seized or returned to the shipper. Bruce
Beautiful! I had my eye on one of these, but it sold before I could scrape the money together to buy it. The hunt goes on.
You can contact the Customs office where it is and see if they are awaiting any additional info. I've had several packages stuck. One time they contacted the shipper asking for additional info and that was the delay. My recent experiences have been: FedEx: If you keep calling and harassing us, we may get around to working with Customs and getting the package cleared. You pay high Customs Fees. UPS: You need to get it cleared or you can use our import broker. It's $160. DHL: Pay the oddly low Customs Fees and your package will be delivered tomorrow. USPS: 98% get through without issue. 1% get opened and then continue on to you. 1% get stuck in hell and will move between 1-8 weeks.
I had one hellish experience. Nomisma by error sent my coin via DHL express. I wanted it sent to my friend in Spain, then he would send it discreet no value. Being busy with work, I forgot about my coin. Three months later, I get an email from Nomisma telling me that Canada customs are about to seize my coin worth 3500 euros, since no action was taken to pay $890 customs fees! I replied that I never was contacted by DHL, anyway, I ended up going to my DHL hub here in Ottawa. They looked it up and said the coin was forfeited to the crown, another term for stolen. So, I tried to phone the customs office in Quebec, they said, sorry after 2 months the imported merchandise is forfeited to the crown. So, between a dumbass DHL screwing up, plus Nomisma, I ended up loosing my coin.
Seconding whoever noted that shipments from wherever to US by postal mail get no scrutiny, but shipped by private carrier almost always have problems. Have sender describe merchandise as tokens, or metal stampings, and never mention China, Iran, Cuba - you get the drift. Cast Chinese look like cast Japanese, which is safe. If higher value and from a country you can trust, sender should declare a low value. Some foreign auction firms are sticklers and won't bend the description or value, but since the tariff, more have come around.
