My wife's grandmother recently had a fall at home, and wil be convalescing in an assisted-living facility for quite some time. My father-in-law went to her home to secure everything, and make sure there were no valuables laying around. He goes up in the attic, and finds one of those old-fashioned suitcases, and opens it up. He said it was completely packed with silver dollars! He looked at one and it had a date of 1872!!. There were also bags of buffalo nickels. He had to move the coins out of the house in case there was a break-in, so he brought them to the attorney who is handling the grandmother's estate. I'm going to try and make an appointment with the attorney to see exactly what the collection consists of. I made my father-in-law swear that he wouldn't let the attorney sell the collection to the local dealer!
First off, I hope your wife's grandmother recovers. It would be really interesting to hear the story of how she ended up with such a large hoard up in her attic, from the horse's mouth so to speak. Hopefully you'll get a chance to own a few, or at least look at them! When my grandmother passed they found her mattress stuffed full of 20 dollar bills. Certain members of my family got to it long before anyone else did and deposited it all into her bank account, for "safe keeping". So, if there were any older notes they went for face.
Apparently, her late husband was the coin saver. She knew of my interest, so she showed me some old Whitman folders she had with old Washington's and SLQ's. I don't think she had any idea she had all those silver dollars.
Wow! That is AWESOME! I would love it if you could take some pictures and post them. I hate to be like this, but like one persons avatar say..."I trust me". I hope that attorney is honest! An inventory would probably be a good thing to have on hand.
TC2007, Now if I can figure out how to post pictures here.....ANYONE can!!! Technology...let's just say I'm challenged!!!
Hey hey hey cut out the attorney jokes The next time you find a hoard (LOL), it's a good idea to independently document what it contains. Photos, lists, etc. would be helpful. But no worries - the attorney cannot ethically (or legally) sell the property to anyone without his client's permission. Not to say that it never happens, but if the attorney is trustworthy [DON'T insert joke here], you shouldn't worry.
WOW, good luck! and as was mentioed, i hope your grandmother recovers fully let us know what you do find int hat chest... what an occaision this is for a collector!!!
That would be a Seated Liberty dollar and it would probably be quite valuable. Are the rest of the silver dollars Seated Libs or common Morgans? How large is this suitcase? A normal-sized suitcase full of silver dollars would be very heavy. So heavy that the handle might pull off the suitcase when picked up.
Hopefully, your grandmother recovers fine...and hopefully, you'll get to take a look at this hoard up close and personal!
I'm with you Carl How would you know if the attorney made a switch of coins like a AU for a UNC Thats scary. Why did he not just call TC2007 if he knew you were a collector http://www.cointalk.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=23745&stc=1&d=1198874105
Man I am drooling!!!! TC2007 you can't keep us hanging on this one! We gotta know and SEE what is in that suitcase!!!!!! OMG!!!! I just looked up the value of a 1872 in good condition!!! I hope it is the CC!!!
Hope Grandma is Ok! Also does the attorney work for the assisted-living facility that she will be living at??
i absolutely agree, i hope your grandmother recovers fully. i had this same experience happen just over a year ago. my grandmother had a bad stroke, and when cleaning out her apartment my mother came across a rather decent sized collection of morgans, slq, mercs, buffalos etc....and my aunt thought it be best that her attorney handle things. i objected fully to that, and convinced my aunt to take them herself and hold them safely. i have my request in to catalog and photo every single coin in the collection. best of luck to you and your family
What a great find for your grandma. I would get with that attorney before it all turns up as common date coins. Not that I think attorneys are dishonest, BUT, there's a lot of money involved here that is not documented and could be compromised to you and your family's deficit. Even if you and other family members go together you must ascertain the inventory first and the value second. All my family passed 30+ years ago, so now, I only have one family member (brother) older than I am. What ever my family left, I never saw and never will see. I wish I had some mementos from my family but that is not the case now. That's why it's important to retrieve the coins that your Grandma found. It should stay with the family, not the lawyer. After you get the inventory then you should see what your Grandma wants to do with her find. Good Luck and PLEASE post some pictures when you straighten this matter out. Bruce
Best wishes to your grandmother. Keep us up to date on the collection. It sounds like it may really be a find!
Darn. Lol, just joking. First off, sorry to hear about your wife's grandmother's fall! Hope she recovers soon! And second, congrats! I hope the coins get to you safely with no problems, best of luck, and keep us updated. :thumb: Phoenix
