Don't want to start an arguement but have a question..

Seems there are 3 possible solutions:
1. Possession is 9/10 th's of the law.
2. It belongs to he, who has the biggest club.
3. Or best lawyer.
Traci

 

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I've been impressed since joining this forum a a few months back with the honesty of the membership ... but this thread has brought out some not-so-nice "me first" viewpoints. Some folks seem to think it's okay to take advantage of others who are unaware of the value of their coins or paper. I have to say, in my personal opinon, that that's not a good thing. It's too much the "stronger victimizing the weaker," or the "smarter victimizing the less smart." But, it's a free country (for now) and we are each able to live our lives by our own moral code.

However ... I would be willing to bet a War Nickel -- if there was any way to settle the bet -- that those same folks who say "take the money and don't tell the poor schlub," would be the first to scream FOUL! if they were the ones taken advantage of.

In these kinds of situations, wouldn't that old Golden Rule have to come to the fore? Temptation confronts us all at times: How we handle it defines our character. Meanwhile, I will be sure to watch my own back.

 

I'm sorry, I misread it because I assumed you were capable of using proper English.

I don't think I would. I don't consider this being taken advantage of. If I wasn't willing to have to knowledge or desire to search my own change for these kinds of things...then it's my fault. If someone else profits from this, it's my fault. I don't have a problem with the teller giving the customer anything they find...that's fine with me, but they certainly aren't obligated to do so either professionally or ethically.

 

Ha... that was my thought exactly.

Okay, maybe you wouldn't cry foul, but the very end of your statement proves my point. You say they aren't "obligated to do so either professionally or ethically." "Professionally," I opine, is up to the rules of the busines in question, but "Ethically" is exactly my point. It is my opinion that the ethics of the situation call for the teller to say to the customer:"You have some coins here that are more valuable than face value; I am returning the entire bag to you to sort for yourself. If you don't want to do that, I will pay you face value for all of them, and they will then be the property of the bank. What would you like to do?"

"Ethically" is up to the person in the situation, which I call "situational ethics." I don't like the fact that if I make a mistake sometime in a circumstance such as this, I will be taken advantage of. I would prefer to think that "ethics" extends to the practice of not taking advantage of customers. But then, when a supermarket checker gives me too much money in change, I give it back. Must be a personal thing...

 

IMO these are entirely different situations. My wife was a bank manager previously, and she agrees that a bank employees primary job is to take money at face value and either deposit it or exchange it, for face value. Those tellers are not trained or expected to notice a coin worth more than face value, and they are often not able to take the time to even look at them more than what denomination they are so they can be accurately counted. Furthermore, the opposite situation could happen. They could get someone excited that their coins are worth more than face value, only to have that person drive to a dealer and find that they are not. This would likely result in a negative comment from that customer.

Many of you are likening this situation (such as the supermarket checker) with much more straightforward possibilities, which is not the case with a bank teller. How about when a little old lady walks into a coin shop with $200 face value of silver coinage? Will the coin shop owner go through every coin to see if there is a rare coin, set that coin aside and advise the customer that it is worth more? (Not saying that some won't, just that they normally don't have time to look at each coin while she waits).

If you are at a coin show and see that coin you really want for $50 less than it is worth, do you offer them $50 more than what it is priced?

I think the argument comes down to each person's own feelings. Personally, if it were only one or two coins, I wouldn't worry about telling a normal customer. If I were busy, I wouldn't go out of my way to look at each coin. If it was a large number, then I would let them know. And it would probably come down to how they treated me also. If they were pleasant, they have a better chance of me telling them (take this as you will, common courtesy has left our society). Bottom line, it is not a bank tellers job to spot collectable coins. If they take the time to know which are collectable, then it is up to them whether they alert the bank customer.

These are just my feelings. Everyone is allowed to feel and act how they wish.

 

I agree, but I think you are posibly straying away from the OP's question. Her situation was that she, herself, chooses to select collectible coins and has posted before here about the coins she has nabbed at the bank. She was never told it was her job to spot collectible coins, but the customer just "got the jump" on her.

She was curious, this time, about how to react to a customer saying, "If you find valuable coins, they are mine." It's my contention that she was "busted," and she wondered if she was actually doing something wrong, or not. To me, this is a basic fairness decision. In her case as stated, I would have handed the customer his jar, bag, box or whatever, and said, "Here, you pick the coins you want to release and i will count them and give you the appropriate amount of cash or deposit them. Next customer, please?"

I agree; everyone is free (thank goodness) to feel and do as they personally please.

 

Hey, J/K, Doctor. I was actually using it in reference to your double negative. Go back and check it out. :high5:

 

Achtung!! Now now..we need to stay away from people's personal feelings....that's prohibited..just coins.

 

I am to this point and pretty much agree with the general thought process of it's a bank not a coin store. That said you have to be professional and polite. I agree with Jim's comment about being as discreet as possible.

Now to this - I haven't read on yet so no telling what others have commented. I feel it depends on the type of situation/coin rarity. If someone brings in a 55 DDO in MS/AU condition then I probably pocket it. If someone brings in a 56 Flying Eagle or a 16D Mercury Dime I would personally send them to a reputable dealer or assist them to gain approximate value for it. There is a difference between a truly rare coin and a valuable variety. Same with gold. Junk Silver/Wheat's/War Nickles are going in my pocket if the bank allows it. If someone tried to deposit a $500 or a GC I would be really torn as what to do. I would hope they would show up in a business deposit not a little old lady deposit. For the little old lady - I would have to give some advice but let her make the decision. Business deposit is my gain. Case by case basis is probably the best rule and keep the customers best interests as well as your business interests balanced.

One tact with the searching may be to say I am trying to fill a penny book and am looking for any I am missing. I wouldn't know a rare coin if it jumped out and bit me. I know it's a lie but they should not be asking you to search their coins for them so I would not feel bad finding a polite way to brush them off. In truth as stated above I would let them know if they deposited something truly valuable. BTW - as an example - I don't consider a roll of 65 halves or even 58 circulated halves truly valuable.

JMO

 

One good double negative deserves another, I always say. BTW, J/K means just kidding, last I understood.

 

- I really wish we could hang out together (along with Dan!) The fun we could have!!!

 

It's all good Eddie.

 

That's the spirit. Besides, we've been over this ground already. And it was like pulling teeth, if I might observe.

 

I just had a tooth pulled recently and will never allow another root canal to be pulled while I am still awake! Respectfully - Nothing you have covered on this forum hurt as much as that tooth coming out in very small pieces Sorry for the diversion but I will never forget the day!

 

Darryl, my worst dental experience was the same thing, a stubborn root canal. But believe me when I tell you, I had another one, and it was painless.

PS: And sorry for the digression from coins, gang, but we're frail human beings and it happens sometimes so you might as well just knuckle-down and get used to it.

 

What is this word, "desecrate?" I can't figure out its meaning in that sentence. (That's not its normal usage.)

 

Sorry - To quick with spell check options - don't search a customers coins in front of them - it leaves a bad impression... Discreet

 

Right and Wrong are clear as Day and Night, If you have to ask if what you did or do is closer to dark than light, than you already know it isn't Day therefore it must be Night.

 

Wow KD - so far 6 pages over a simple question.

My tellers at my credit union made it clear that any coin of any interest that comes in goes to one of their husbands. That's okey dokey with me. One time they ask me why I always get twenty ones when I visit them - looking for star notes, radars, etc. They even offered to look thru their current drawers and told me any time I wanted they would take a peak. I have not taken them up on the offer cause it is more fun if I just find one. Tip my hats to tellers!

 

Well kd you sure generated an interesting thread. :smile I sincerely hope you will take what you like and leave the rest. BTW tellers are really great people, that's how I met my wife.