my fav coin story

Paddy....that's definately one of the best stories ever.....way to go.

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

Destiny of a 1952 Jefferson Nickel

Earlier this year, a collector decided to part with his 1952 Jefferson Nickel NGC MS67. This is a coin with a total population of (14/0) and a Numismedia Price of $220. Naturally, he chose Heritage to handle the sale of his coins and the saga of the 1952 Jeff began. Once I saw the photo of this remarkably toned nickel, I knew I had to have it. Heritage is notorious for failing to do toned coins justice with their assembly line photographs. I could tell from the photo and the subtle hints of color that this coin was a spectacular iridescent toned monster whose true colors could not be captured by a straight on photo. A true gambler, I decided that I would place a ridiculous bid of $1,000 that would surely secure this coin's future. To my surprise at auctions end, I was outbid by $100 and the final price realized with buyers premium was $1265. Here is a link to the auction and a cleaned up rendition of Heritage's straight shot photo.

http://coins.ha.com/common/view_item...1&Lot_No=61142



For months I sulked over the fact that I probably let the finest toned 1952 Jefferson Nickel in existence slip through my fingers. I never imagined that another collector would come down with auction fever to usurp my ridiculous bid. Did he even know what a monster he had just purchased, maybe he did. To add insult to injury, last month, I found the new residence of the Jeff. It belonged in another NGC registry set. And as upsetting as that was, I was completely dismayed when I saw the collector's photo. All I could think to myself is that justice had not been served and nobody should keep a Jefferson of this quality in the dark.


Then out of nowhere, as if the numismatic gods themselves intervened, the 1952 Jeff showed up in a DLRC auction. Perhaps the only company with worse photos of toned coins than Heritage is DLRC. Again, the straight on photograpy on showed hints of the monster iridescent color that I knew layed on the surface of this premium gem.



I thought to myself, there is no way that lightning strikes twice. Nobody in their right mind would outbid me based on this photo. They would have to have seen both photos and even then, they would have to be a little crazy. I had convinced myself and for the second time in 6 months placed my ridiculous bid of $1,000. I fully expected to be outbid in some sort of cruel joke, but the bid never came. At auctions end, the coin was mine for a price of $195.50. Could this be true. Could I actually have picked up this coin for less than wholesale. Joy of joys it was true!

Then came the day that I picked the coin up from the post office. And I was greeted by one of the most fantastically toned Jeffersons I have ever seen. While both Heritage and DLRC's photos are technically accurate, they fail to capture the true beauty of the coin. From a straight view, both of their photos are decidedly an accurate representation of the coin's actual appearance. But once rotated under a light, a different coin reveals itself. A monster toned obverse with intermingled shades of lemon yellow, tangerine, raspberry, grass green, periwinkle, violet, and sandy tan. The reverse is more subtly toned in pastel yellow, blue, violet, tan, and blushes of magenta. Without further ado, I present the 1952 Jefferson Nickel that followed it's destiny into my collection.



It is days like this that make this hobby fantastic.

Read more: http://www.cointalk.com/t64127/#ixzz0hN2DiQsH
​

 

wow great story Lehigh I dream to put a coin like that in my collection one day!

 

That was a cool story. Those toned coins are really cool to look at but are way out of my expertese until I learn a lot more about the coin world. Anyway, great find

 

Great stories!!! Keep 'em coming.

Hey Swish, great thread idea!

 

sorry...double post

Great stories!!! Keep 'em coming.

Hey Swish, great thread idea!

 

In the mid-1950's, I would occasionally get one when collecting on my paper route.

I did get a 1916 Barber dime in change at an Inn-N-Out five years ago. The clerk looked at the dime and started to take it back thinking it might have been Canadian or something.I looked at it and told him it was OK and I'd accept it. It's nothing special (G condition), but a nice story.

 

good advice to live by... and a great story to go with it!

 

Nice!!

 

Last summer, we visited a flea market in Chicago. At one of the tables was a woman and her college aged son. The son had a box of stuff he said came from his junk drawer. The box was full of Hot Wheels and McDonald's Happy Meal toys. Everything in the box was five for a buck.
Looking through the box was a bunch of Pee Wee Herman toys, which I snatched up. I also bought a ziplock baggie full of play money--bills and plastic coins. In the baggie was a barber dime. Yippie!!!
In the bottom of the box was my prize. I found a slabbed PCGS MS69 1984-P commemorative Olympic silver dollar and a slabbed NGC MS69 2006 Silver Eagle.
To make it look good, I bought about three dollars worth of happy meal toys and the coins. I laid stuff out on the table. He counted the stuff up and gave me a price. I asked him if he was sure, pointing to the coins, giving him time to see his mistake, but he said he was sure.
I paid twenty cents each for the two silver dollars and the barber dime, plus I got a bunch of Pee Wee Herman collectables!!!

 

I'm gonna have to check my nickels...according to the list I made last week I apparently have 4 of the 1952 Jefferson nickels....
Lets see, they should be in a baggie in the bottom of a box with a bunch of other baggies full of coins.......seriously.

 

That's incredible!