Dear coin friends, I have just received the terrible (for me) news that an insured letter of mine on the way to certification in the USA was deliberately cut open while on transit and all the contents removed. Included were the following four Sestertii and one Dupondius which may not be of the highest grade, rarity or value, but were very dear to me. If you happen to see any of them on offer anywhere, please send me a PM. With utmost sadness, JG Lucius Verus Sestertius Domitian Sestertius Faustina I Sestertius Geta Sestertius Antonia Sestertius
I am very sorry about your stolen coins. Did the theft happen through the USPS? Where did the notice come from? Here's a link to filing a claim with the USPS (last option at the bottom of the page): https://www.usps.com/help/missing-mail.htm If the coins were stolen while being send through the USPS, you can also file a report with the Inspector General: https://www.uspsoig.gov/form/file-online-complaint
I am so sorry, @Julius Germanicus. What a horrible thing to happen! I hope they can do some kind of investigation, not that it would bring any solace. Those coins were really nice. Erin
Thats terrible! Sorry to hear that. Those were very nice coins. I really hope they will turn up somewhere and get reuinited with you. Maybe send word out to some dealers around where they were stolen, and keep checking eBay?
One more suggestion. In the future send your coins by registered mail, whether domestically or internationally. Registered mail can be very slow, but it is the safest way to send anything of value. With registered mail the letter or package is reported at each stop in the transit, so there is a record of its status at each point. Again, sorry about the lost coins.
I am so sorry Julius. I can only imagine the sense of loss and frustration. I hope that you can recover them some time.
This is dreadful and I commiserate with you. Registered is always best because at best it identifies the point at which it is handled and lost and this is often covered by CCTV, not from my experience but that of a friend who "lost" something in transit. One thing, with the coin community and the way these things sell on line, there is a chance of recovery as long as you put the investment in time in. Register the descriptions on Ebay on your "wanted" list as these clowns will try and dispose of them rapidly as they are opportunists not specialists. Detectives love an "easy win".
I am sorry for your loss. I would think someone in the trail of custody of this package got it. Does your mail facility know you collect coins? I would send a Dummy package exactly like the other one and see if it disappears. I guess I have no solution without a signature every step of the way.
That's awful. Was it from Europe or somewhere else, or a purely domestic letter? I've had one coin mauled and lost due to a machine failure, but I've been fortunate enough not to have that. I had a package of reels arrive empty, but that was because of horrendous packing.
Thank you all for your kind words! I actually did send my coins via registered mail from Hamburg to California on April 29. Sadly the insurance only covers 500 Euros which is less than what a paid for the bronzes. Tracking shows they had been processed at the export parcel service in Rodgau on the next morning and were at Frankfurt airport at noon the same day (April 30). The letter arrived at USPS Jersey City Distribution Center on May 13 and was in transit to the next facility on May 17. It arrived at USPS Springfield Distribution Center on May 22 and left from there on May 23. When they arrived in the ACCS PO Box on May 25, the box was empty I would think they got stolen while in USPS custody because that is where they spent three and a half weeks. The notice came from David Sear. Nobody at the USPS seems to have noticed that the box had been messed with.
Trying to give an advise for any future shipments Internationally I prefer carriers (UPS for me). Packing: pack a "box in a box" and use quite large boxes. It is just more secure than envelopes with a cardboard protection inside. Thefts usually happen at the "hubs" Regards Klaus
Oof, that really sucks. I'll certainly keep an eye out. It may be worth checking new eBay listings, as well as Facebook Marketplace (they'll probably want to quickly get rid of it locally)
This is just terrible news. Since I do a lot of eBay bottom-feeding, I'll watch out for these sestertii showing up.
That's terrible! It is very upsetting when something like this occurs. I've had two instances of coins disappearing due to theft. Can you get a photo of the empty box from David Sear, plus something in writing from him that the box arrived empty? You might want to report the theft to the USPS and file a claim, and as an option report the theft to the USPS Inspector General. If you file a missing mail report it will start a tracing process with the USPS. Since the shipment was registered they should be able to examine each stop that the package made while in the USPS.