My stepfather has the above coin and was told by Bowers and Marena Auctions to mail it to them How can he be sure they dont do a switch on him are they reputable? and whats it worth? thanx
Fugio cents were all dated 1787, their value ranges from $200 to $500,000 depending on variety and condition. A cent dated 1796 should be a Liberty cap, worth anywhere from about $75 to $20,000 depending on variety, condition, etc. Or it could be a counterfeit worth pennies. I doubt that Bowers and Merena would try to scam you, they are a very reputable firm. Your other option is to have it authenticated by a company like NGC, PCGS or ANACS.
Wmf57, No matter what the coin is, if Bowers & Merena believes that it is genuine and they want him to send it to them, then he can trust them! In fact, they will have him ship the coin via Registered Mail with minimal Insurance and as soon as it is accepted at the Post Office, Bowers & Merena's Insurance Carrier (unless their' Policies have changed) will then Insure the coin to it's full worth in case it is lost or stolen.** The thing that your stepfather needs to do, is to take very detailed pictures of the coin that can be used in case it does get lost or stolen. **Now, you can't a better situation than that! Most other Auction Houses will not provide Insurance and especially any Insurance coverage which is higher than anything the USPS will provide but Bowers & Merena (again, unless they have change their' Policies) does. Frank