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Message:: [QUOTE="CaptHenway, post: 4502768, member: 13813"]When I was at ANACS we received a Registered package with about $500 in POSTAGE on it. This drew our attention, and several of us witnessed the opening of the package. It was a common 1823 half, but the submission form listed it as an 1823-"O" mint mark and the owner's declared value was $500,000. There were a few scratches above the date, in the general area where the mint marks were on 1838-O & 1839-O halves, and the submittor had deluded herself into thinking it was an unlisted mint mark variety. She had paid our maximum $500 fee and another $500 for return postage. I sent the lady a photocopy of the Overton listing for the variety and a history of the New Orleans Mint showing that it had not opened until 1838 and nicely explained that it was not an O, but merely some random scratches, and told her that if she would revalue the coin, in writing, to say $100 we would refund $494 of her fee and most of her postage. She refused, insisting she was right. I tried two or three more times, but she kept insisting she was right. In the end we certified it for what it was, an 1823 half dollar, Overton-whatever, and returned it. To cover our tuccuses we Registered it for $500,000, even though at the time the absolute most that the Post Office would pay off on a Registered shipment was either $10,000 or $25,000. When she got the coin she called, all excited. She asked if this meant that we agreed that it was genuine. I said yes, it is a genuine 1823 half dollar. She then asked if this meant it was worth $500,000, and I said no, as I told you before, it is worth about $80. She said "Well! I've been cheated again!" TPG's live and die by Owner's Declared Values because otherwise submittors will be unreasonable after the fact. As I said before, the owner of the coin has a beef with the dealer who told him to declare $15, not the TPG.[/QUOTE]

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