Know a person sitting on a super rare coin? (Fun Thread)

Going to have some fun. If you know a person (directly or through some degree of separation) who has a very rare or unique coin.

It does not have to be a coin you actually saw. It can even be a bit of a 'rumor'. For example I recall a rumor from a buddy of mine a few years back that a guy in rural California had a heavily worn 1894-s Dime he found in change. True? No idea and I highly doubt but my friend at least gave it a SMUDGE of credence.


I do have one that is a little more grounded. I have a close friend in southern Georgia who I was visiting and he told me he wanted to tell me something awesome: He knew an old timer with a 1792 J-2. I laughed and laughed. He kept a straight face and said he was serious. He was at this little coin club meeting at a VA and this guy who had strolled in a few times and he got a little friendly with this old fellow. Eventually this guy told him he had something he would like to show my friend. My friend thought nothing of it and BAM this guy takes a little 2x2 holder and pulls out the coin. My friend (I will call him Bill) thought "Oh this old fellow is a bit of a novice and thinks he has a genuine and should I just smile OR should I try and let him down easy?"

Well Bill put on a show (sure it was fake) and smiled and said "Wow". This old guy was savy and replied something to the effect of "This is real and I know it is. I've had it looked at by experts". Bill still was not really buying it but said "Oh really". This guy whips out paper work from a very, very big coin dealer (Who I will not name but any collector knows the name) which was a personal letter from this dealer essentially begging him to sell it. The old guy told Bill that about 10 years ago (This was a few years back so I'd say around 2005) he wanted to have the coin authenticated. He contacted a few dealers who of course blew him off. I mean when somebody calls and says "I have a 1792 Judd 2" I think most coin shops are prone to hang up the phone. Well anyway this Unnamed Major Dealer sort of blew him off but told him he was going to be in Atlanta in a few months and if he wanted he could meet him.

I guess he did and to this dealer obviously thought it was genuine because he sent a letter to him a bit later asking if he wanted to sell it. It was not begging but the letter was sort of pleading.

My friend took me to see this guy and when I saw the coin it blew me away. This guy let Bill and me look over the coin for nearly an hour. I have obviously never handled a genuine coin and am far from an expert but we could see nothing wrong with it.


It was amazing.

The old guy says he will never sell it.

I ask Bill every know and then and he says he sees the old fellow but the coin never comes up except in passing.

 

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This could be a dangerous thread. Please make sure to post addresses to those friends too.... (not!)

 

I know of a guy with two 1804 silver dollars lol. Ive seen them both. Ive been within six inches of them.

Ok its not a guy. It was at the ANA money museum. I live like two hours from it and those are probably the rarest/most valuable coins ive ever seen in person.

I dont have coin collector friends. I dont even have friends cause i collect coins lol.

 

One of the members of one of my local coin clubs has an 1802 half dime. Maybe a VG, but it is real. I have had a chance to examine it. Another member had about a dozen different types of Lesher dollars. (Any Lesher is scarce to rare, several types are unique. There are 18 different types.) That member died several years ago and his collection has now been disbursed.

 

Jack Lee was a friend of mine, so I guess I knew a guy with some very impressive and unique coins. I suppose my favorite of his coins were the New Orleans branch mint proof Morgan dollars. He would set up at our local small monthly show with some of those coins and it always amazed me to watch people casually stroll past a multi million dollar display case and not even know what they were looking at.

 

Apparently someone at the coin club I go to owned an 1894-S dime at one point.

 

I know a guy who has an Eide Mar denarius, the most desired ancient coin there is. To American collectors, its the equivalent of an 1894s dime or a BU Chain cent. It was struck by Brutus simply to brag about stabbing Julius Caesar.

 

I know a person on this forum that owns the coin of the century.

Do you know the coin I'm talking about?

 

LOL - my guy is called "the local coin shop". He has had 1856 flying eagles, gobrecht dollars, 1797 Half dollars, and many other coins. And the best part - I get to hold them and look at them. And in one case I was even given the privilege of dropping a 20k coin. They love showing me these rarities which I can never afford. Very cool owner and the same for his employees.

 

Big deal! We've had dozens of people come here who claimed to have found the Holy Grail.

Chris

 

After all, what is the grail? In essence it's a vessel to convey wine.......have a drink lads.

 

Yes I know someone sitting on a rare coin. But they won't stand up so I don't know what it is!!!

 

I once was playing poker with a woman and some others about 20 years ago (shes now deceased) and she thought she had a rare error silver dollar because it had a V where the U should have been in In God We Trvst. I told her it wasn't an error and they were all done that way. She said "Oh, well the only other old coin I have is a 1959 wheat penny." I told her she didn't have a 1959 wheat penny because that was the year they changed the design. She swore she had one, but we were playing poker and I never got to see it. I really don't know if she was mistaken or if she really had a "mule." I know I know, this coin isn't supposed to exist. By the way, this woman knew nothing about coins, so she wasn't trying to fool me or anything.

 

Now that was funny

 

No, that's sad.....

 

Most likely a 'Peace Dollar'. Folks is so hung up on Roman (Latin) spelling......

 

My local shop has let me hold a few pieces that have cost more than I could ever afford. I will never forget the day the shop owner called me over to hold a coin and was stunned at the price tag. $48k, most expensive coin I have ever held.

 

You guys are lucky. The brick and mortar shops where I live sell low end stuff, and I have better stuff/bigger inventories and my collection isn't anything special. I wish I lived where you guys do.

 

I was at a poker game once, a game of part time and vest pocket dealers...one of them pulled a 1901 S barber quarter that he had gotten from somewhere, he was intentionally vague as it was a consignment, but it was high end XF/AU.