My New 1892 Columbian Expo Commemorative

I moved to a new city about a year ago for school and I have been looking for a coin shop off and on since. Today, I finally managed to stop by the closest one to my house (they have really odd hours) and I checked out what they had. Their selection wasn't the best and I just didn't care for the shop...I kind of had a bad feeling when I left and I don't think I will be going back. But, I will talk about that later.

Here is the coin I picked up. They had quite a few Columbian Half Dollars for sale, both 1892 and 1893. I wanted a 1892 because it has a lower mintage and was the first year they were minted. They didn't have any MS examples of either date. I picked this one up for $10. I would call it XF or so (but I'm not great at grading these). I think it may have been dipped at one time...but it has some nice dark toning to it and I like it. I have always wanted one of these and for $10 I figured I couldn't go wrong.

What would you guys grade this? I know the picture isn't the best, it's a scan and is the best I can do for now.

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Now, for the coin shop. As I said, it was the first time I had been in there and it was a smaller shop. They didn't have a huge supply of coins, mostly US and mostly circulated. No gold that I saw.

The owners were friendly to a point, but kind of ignored me a bit and the shop wasn't that busy. Maybe they had that "dumb kid" opinion of me but I was there looking to buy so I was kind of annoyed. I asked a couple questions about the Columbian halves...most specifically which date had the lower mintage (I thought it was the 1892 but I couldn't remember as I hadn't looked at one for a while), the owner told me he thought it was 1893 and I asked if he had a red book or something similar lying around I could check really quick before I decided which to buy and he got me a book but wasn't too happy about it. I usually have my own reference stuff with me when I go to a coin shop but I was "in the neighborhood" and decided to stop. I ended up getting the 1892 above.

They also had another coin that I was looking at. It was a 1798 Draped Bust Cent what was well worn and had the grade "AG4" on the 2x2 (as if there was such a grade). This coin was certainly AG but I really want a US coin from the 1700s. It had been holed down by the end of Liberty's hair and I thought long and hard about picking it up because they had it marked for $12. Figuring that this was a small coin shop I offered $20 even for the pair of coins (and one of the coins was a problem coin). The owner (an older gentleman) turned it down saying they "don't negotiate price because there isn't time" (as if they were busy) and the other owner from across the room (an older woman) just sort of balked and said "Whoa." I was shocked, I felt that was very rude. It's one thing to just say "no" but I felt I was treated poorly. So, I decided to buy the Columbian and I left.

Anyway, I don't think I will be going back to that shop. I had a bad feeling about the whole experience and I just wasn't impressed. Plus, their hours were such (Tues-Fri 7am-5pm) that with my classes it would have been very hard to have gone there with any regularity anyway.

Maybe I was being to harsh with the shop and being that I was a new face they were just giving me a cold shoulder...but it made me feel like my business wasn't as good as others. What do you guys think?

But, I like the coin I got...I know it's not a great example but for $10 what the heck.

 

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I would give the half a vf. 35, 12 is not too bad for it, it is about 5 or 6 bullion content.

Go back to that shop again, you might have hit them on a bad day.

 

I may have missed typed it. I paid $10 for the Columbian. They wanted $12 for the 1798 holed cent. I'm pretty happy with the price I paid for the 1892.

 

Stories like this make me sad... I can't understand the mentality of a shop owner who would treat potential repeat customers this way. Any new customer that walks through the door should given the red carpet treatment, including a lousy two bucks off list for the two coin deal. I think at that point in time I would have packed up and departed without the '92. Man, I'm glad my local shop owner isn't like the one you ran into.

 

I agree the coin looks VF from your scan, and $10 is a fair price for the 1892. It's a nice coin.

Regarding the coin shop, if you can stand the bad treatment it might be worth going back at least one more time. If the owner isn't much of an expert on his merchandise, you might find a bargain in their somewhere. But be careful, he might be selling a lot of cleaned and damaged coins. You have to know what you want before entering the shop.

 

I would give them another try. You don't have to spend a lot of money, if any at all. Just see if the mood is the same. If they seem cold and unfriendly, let them know you may be a potential regular customer. If that doesn't change their attitude, I'd leave then.

 

Well, as I said this shop had very inconvenient hours for me anyway...they are only open Tuesday-Friday from 7am-5pm and with my school schedule (which is basically 8am-7pm including lab work weekdays and some on weekends) it would be very hard for me to visit this shop anyway. So, combining that with a negative experience today...I just don't see the point in going way out of my way to go back.

 

If they treated me like that I would have walked out.....without buying anything. Bad form on their part.

 

You did not misstype it, I misread it, I like the commemoratives since many were marketed to collectors a lot of them are in high grades, the columbians were one exception which were sold more to the general public.

 

That thought crossed my mind.

 

With some searching and hunting you may be able to find an example for a couple dollars less, but so what!!! When you see a coin and you like it, then sometimes you just have to pay the asking price and in this case I think you did ok. I love the Columbian Commemoratives too, have had several in high grades up to MS66 but every so often a circulated example catches my eye and I just have to have it!!! I bought this one at a local show last year for $15, sure I may have paid too much, but I liked it!!!!!

 

illini - you take some fantastic pictures. Nice piece.

CamaroDMD - congrats on your new acquisition.

Here's the reverse of my 1893:

 

Thanks Catbert, that pic you have isn't too bad either!

Here's another Columbian that I owned. Sold it not too long ago and sort of wish I didn't... it was pretty

 

Totally agree.

Younger person or not, there is no excuse for rudeness.

Next time ya want a Columbian, as me first.

 

I have had very bad experiences, and good ones at some local coin shops. The good one is just a mile away- extremely convienient. The other two are about 5 miles away (one's 5 miles north, the other south.) The one, Main Line Coin and Stamp, I found in the phone book. They are extremely expensive. The barber's I'm looking for, common dates in G-4 Condition upwards of $20.00 each. So in the glass display case they had a modified shoes box full of Franklin Halves labeled "High Grade Franklins: $8.50" I grabbed up a nice toned one. The total of everything came to about $16.00, he gave it to me for just $12.50. That was a good experience at that store. The second time I went, I brought some .925 silver necklaces to sell. This is how the conversation went.

Me: Hi, I'm trying to sell this silver that I have.
Him(Store Worker): How old are you?
Me: 15.
Him: Well, let me take a look. (looks down at necklaces)
Him: These look like silver, but you'd need a parent to sell them to us. You see, this stuff could be stolen.
Me: (I showed him through a loupe how my name "Michael" was micro-engraved onto the clasp of every necklace. I also tried them all on to show they fit perfectly- thus proving that I hadn't stolen them from an adult.)
Him: Well, this proves that they fit you and you didn't take them from your parents. But how about a jewelry store.
Me: (I said jokingly) If I robbed a jewelry store, wouldn't I take gold?
Him: (annoyed) I'm sorry but I can't buy these from you, you'd need a parent.

I shopped around a little bit and ended up buying a 1948 BU Franklin for $18.00 and a few other things.

Planning to never return to the store, at the checkout I said," So I don't need a parent for you to take my money, but I'd need a parent for you to give me money."
He replied,"Yeah, basically."

So, bad experience at that store.

The second bad experience was not a coin store but an antiques mall (5 miles south) of where I live. This was the first time I had went to this store, $300.00 in hand. When I arrived, the door was wide open and the sign said "OPEN". I made a quick left to the coins and began looking. I found some stuff I wanted, but I heard vaccumming getting louder and louder. A worker of the store kicked me out because I was trespassing on the property when they were closed. I had explained to him that the door was open and the sign said "OPEN" but he wanted nothing of it. I knew this was a store that received little business- making only about $50.00 a day, so I knew this comment would make him desperate. I said," I was just about to buy three hundred dollars worth of coins from you but you kicked me out". I dramatically waved 15 twenties in the air and left the store. You should have seen his face.

The third store, the one that is just a mile away is awesome. The owner is nice and store is extremely small. I always buy supplies and coins from this guy, who always give me hints, suggestions and experiences on what I've purchased. The other dealers I've encountered just look at the items I picked, ring them in and give me my change. No conversation at all, not even "Thanks"

 

Now that is a beautiful coin. Eventually, I want an example like that in my collection. The one I got yesterday is intended to fill one of those commemorative slots in the 7070. I think this coin will look good in there.

 

I have been to 7 coin shops in my area. THe two or three that I will go to on a regular basis are the ones that have the best service and are the friendliest. I will go out of my way to go to the one I prefer to go to (passing some of the others on the way). In my mind, that is what separates the good stores from the rest. ANd for two coins for $22 they should have offered YOU the $20 deal. After that "whoa" comment I wouldn't EVER go back.

 

That is what made the most mad. They made it seem like my offer had insulted them. Well, then they won't get any more of my money.

 

I went to my favorite store today, owned by a young man (30s?) sometimes his wife and little daughter are there, not today. He was very happy, seems a customer sold him some mint sets yesterday, a bunch that he did not have time to go thru at the time, this morning he was checking them and found two no s nickels in them, he was one happy camper, and could not have happened to a nicer guy, but instead of keeping all the gravy for himself he is going to contact the seller of the sets and lay some more cash on them!

 

That one action would make me a lifetime customer. I believe now that most of the B&M's have owners like this, I will admit had I heard this story a year ago I would of insinuated that you were lying. Just an example of how one bad experience at a B&M can affect a person.