Ones that got away

That's eBay, sometimes I will lose a coin by less than a dollar and sometimes I win one by less than a dollar. I don't mind as long as I'm not bidding against the seller, as in shill bidding

 

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It certainly does. The coin looks nice and maybe the 65+ was low initially. I could see a 66 or even a 66+ but the 67+ and the 68 were just crazy (especially since it all happened within a few years).

 

It all rings of the Wizard of Oz, "Pay not attention to man behind the curtain".

 

When I think of the coin that got away, I think of the Franklin half collection that I amassed in the 1980’s. Super high quality Franklin’s were cheap back then and we weren’t looking at bell lines and such. I took years and only purchased the finest of the fine when I built that book. It was stolen from me twenty years ago. Dang I bet I had some Franklin’s in that book that would be top pops today.

 

You know, for threads like these... They need a "Dang" button instead of a "Like" button.

 

I missed out on this ugly coin today.
It was advertised as an 1871, but sure looks like 1874, not that the 1874 is more valuable, in fact, the ‘74 is worth less. This sold for about $19 with shipping. Maybe I should have bid another $1 or 2 at the end.

Anyways, what intrigued me about this coin, is how close the 4 is to the 7, and if it actually is a 4, it is different than the other 4s. In a limited search, I could not find another like that. Maybe it’s nothing, but I like investigating these types of things, and it’s probably cheaper than going to a bar or movie for entertainment, not that I ever do either of those anyways, lol.

 

I regularly kick myself for not purchasing this the first time I saw it on sale. Then I remember that it later came up for auction and I didn't bid strong enough to get it so I kick myself again.

The most pronounced double profile I ever remember seeing.

 

WOW!!!
And a die clash on the reverse, no? And from what coin? Something with ‘liberty’ on it.

 

The LIBERTY clash is from the obverse die. The 2 dies clashed together at least 3 times during their usage.

 

I really love that coin!!! Is the doubled profile the result of a counter clash?

 

Yeah, that is unbelievable. Then there's other similar Morgans they would never budge on. I guess it depends on who's in the grading room on what day.

 

Most seem to think that double profiles were the result of a worn out set screw allowing the die to bounce.

 

Oh, and you should line up so the rest of us can supply extra kicks. I mean, one of the primary motivations for collecting CB coinage is the variety of die marriages and unique "stuff" you see. If you don't mind saying, what was the hammer the second time?

Cool coin.

 

It was back in like 2007 when I first ran across it and maybe a year and a half when it later went up on Ebay. I don't remember either price merely that my snipe wasn't high enough and that the winning bid was less than the next bid level over.

 

Could this be an example of that? Any other thoughts on this one?

 

I'll tell you what happens to me a surprising lot on coin auction losses. I don't use any sniping software. I wait till the last second and drop what I would pay max. That way there's no time for a bidding war. Sometimes when I hit send its not high enough and now too late. Sometimes I win and sometimes I set my bid exactly where the other bidder was. But because he enters first he wins. The other night I tied a bid at 22.22. I once dropped a bid that won by .01. I was at 301.01 the guy before me was at 301.

 

Most things that you missed crop up again eventually. This is an exception.

The item that sticks in my mind to this day is an 1801 Thomas Jefferson inaugural medal by John Reich in silver. The medal cropped up at a Winter FUN show. It wasn’t cheap, but I had the money at the time. Another collector told me the price was too high and that it could be had later for less money. Foolishly I ignored my collector instincts and knowledge, which is something I have vowed not to do in the future. The piece was sold, and I missed out, probably forever.

There are about 10 of these medals known in silver and three others in white metal.

Another one showed up in an auction a couple of years later. The person was selling it dangled it in front of my nose. I had no interest because it had a huge rim problem that would have never pleased me.

I have another rule. If I can’t afford to buy a nice example of something, then I have to pass on it.

 

As for coins that got away, the only one that really sticks in my mind is a 1795 S-76b large cent that was Mint State. I sold the coin when I was raising money to buy a Gobrecht Dollar. I have since bought another one that is slightly better, but it cost me a lot more money.

 

As for me, there is one coin that has persistently got away from me, and that coin is a Great Britain 1821 Shilling. For those that don't collect British coins, the 1821 Shilling is a one-year reverse type like the 1853 Quarter and Half Dollar. It is also quite a common coin in higher grades. However, with my budget, an evenly circulated example is much more budget-friendly. I've lost several online auctions for this particular coin in the past few years, which has made it a white whale of sorts for me. The funny thing is the last time I bid on one of these, eBay made me confirm my bid twice, and nobody else bid on it at the last minute. I would've won it, too, if it wasn't for eBay asking me to confirm my bid after I had already confirmed it. Adding insult to injury, eBay has never again made me confirm my bid twice on an item.

Great Britain 1821 One Shilling - George IV 1st portrait; 1st reverse

Not the same coin I bid on.