You never know WHAT is gonna go through that door...

So, I've started stopping in at a pawn shop on my way home from work. It's fairly nice as such places go, but doesn't usually have a lot in the way of coins -- some clad proof sets, various state quarter collections, occasionally silver at 20x face or so. But coins do come and go, so I try to check in from time to time.

This afternoon, there were maybe two dozen circulated Morgans spread out in the case. I'm not a big Morgan collector, but I gave them the once-over, just in case there was something even I could recognize.

They were mostly face-up, and I noticed that there weren't many duplicate dates (except for the multiple flips holding beat-up 1881-S specimens). I particularly noticed these:



...most particularly that one on the lower right.

I casually asked to see a few of them, so I could check the pricing and mint marks. The guy behind the counter kind of chuckled that there weren't any CC mintmarks; oh, well.



"Can you do any better on the price if I take four?" "Maybe" -- and he started peeling the stickers to check the mintmarks himself. My heart sank, but I think he was just double-checking for those CC mint marks.

I ended up in for $21 each (plus tax, so close to the original sticker price). 1884-S, 1889-O, 1894-O, 1895-O. I probably won't come out ahead on the first three, given their condition, but the fourth should make up for it.

It didn't occur to me until I was almost home that I hadn't asked to look at the ones that were already showing their reverse, so I'm not certain that there wasn't an 1893 in there too. I think I'll swing by on the way to work tomorrow, on the off chance that they haven't already been cleaned out.

 

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Very nice. The other 3 are common in that grade, but a 95o... Score!

 

Well, that doesn't suck.

 

Nice score!!! Those pawn shops seem to be jewels in the rough. You gotta feel a little bad for the poor schmoe who sold them to them. I wonder how much they got out of them. At least they are going to be taken care of and not thrown into some sack for bullion.

 

He shoots! He scores!!!!

I wish the pawn shops around me dealt more in coins. One of the larger shops won't even touch coins.

 

In general keeping an eye out for the mid-1890's is a good idea.
Often worth a closer look.

 

Sweet find! Ching, ching!!

 

I actually mulled over the karma aspects a little bit while I was standing there. The way I figure it, the person who sold them to the shop had already been shorted, and nothing I could do would correct that. For that matter, if the person selling didn't know 1895 was a better date, there's a good chance that person got them from someone who didn't have a chance to point out their relative values, if you know what I mean.

But if I didn't buy the thing, it's not like it was going to sit there in the display until everyone involved saw the error of their ways. So, I gave it a new home. (No promises that I won't flip it, though...)

 

Flip it , you made the discovery. Then get something you really want.

 

Did you weigh them all, and magnet test them for authenticity?
I prob would have just bought the 1 coin (not knowing off hand until I looked it up that it is a key date) on condition alone. I would sell the other 3, and just keep the nice 1895-O. But that's me.

 

1895-O's are not often found just sitting around. Nice!

 

Did anybody get the Pawn Stars reference. It just dawned on me lol

 

So now you have glue on the reverses.

 

So what. That's a good thing here. It shows the shop doesn't really care about coins implying that scores like this are possible at said establishment. When I see something like this my eyes pop and my poker face clicks on for the hunt.

 

Thats right, gotta keep your eyes open. Got some nice cherrypicks from eBay
by being alert.

 

removing the glue shouldn't be particularly difficult and if the labels were applied at the pawn shop, there will be no difference in tone underneath them

 

Yeah, it's plenty fresh enough for acetone to make it like it never happened. And with the possible exception of the 1889, I see nothing on them otherwise which acetone would affect.

 

Meh. They've seen worse.

The labels were freshly applied, and came right off. One of the common ones does have some sharp scratches that appear rather fresh, though.

 

I've checked some of the pawn shops in my area, but few ever have coins. The one time I did see one was a common date Morgan in Fine for $99. No thanks...but it doesn't hurt to keep looking.

 

I've found that if a seller doesn't know how to price the cheap stuff, they may not know how to price the expensive stuff, either. Of course, you've got to be in the right place at the right time to get the underpriced expensive stuff, because otherwise someone else will.