1913 V Nickel

Real post or fake, it still brings up a memory that really cemented coin collecting into my future. Back in the late 1970's some family friends were moving to our neck of the woods (Denver, CO). They stayed at our house for a month or so while house shopping, they had some old coins they said, when they saw me looking over my very meager collection and a coin price guide. So they found them in a box and we looked them over, coming to a coin a lot better shape than the OP's coin but still a 1913 V nickel. After being floored by the $250,000.00 price and with hopes high, my friend took me along on a trip to the ANA 50 miles South in Colorado Springs. We met with one of the early ANACS team members, Tom Delany I think. He patiently explained the whole 1913 nickle story to us and then spent some time examining our coin we brought along. Of course as you all know ours was a fake, but the small chance that week that there was a hidden treasure out there kept me looking for more, even if I'd never find a 1913 V Nickle. Years later a friend purchased a real one, and resold it shortly after. I've had the privilege to be able to hold several real ones in my hands and examine them close up, along with the 1804 dollars. Even a fake can be a helper in our hobby when used the correct way - to educate others.

westcoin; I think yours is a very nice story and it's good that the experience got you interested in collecting coins. I am also envious that you were able to examine a 1913 V nickel and an 1804 dollar. It would be like meeting royalty (or a celebrity if you may).

I could also see that going the other way though. I could see a complete new comer think they had something awesome only to discover its fake and just say "oh forget this"...or something similar with expletives. I just started collecting when I was given a half complete 1959-present Lincoln whitman folder when I was 5. I would look through my parent's change all the time to fill the remaining holes. It's difficult to draw an analogy with something like that, but I think if somebody told me, in theory, that my Lincoln set was just fake....that I would have quit forever.....and all you people would never have had to deal my many provocative posts on this forum.

Yep, cool story that is! All 5 at once! They had all 5 at the ANA a few years ago I recall, but to actually own them and to be able to spread them all out out on the jewlers pad at once to examine them, wow.

I saw a special about a month ago on the lost Walton Family example. I think the show was called Hidden Treasure of something. Great story. If you can find it, it's worth watching.

Then why did two of the tell the OP they weren't sure it was fake? Other than looking like fools, what did they gain?

Tell coppercoins that.

Coppercoins is not a "typical" dealer. A typical dealer is a generalist, not a specialist; he doesn't get to choose a specialty because anything at all could walk into his shop on a given day and he has to know how to make a buck from it, whatever it is. That precludes specializing.

Coppercoins is a Lincoln specialist of the highest order, and although (for instance) he's not a stranger to Morgans, I wouldn't go to him with an arcane VAM question.

I couldn't hazard a guess as to why any dealer would not render an opinion about the veracity of this coin; nobody in their right mind would believe it a genuine 1913. Just keep in mind, many dealers did not get into the profession because of their basic love of numismatics. In fact, I would think the opposite to be true because it's very difficult to be a dealer and a collector at the same time.

But to say they know little or nothing about coins.....
come on