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Pillar of the Community
United States
1064 Posts |
Thanks Dave, excellent explanation, makes all the sense in the world. I didn't think it thru...
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Rest in Peace
 United States
9104 Posts |
Keep in mind, the only reason anyone here heard about it is because I accidentally ran across an article several days old.
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Moderator
 United States
23522 Posts |
....which means it's already too late. The coins were obviously raw; they've been fenced with an unsuspecting dealer in Chicago or Tampa or somewhere, for decent but not spectacular money. The thief(thieves?) probably realized $10k on a zero investment, the dealer will make great money on an "unsuspecting mark," and everybody's happy.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
12437 Posts |
Actual value was closer to $10,000, the ANA doesn't put the really good stuff in their small traveling exhibits. Six coins were stolen- 1849 Seated Liberty $1 VF, 1861 $2 1/2 VF, 1857 $3 AU, 1862 $5 AU, 1847 $10 VF, and 1861 $20 EF. The exhibit had been set up for less than 48 hours over a weekend and it was not scheduled to officially open until Monday. The display was in an area with no security camera and no stationed personnel. The Museum of Transportation utilizes alot of volunteers and I suspect this was a crime of opportunity. Every single coin shop in the St Louis area has the list of dates and conditions so they will be tough to fence locally. Edited by biokemist6
06/18/2011 11:26 pm
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Rest in Peace
United States
9104 Posts |
ok, 9442 numismedia. still a felony.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
14454 Posts |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
12437 Posts |
Good ending, the coins were apparently anonymously returned today but the St Louis County Police are not commenting and no one has been arrested. I am still going with my first hunch of an inside job by an employee/volunteer but fortunately one with a guilty conscience  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1704 Posts |
The thief probably realized he/she was not going to be able to sell the coins without getting caught and just returned them. Ed ANA LM-3175 |
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Valued Member
United States
262 Posts |
well that's good news, I agree that is was probably someone on the inside. I just can't believe that something as priceless as these coins were so easily stolen. I mean the bass collection in the ANA sits inside a very secure vault with armed security with literally one camera on each coin. They make this ANA theft seem like they were wide out in the open. |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
14454 Posts |
if the information hadn't gotten out as fast as it did it may have had a whole different out come. That is where these forums and websites can really spread the word fast and make it almost impossible or at least difficult for a thief to sell their stolen goods
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
3692 Posts |
I think that the writer or reporter just did not talk to the victim. The victim in such a case, as you guys have mentioned, would have described the coins in numismatic detail, telling the writer, "here, just write this in your column and coin people will understand it." There's nothing hard about that. I think the story was passed down through many hands and edited for length and simplicity as newspapers mostly are. It's like describing a criminal's face. Saying he had 2 eyes and a nose and a mouth isn't enough to go on.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
12437 Posts |
Quote:
I just can't believe that something as priceless as these coins were so easily stolen.
Not priceless at all, value is in the $10-20,000 range. Quote:They make this ANA theft seem like they were wide out in the open. Security at the Edward C. Rochette Museum in Colorado Springs is top-notch and it should be considering they probably have in excess of $100 million in the building. This was a small traveling ANA exhibit that was on loan to the Museum of Transportation in St Louis. The exhibit was in a locked glass case but with no further security measures(guard, CCTV cameras, etc). No museum alarms were triggered and it is suspected that the lock to the case was picked. The coins were stolen the weekend before the exhibit officially opened to the public so that coupled with no alarms or broken glass strongly points to an inside job. Quote:
think that the writer or reporter just did not talk to the victim. The problem with that is the "victim" is 900 miles away from St Louis in Colorado Springs, I doubt any local yokel reporters bothered to place a call to the 719 area code. The ANA did their part though by placing an alert with the Numismatic Crime Information Center, complete with listed dates and conditions. This story was also featured on all of the local TV station newscasts so it was covered fairly well in the St Louis area. One consequence I see coming out of this is the ANA being much more stringent with security requirements for recipients of traveling exhibits. |
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Forum Dad
United States
24173 Posts |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
12437 Posts |
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Rest in Peace
United States
9104 Posts |
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Posted 06/18/2011 8:34 pm
