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 Replies: 20 / Views: 2,925 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
595 Posts |
Now that I've been around CCF a while and feel more at home, I'd like to have a little contest, which I hope is as much fun as the others I've witnessed. Contestants will please provide a brief story describing some coin-stupid event. This would be something somebody did (we hope, not one of us) that from a numismatic standpoint was real, real dumb -- something that when we found out about it, our heart sank and we wanted to shake the person and ask them what they were thinking, even if the perpetrator wasn't into coins and so didn't understand the consequences; the sort of thing that makes us sad (and maybe even sick to our stomach) just thinking about it. Here are the rules: 1. Open to all members. 2. One story per person. 3. Stories must be true; we're on our honor. 4. Deadline is 12:00 noon EDT Sunday, March 25, 2007. 5. The winner will be the person with the saddest story in the opinion of the judge (that's me) whose decision is final. In case of a tie, grammar and spelling will count. 6. Winner to be announced on March 25, 2007. 7. Winner must accept the prize. And the prize is: a complete 11-coin set of Jefferson War Nickels, but don't get too excited yet. In keeping with the theme of the contest, each one of these nickels has been cleaned and polished to within an inch of its life. (No, not by me.) I'd say they are mostly G to VG, but they are so shiny I can't get a decent photograph of them. I did put them in a decorative cardboard holder, however. A bad photo is below. To get the ball rolling, I will provide the story that inspired this contest (see below). It is not about the guy polishing the nickels, but that would qualify. Questions, comments, complaints, let me know. Jan My Story: My friend Judy has told me how her grandmother would give her a silver dollar for occasions like her birthday or Christmas or if she won a school award, things like that. By the time Judy was 12 (roughly 1960), she had a couple dozen of these silver dollars, which she kept in her jewelry box. One day when she had them out and was admiring them, her father happened by and insisted it would be best to put them somewhere safe because $25 was a lot of money. Judy reluctantly agreed, and Dad took the silver dollars to the bank and deposited them in her savings account. Now that's sad. And so is this:  Edited by janknez
03/25/2007 4:56 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1767 Posts |
Nice contest Jan. Fortunately I have these in my album so I don't need them. But if I should be selected as the winner I would like to pass them on to one of the YN members. The Guilt Trip Story:When I told my other half how hard it will be to ever afford or find a good 1909 S VDB Lincoln Cent, he in turn told me that he had one some time ago in his pocket change and didn't realize that I would be interested---so he spent it. Every time I look at my Lincoln album I remember his story and of course I let him know that I haven't forgotten. So now he gives me all the change in his pocket before he spends it. Of course, he could have been mistaken and it might have been the 1909 S ( would like to believe so) instead, but I didn't tell him that....putting the guilt on him.   mila_ Edited by Mila_cent
03/14/2007 11:49 pm
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Valued Member
United States
228 Posts |
Fishnwidows story, When I started getting into collecting coins a few months ago, my Dad was so excited because he had collected a few when he was younger. My great aunt had worked at a bank for years and gave him coins for gifts. He was really excited about a 1927-S quarter that he had saved. When he gave it to me I looked it up on the net and was excited that it may be worth a few extra dollars. I took it to a coin shop because I read there were fakes of this coin. The dealer told me he would give me $5.00 for it, said it was a really nice cleaned coin.    My Dad has had this quarter for 43 years still in the box and a small plastic baggie that it was given to him in by my Great Aunt, I didn't have the heart to tell him the dealer said it was worthless. Dad thought it would be neat if it was worth at least $100, so I fibbed and offered him $200 for it, he told me to keep the money and the coin as a gift. So I am the proud owner of 1 cleaned coin. ***Edited by Forum Dad to remove extra image tags - you only need one set per image*** |
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Pillar Of The Community
Turkey
1205 Posts |
Mila you're baad |
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Valued Member
United States
181 Posts |
Well I was visiting my friend in the town where I used to live and soon found out that, by chance, he had also just recently started collecting coins. I asked him if he had anything interesting and he told me he had actually just won a nice coin at an auction for $50. I don't remember what the coin was but he told me what it was and I checked the current prices. When I saw prices for about $600 in high EF condition I just had to ask...How good of condition is it in? His reply? "It looks like an MS coin. It looked more like a Fine coin before but then I used some silver polish on it." Great way for him to bring my hope way up before letting it crash and burn...  |
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Pillar of the Community
Australia
1360 Posts |
A Tale of Two PitiesIt was the best of coins, it was the worst of coins. A family member of mine bought two florins for my son's coin collection. Before giving them to my son, this family member decided that the florins were too "dull" and set about remedying this. Step One: First soak your two commemorative Australian florins in ammonia, this must be done for several hours at a minimum. If the coins are still not "shiny" enough, you progress to the next step. Step Two: Dip your two commemorative Australian florins in a harsh silver cleaner that strips off a layer of the coin. Should the coins still not be "shiny" enough, you must resort to more drastic measures. Step Three: You get your two florins, some silvo (silver polish) and a harsh, abrasive scrubbing brush and you set to work! This is guaranteed to result in the "shiniest" coins that any family member could ever want to give to you! So, my son has two florins that are worth not a cent over bullion value. But on the up-side, these coins are very handy as a mirror if you ever need to check your appearance. Each time I look at them, I think to myself: "those are two pitiful coins". 
Edited by Snooba
03/14/2007 04:17 am
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Rest in Peace
United States
2668 Posts |
I had a girlfriend that was ten years younger than me, well, actually we were more like brother and sister. One day I was visiting her and noticed something was wrong with her necklace. I asked her about it, and, looking in the mirror, she exclaimed, "My God, why has my gold turned silver?"
I must confess I have dredged for gold before, and immediately asked her if she had been handling any Mercury. Well, by golly, she had broken a thermometer the day before and had played with the glob of liquid metal. Most of her gold jewelry and coins were now silver.
I had a buddy that still had acid, so I loaded her and her distressed gold in my car and went and got it de-amalgamated. After she thoroughly bathed and scrubbed herself. I made her toss her jewelry box, explained the birth defects possible due to heavy metal poisoning, and instructed her to see her physician now and before she planned to have children.
Blame the messenger, it was my fault for being difficult over such a little thing...........
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Valued Member
United States
414 Posts |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
535 Posts |
This is my own sad story. And what an appropriate prize...
A few years ago I had been roll searching nickles. I would get a box of rolls of nickles from one bank, go through them, reroll them, then take them back to another bank.
My wife thought (knew) I was an idiot because of the amount of time I spent doing this. One day I went to the bank and got excited when I picked up some rolls. There were about 5 rolls that were old looking paper rolls. I got excited thinking that these may have been sitting in someones drawer for a number of years.
When I got home and went through them, I was exstatic to figure out I was right. Not only were there lots of nickles from 1930's and 1940's, but there were about two and a half rolls of silver nickles with the big mintmark on the back!!!
Big score!!! I'd show my wife that I wasn't a complete idiot. I rerolled the nickles, wrote 'Silver' on them, and marked the other rolls of old nickles. I rerolled the rest of the nickles and took them back to the bank.
Later I went to show my wife my huge score. Show her that I was, indeed, not an idiot. When I opened up my rolls of old nickles and, more importantly, my silver nickles, I was in awe to see a whole bunch of nickles from the 80's and 90's. My rolls had gotten mixed up and all my booty was back at the bank.
Yea - I showed her!!!
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Valued Member
Philippines
156 Posts |
My own sad story regarding my coins happened last sunday. A friend of mine and her 4 year old son always visits me every sunday. That day, I was looking at my coins and showed her my "leper colony coin" (the only leper coin that I owned.) She said it was beautiful and kinda old and she put it on the table and started looking through the rest of my coins. While she was busy looking, I left her to see if my beef stew is already cooked. When I got back, I saw her son hammering something with a stone and guess what was it that he was hammering but the leper colony coin! The coin has all the dents all over it. I was really shocked and my friend was deeply sorry to what her son did. But what else could I do? the damage has been done.. (there's no use getting mad) but....   |
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Pillar of the Community
Australia
9350 Posts |
When I first joined CCF, I made a few friends and decided to do my first trades. I put five packages together to send to different members. Before I sent them I happened to come across five Royal Visit 50 Cent pieces on cards at the post office near were I work. I thought these would be nice as something extra to out in the packages. So I bought all five and sent the packages off all over the world. This is the coin..  A couple of days later I thought maybe I should have bought one for myself, so I went back to the post office to buy another, but they were out of stock. I tried a few other post offices, but no one had one. It seems like these might have been the last ones available, because the post office I bought them from was in the middle of an industrial area and I guess people don't go there looking for coins. I was never able to get this coin on a card, although one generous member (Thanks Snooba), did send me a loose coin. The carded coin has now quadrupled in price. Steve |
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Valued Member
United States
376 Posts |
A friend of mine in the early 90's was in need of some money after losing his job, he was a welder, at a plant that closed and moved to Mexico. He called me one day,since he knew that I collect coins and other numismatic items and said he had a sculpture he made that he wanted to show me. I went over to his house and he ask if I liked Lincoln cents and I said yes, to which he told me that I would love his creation. He had made a bust of Lincoln out of copper and all around the base he had welded cents. It was a beauty alright and I ask where he got the cents for it and he said he had found a complete book of them from some of his grandparents, and proceeded to produce a #1 Lincoln Cent book. Yes you guessed it around the base very neatly welded was a complete Lincoln Cent collection from 1909 to 1940 including the 1909SVDB and the 1914D. I didn't have the heart to tell him what just the coins were worth, especially after he told me that a collector had offered him $50.00 for the sculpture. madspec |
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
595 Posts |
Thanks to everyone who participated. It was not an easy decision, but since there can only be one winner, the prize for the saddest story goes to....
MADSPEC
and I have to admit, it was the 1909-s VDB that got me.
Honorable mention for the magnificent Dickensian allusion goes to Snooba.
Madspec -- please e-mail me your address, and I will get the polished nickels off to you as soon as I can.
Jan
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Pillar of the Community
Australia
1360 Posts |
Congratulations madspec!
Thank you for the competition janknez!   
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Pillar of the Community
Egypt
3470 Posts |
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Rest in Peace
United States
2668 Posts |
Congrats to madspec.
I read that story and ALL I could think was, "Oh, my God!"
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Replies: 20 / Views: 2,925 |
Posted 03/13/2007 5:05 pm
