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 Replies: 16 / Views: 2,413 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4469 Posts |
My mother and step father were married in 1966, and we made a trip to visit my step father's parents. I was talking with my step grandfather and told him about my coin collection. He said, "I have something I want to show you". He brought out a gold coin and this was the first gold coin that I had seen in my life. The gold coin was beautiful and looked like it was just minted and I was amazed of the weight of such a small coin. We talked about coin collecting for about an hour as we ended our conversation, he said, "I want you to have this coin after I am gone". My step grandfather passed away in 1973 when I was away at collage. A couple weeks after the funeral when I was home visiting I brought up the gold coin to my stepfather that his dad had promised me to gold coin when he passed away. My stepfather said, "all my dad's property including the gold coin was give to me". We got into a heated argument about the coin and he said, "I want the coin because it belonged to my dad and I will pass it onto to you after I die". I was really upset with my stepdad and I never talked about the coin again (43 years) until this last Christmas. I had told him that I was into coins again, and he brought up the gold coin. I told him about his dad's promise to me. He said, "I do not remember that, I do not understand why you do have the coin. I have the coin put away with a note that it is to go to you after I pass away. I see not reason you can not have the coin now". I received the 1915 Indian Head quarter eagle in the mail today. I am going to send the coin in for grading and add it to my type collection as the coin is priceless to me. The coin has been in the flip below since 2/3/73.   |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
94367 Posts |
Great story, thanks for sharing. And look at that price!
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3479 Posts |
Thanks for sharing the great story. I have coins from when I was a kid and many are still in their original sleeve. One of them was giving to me by my late grampap for Christmas with his hand writing on it. I don't think I would ever take it out of the sleeve and send it in for grading. I think I would regret it later on.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
7618 Posts |
Leave it in the flip. It will mean more to you and less chances of it getting lost, misplaced or accidentally sold,
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Bedrock of the Community
Australia
21786 Posts |
I would also strongly emphasize that you leave it in the flip.
If writing on the flip is either that of your step grandfather or your father, the flip itself has family sentimental value.
If the coin is slabbed, it becomes anonymous.
I would think that the flip would be at least as priceless to you as the coin, because of the very personal nature of who wrote it.
Preserve the whole lot in an archival quality 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" album page pocket, or make up one yourself from clear acetate packaging material.
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
4469 Posts |
When I saw the coin in 1966, the coin was loose and did not have any kind of protection. I did not know the coin was in a flip and I sent my step father a 2 1/2" X 2 1/2" SAFLIP for shipping and he put the SAFLIP over his cardboard flip. I agree on keeping the coin in the current flip as I did not want to take it out to do photos, but I am committed to send the coin into for grading as I need to let my step father and mother know how the coin graded as he thinks the coin is a 65+ and worth about 6K. He sent me a clip out from a magazine in the shipping box that shows the value at 6K. I have the coin between 58 and 62.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
7618 Posts |
Slab it, show your step Father the slab then crack it out and put it back in the 2x2.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1309 Posts |
I'd like to say great story also. I'm glad you got your hands on it. My dad had a pocket watch, that was his grandfathers, that was promised to him by his dad upon his death. Needless to say the watch was never seen again. I hope this did not create too much of a rift between you and your stepfather.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3210 Posts |
I'd definitely get it graded and honestly I would keep it in the holder. It is more safe in the slab than in a loose 2x2 in my opinion. If you could post more zoomed in photos we can also take a stab at the grade. M
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
10038 Posts |
What a great story behind this coin. I have a nice Regulator clock on my wall with a similar family history. I think of my grandfather now all the time.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1695 Posts |
Great story. Thanks for posting it.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
11884 Posts |
These stories make this place feel like a community. Thanks.
IN NECESSARIIS UNITAS - IN DUBIIS LIBERTAS - IN OMNIBUS CARITAS THE MAN IN THE ARENA, Theodore Roosevelt at the Sorbonne Paris on April 23, 1910: " It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat." My coin website: https://fairfaxcoins.com |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
12057 Posts |
The story is more beautiful than the coin, and the coin is certainly no slouch...thank you for sharing, Slider!
Member ANA - EAC - TNA - SSDC - CCT #890 "Most of the things worth doing in the world had been declared impossible before they were done." -- Louis D. Brandeis |
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
3058 Posts |
Incredible story, it's hard to believe they were only $50 at a time!
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
94367 Posts |
Fact is, gold was only around $100 an ounce at this point, which makes this common date perhaps somewhat overpriced!
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Pillar of the Community
United States
6384 Posts |
Back in the early to mid-60's there was an ongoing advertisement in the Los Angeles Times called Stamp and Coin Corner. I distinctly remember a recurring ad that offered common $20 gold pieces for $49.99. At the time I was trying to fill a Lincoln Cent album by searching my folks' pocket change and $49.99 was an impossible amount of money. I nevertheless advised my father to buy some of those gold coins. He finally took my advice and bought 10 although the price had risen to $59.99 by the time he took the plunge. I think he still has 9 of them! The OP's coin appears to have loss of feather detail on the eagle's shoulder which would drop the potential grade into the AU range. I would agree that a $50 price tag in 1966 would have been no bargain. |
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Replies: 16 / Views: 2,413 |
Posted 01/06/2017 4:56 pm
