Stolen Coin Collection

Quote:
Plea for help
Sep 13, 2009 9:25 AM
12 September 2009

To whom this concerns,

My name is Michael Nelson. I live in Southeastern NH, and my family's home was broken into on 08 September 2009. Beside the myriad household items taken, I lost about 90% of my dealer inventory. It is not normal to keep nearly that many coins at home, but faced with certain circumstances earlier in the week, I got careless, and ended up doing so. This is not the first time I have been so careless, but it is the first time I have had my home invaded, and the coincidental burglary was very unfortunate. While I do not believe the thieves knew about the coins beforehand, and feel they never dreamt they'd come away with such a take, this painful lesson is indelible, and is changing my ways profoundly.Finally, after working on this for awhile, I have whittled my inventory list down to something more managable.

I will not trouble you with a detailed list of all of my inventory, but below are the coins I feel stand some chance of distinguishing themselves in the market. What remain unlisted are either raw generic dates, or common certified coins for which I failed to record the serial number.

Exceptional group of Seated half dimes
1844 PCGS MS65 S/N 21797238 (Bright white coin)
1847 NGC MS64 S/N unknown (red & blue toning around light centers)
1848-O NGC MS65 S/N 1940270-001 (creamy color, both sides)
1849-O ANACS MS60 Details (scratched) S/N unknown (bright white coin)
1850-O PCGS AU58 S/N 10759638 (dark original tonong)
1851-O NGC MS62 S/N 3234472-009 (bands of blue high and low on both sides)
1852-O Raw Near Gem (Brilliant obverse, streaky dark toned reverse)
1855 Raw Gem (bright coin with some speckling around the rims, loads of die polish on the obverse)
1856-O PCGS AU58 S/N 10759639 (dark original toning)
1868 NGC MS64 S/N 3110883-008 (deep blue green, both sides)

Half Dollar
1934 NGC MS63 S/N 3030757-007 (incredible original - mottled crescent toning both sides . . . just one mark worth mention . . . a pinprick on Liberty's torso. Definitely an undergraded coin)

Dollars
1860-O Raw MS63+ (Well-struck, lightly toned, with good luster and pretty, mark-free surfaces)
1972-P TY 2 Ike NGC MS65 S/N unknown

$2.50 Gold
1861 TY 2 PCGS MS61 S/N 15878130
1903 PCGS MS63 S/N 15878132
1904 PCGS MS64 S/N 15878133
1905 PCGS MS62 S/N 15878134
1912 PCGS MS62 S/N 15878136
1925-D PCGS AU58 S/N 13270382
1925-D PCGS MS64 S/N 15878141

$5.00 Gold
1852-C PCGS MS62 S/N 14206027
1881 PCGS MS63 S/N 15878143
1883-S NGC AU58 S/N 3188618-006
1894-S Raw XF (2 examples)
1896-S Raw XF (2 examples)
1905-S Raw AU
1907 PCGS MS64 S/N 14206028

$10.00 Gold
1878-S Raw XF
1896-S Raw AU
1897-S NGC MS61 S/N unknown
1905-S PCGS AU58 S/N 14206029
1912-S Raw MS62 (significant mark on bottom half of I in AMERICA and into field below, and VERY light horizontal hairline scratch across entier coin at eagle's neck)
1915-S Raw AU58 (light hairlining should hold back from MS)

$20.00 Gold
1889 PCGS Geniune No Grade S/N 14571442 (Unc with filed rims)
1890 Raw (cleaned)
1893 Raw (cleaned)
1902 Raw MS61+
1909-S Raw MS64

Commem Half Dollar
Lexington PCGS MS64 S/N unknown (Brilliant - intensely lustrous)
Boone 1937 PCGS MS65 S/N unknown (reddish original color)
Monroe PCGS MS64 S/N 03842897

Errors
1974 Cent struck thru Die Cap NGC S/N 1823867-026
1883-O Morgan struck through heavily greased dies, both sides ANACS S/N unknown
Turkish 25K Full Brockage PCGS MS67 S/N 03359779

While I'm pretty sure the thieves will remove my cost codes, please note that if they remain, the last 2 letters of my cost code on the back is always MN (for Mike Nelson) along with the date of purchase (give or take a day). This fact would be especially helpful in identifying the other coins in my inventory, that are not listed here as highlights. If you run across coins not on this list that possess such markings on the back, please shoot me a mail quizzing me on date of purchase for a given date and denomiation (I can look that information up in Quickbooks, and hopefully confirm that it is mine).

Finally, in addition to the coins above, I had brought home 12 $20 gold pieces; specifically 1879-S, 1881-S, and some combination of 1924 & 1927 (6 & 4 respectively, I think) to use as collateral in acquiring a coin collection. These were part of my retirement savings, and not company inventory, but they were also stolen. Because I bought these coins before establishing my business, they may not have the same cost codes and dates on them. Nonetheless, if presented with the above listed coins, you may safely assume they are mine.

I have very few email addresses, and would appreciate any forwarding you are willing to do from your own lists. To those who will, thank you very much for your generous offer to share your time and effort.

- Mike Nelson (ToughCOINS)

P.S. - I still have 24 of the above coins listed on ebay at ludicrous prices, simply to keep images on-line where interested parties can see them by typing my company name (toughcoins) into an ebay search.

Quote:
At lest get a monitoring service that has a verbal security code for false alarms when they call the residence. Mine does.