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 Replies: 34 / Views: 4,981 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4008 Posts |
I went across town to visit my Mom and step-Dad today. I had told them about my recent ASE buy and they wanted to see one of these coins. I had one in my pocket inside a round plastic coin protector (those things have a name?). Anyway, they ooh'ed and ahh'ed over it for a bit and then mentioned that they had collected some coins themselves. So, I ask to see them and my step-Dad proceeds to drag a heavy vinyl zipper bag to the dining table, open it, and drag out maybe 25 lbs. worth of silver coins in plastic baggies... silver eagles, Morgans, Peace dollars, and even a few non-silver Eisenhowers. That was followed by a bag of pre-1965 quarters that weighed about 5 lbs. Then came 4 bags filled with Walking Liberty half dollars... maybe 100 of those in various dates. Two bags of mixed Barber quarters and half dollars, most dated around 1900. Also had dozens of silver certificate $1 and some $2 bills. It seemed to go on and on. Finally, my Mom looks at me and says, "I also have several rolls of silver dimes but I don't remember where I put them".  It is the family version of Ft. Knox! I never knew that they had ANY of this stuff. When they saw my interest in these hundreds of coins, they said that they were saving them for a rainy day and that since I liked them so much, I could have them all once they pass on. I almost wept right there and then. Not that I am looking forward to losing the folks by any means but, my gosh, this IS a hoard of epic proportions. Our local coin shop is pretty good but he can't match this for shear volume, no way, no how. When the time comes for me to have these, I will treat them as a true family legacy and a financial insurance policy for our whole family... just as the folks did and as they would want me to do. I will enjoy having them, though, but won't be selling any of them unless an emergency comes up that they can help solve. And no, a new car, TV, or a vacaton is NOT an emergency!  |
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Pillar of the Community
2224 Posts |
Great story Ed. Will they let you look through them, are they BU/Uncs? Any rare dates, VAMs? Maybe you should suggest proper storage or at least 2x2s. Give us an update if you are able to look through them.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3184 Posts |
wow, very cool! Ask if you can search them for key dates? And please see if they will let you put some of the coins like the barbers and silver dollars in 2x2s to protect them
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3670 Posts |
Wow, that is great to hear, good stuff. Sounds like an amazing collection..... My mother gave me like 11 silver rounds she bought for like 10 bucks each back in 2001 and she was blown away tonight when I told her they were now worth around 50 each.... Three of which were ASE's and that made me think of the first one I spotted a little while ago on ebay, after seeing silver cracked 42 an oz today thinkin one would bring 50, and this one below, (nothing special, not a graded proof or anything), went for 51 even, lol. I bet many of you wondered if you would ever see the day where an American Eagle brought 51 an oz.... http://cgi.ebay.com/2008-AMERICAN-S...refresh=trueEdited by Silverhawk74
04/15/2011 12:36 am
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Valued Member
United States
361 Posts |
WOW, I can just imagine your excitement. That is a lot of silver to "discover" in your own family. I agree with the previous past regarding protection of the coins in 2 x 2s etc. You might also look into a safe or some other larger storage box that is safe for coins long term. I would definitely search for key dates as well.
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Rest in Peace
United States
4849 Posts |
That is an extremely cool story! My dad has some silver stashed away, so I'm going to make him pull it out and organize it.
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Valued Member
United States
487 Posts |
My father has that same hoard. Being a product of the depression and a soldier in WWII, he has the same mind set as your parents. I remember going to the bank as a kid with my father and going into his safety deposit box and looking at his jelly jars of silver coins. I was truly fascinated. Most from that generation grow up poor, and a rainy day fund was a must. We could all learn from those of the "Greatest Generation". But today I tell my dad that silver is quite high, and to sell and do something with the money. Something he would enjoy, like a trip. Go to Las Vegas and throw it all down on black. But with my mother no longer with us, I'm sure he has no heart for that. The time will come that us three kids will have to sit down and figure out what to do with this gift our father has diligently saved away for that rainy day. I'm not looking forward to that day. A few coins will not make up for the loss of a good father, that is for sure. Ed_B, they saved you more than money. They save you memories!
Todd
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Pillar of the Community
United States
737 Posts |
Quite a find! Definitely see if you can search the lot!
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2049 Posts |
That was a great story. I could picture the bags and bags of silver being brought out one by one and the look that must have been on your face. Thanks for sharing!
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4085 Posts |
Well...you know...that just makes me wanna' (Shout) Kick my heels up and (Shout) Throw my hands up and (Shout) Throw my head back and (Shout) Come on now ... Congrats!  |
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Rest in Peace
United States
9104 Posts |
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I had one in my pocket inside a round plastic coin protector (those things have a name?). Trojan. |
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Rest in Peace
United States
9104 Posts |
Ed-
If you plan on inheriting your parents' coins, have them boogie down to the bank and get a lockbox. You described about $20,000+, which would be no harder for a burgurglar to carry than it was for your folks to bring it out and show it to you.
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Valued Member
Canada
442 Posts |
Wow great story Ed!
I can't help but laugh at the thought of your face when they showed you the hoard of silver. Kinda like the knife scene from Crocodile Dundee, except with silver.
"That's not a silver stash, THIS is a silver stash!" lol
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Valued Member
United States
293 Posts |
That's a great story! I had something similar happen recently, though not to the extent of yours. I was working on my 7070 album and told my mom that all I wanted for Christmas was "an old coin of any sort" that I could add to the album. I told her where there were shops in my hometown area and figured I'd end up with a silver dollar or something like that which would be great to add to the album. Instead she says "well, I have a collection from your grandpa that's going to be part of your inheritance, if you'd rather just have that early I can give you that for Christmas." I didn't even realize that there was a collection! So she brings it along and it's not nearly as huge as Ed_B's, but it included several rolls of wheatbacks, a roll of Mercury dimes, a roll or 2 of 64 Rosevelts, some other odds and ends, a small tin full of "assorted silver" and a few partially filled Whitman blue books...dimes, nickels, quarters, etc. The crazy thing is that apparently my grandpa was a BIG collector of silver in the 60s / 70s, but my mom is one of 7 sisters and the collection got divided between them! So all of the cool stuff I got was only 1/7th of the collection! Sadly, I'm sure a lot of them didn't care and ended up cashing it in for silver value at the time, but I might ask someday and see if I can maybe reassemble some of the collection. Then my grandma on my dad's side found out that I was wanting coins and said that my late uncle had a collection that I could have. It was just sitting in her safety deposit box. It was a lot of Whitman partially filled books...from wheats to V nickels to silver dimes / quarters. Really cool stuff! The one thing that disappointed me, and I didn't have the heart to tell her was when she told me that there was one gold coin in the collection when she received it, but she sold it for $100 shortly after my uncle passed because she needed the money. No matter how small the coin was, and from her description it sounds like it was probably 1/4 to 1/2oz or something like that, it was then and definitely now likely worth WAAAAY more than $100. Still, very cool to be able to assemble a "family collection" like this. I now have the stuff that I have personally purchased, stuff my wife inherited from her grandfather, and the collections from my grandpa and uncle. It's turning out to be a nice little collection and definitely something I will be proud to pass down to our (potential) children in the future. |
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
4008 Posts |
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Great story Ed. Will they let you look through them, are they BU/Uncs? Any rare dates, VAMs? Maybe you should suggest proper storage or at least 2x2s. Give us an update if you are able to look through them. - Southsav
Thanks, Southsav. It was one heckuva surprise for sure and a very pleasant one at that. All of these coins are circulated, which is how they came to be in the hoard. There were accumulated during business transactions but many of the coins are in good condition. I don't know enough about coin grading to say whether they are good, very good, fine, extra fine, etc. Some are in poor to fair condition, with low relief on the finer details of dates and eagle feathers but the best of them show clear dates and sharp detail relief. I suspect that I will have to hire a professional coin grader to look through this hoard someday and will then separate the bullion coins from the ones that have some numismatic value. I will tell him that all I want from him is his grading expertise and that I will not be selling any of these coins to him. Rare dates? Lol... which ones are those?  Yes, proper storage would be good, especially for the Morgans, Peace dollars, ASEs, and Walking Liberties and I will suggest that. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4008 Posts |
Quote:
wow, very cool! Ask if you can search them for key dates? And please see if they will let you put some of the coins like the barbers and silver dollars in 2x2s to protect them. - Mkman
Thanks, Mkman. Yes, it was one heckuva day and a huge surprise. I was stunned, actually. I am the folks executor and successor trustee, so I know... or thought I did... all about their finances. These older folks know how to keep a secret... no loose lips there! I agree about the protection and will get busy on that ASAP. As to "key dates", I would not know a key date if it jumped up and bit me. Will have to get a couple of GOOD coin books to see if I can learn more about such things. Any recommendations? |
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Replies: 34 / Views: 4,981 |
Posted 04/15/2011 12:29 am
