Rare coin worth THOUSANDS!!!

[SmokinJoe]

Okay fellas, believe it or not, I recently dug up an 1870 "CC" Seated Liberty Half Dollar. When i found it, i only knew it was a Seated Liberty Half as i didn't want to clean it in the field. Anyway, after doing the "happy dance" for a awhile I headed home to rinse it off and do some research. I knew the seated liberty halves could fetch a few hundred dollars in good shape, so i really was happy as a pig in poop with that. Then while doing some reading i came across the statement "of particular interest to collectors is the rare 1870 Carson City Seated Half.....". Now my hearts beating a tad faster, because after cleaning the mud off it IS an 1870...but what the hell is the Carson City mean?? So after some more googling I find that Carson City was a mint and coins minted there will have a small "CC" on the reverse. Holy !!!!...no friggin way...there it is, right under the eagle's talons..."CC". So now, with my heart really beating and a !!!! eatin' grin on my face, i'm back on Google searching for the value of this coin. OH MY GOD! Never in a million years did i think i could find a single coin worth what this one is. I mean previous to this, i was hoping to find a gold ring worth a couple hundred bucks. I know most of you are going to believe this coin is a fake, or I'm a liar..but rest assured i am not a liar and I've already had an authorized PCGS agent look at it and confirm that he thought it was genuine. Enough so that he offered me 5 grand! Besides, the coin has been sent off to Heritage Auctions so I'll have the proof and the check soon.

 

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[jeff of pa]

"As far as sharing with the land owners, it doesn't seem to be an issue here in America. I'd definately give the land owner something if they wanted;"

It has nothing to do with 'if they wanted'. Its moral integrity.

If a landowner said to me you can keep every coin you find, I would say OK. However, if that coin was worth thousands, I would go back to them & say ' although you said I could keep it, I made a shed loads of money & here is your 50% share for allowing me the priviledge of hunting your land' - SIMPLE. If you think ripping off your fellow American is not an issue, than one day I hope they ban you.

Devils advocate here Cru.

I hunt the Local "Public Park"

I find a coin so rare it sells for $1,000,000.00 at auction.

I Get the check, I cash it & Pay my Taxes.

By your reasoning, Do I split the Remainder with the "Public" ? the Grounds Keeper ? who may or may not have ever talked to me ?
the Parks Department, who are already probably overpaid ?

I Understand over there you hunt farmers fields, & The Law says they will pay you for big Finds,
& I Take it the law says you must split with the Land Owner.

Although I Think it is good Practice to share good fortune with the landowner,
considering how things are here, I Don't believe in Judging anyone who is out for themselves.
It's bread into many here.

 

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[CRUSADER]

Devils advocate here Cru.

I hunt the Local "Public Park"

I find a coin so rare it sells for $1,000,000.00 at auction.

I Get the check, I cash it & Pay my Taxes.

By your reasoning, Do I split the Remainder with the "Public" ? the Grounds Keeper ? who may or may not have ever talked to me ?
the Parks Department, who are already probably overpaid ?

I Understand over there you hunt farmers fields, & The Law says they will pay you for big Finds,
& I Take it the law says you must split with the Land Owner.

Although I Think it is good Practice to share good fortune with the landowner,
considering how things are here, I Don't believe in Judging anyone who is out for themselves.
It's bread into many here.

If you found that on public land over here, you would have a Law Suit. Very little 'Publc Land' is searchable, simple. We have different Laws, I'm not talking Laws (& this was NOT on Public Land). Its a matter, of the simple Law of sleep, could I sleep at night?

 

[testing123]

Well I at least received an e-mail today confirming that Heritage has gotten the coin. I was sent a couple documents to sign digitally. Unfortunately no real update yet...hasn't been to the grader. But I do know this much:
"Your consignment to the 2012 August 2-3 US Coins Signature Auction- Philadelphia will be held on August 02, 2012 in Philadelphia, PA. The catalog for this auction will be mailed on July 14, 2012. Your settlement check will be mailed September 17, 2012".
So apparantly it's already passed the authenticity test. I really hope it ends up going to NCS as I think it's eye appeal could be enhanced by some type of permissable cleaning. I mean I really did no cleaning to it all, other than a rinse and dry. This coin is not corroded like other coins I've dug....no pitting, or grunge adhered... it's basically just tarnished. ....it would be a shame if this gets no grade but "environmental damage".

So what was your agreement with Heritage? That they would review it, send it to NCS, then it'd be put in an NGC holder and auctioned? A catalog mailing on July 14th doesn't give NCS much time to conserve, NGC to grade, Heritage to get it, catalog it and have it ready for auction. Unless there was an expedited option. If, if, if it does somehow end in a problem-free holder, and I know it's a small chance, it should really be sent to CAC after. Those "green beans" are tulip craze of coin collecting.

 

[robEg]

It just proves that money brings the worst out in people. Until the day the coin is sold its just another coin. Just because it have a value dose not mean it will get that price. Yes it could go for more above value I know. This is a free country and if the land owner gave permission with no set agreement then finders keepers. I myself would give a cut because it's a nice thing to do not because it's expected. We keep screwing our fellow man it will come back to us. Just ask yourself if you were digging with a friend would you split it? I bet most would loose that fellow digger as a friend. I go with a friend and we always talk about the big find and we have a agreement. On the small stuff we keep what we find. So just look how greed, jealously and anger are all over this post and think about it.

 

[robEg]

It just proves that money brings the worst out in people. Until the day the coin is sold its just another coin. Just because it has a value dose not mean it will get that price. Yes it could go for more then above value,I know. This is a free country and if the land owner gave permission with no set agreement then finders keepers. I myself would give a cut because it's a nice thing to do not because it's expected. We keep screwing our fellow man it will come back to us. Just ask yourself if you were digging with a friend would you split it? I bet most would loose that fellow digger as a friend. I go with a friend and we always talk about the big find and we have a agreement. On the small stuff we keep what we find. So just look how greed, jealously and anger are all over this post and think about it.

 

[CRUSADER]

It just proves that money brings the worst out in people. Until the day the coin is sold its just another coin. Just because it have a value dose not mean it will get that price. Yes it could go for more above value I know. This is a free country and if the land owner gave permission with no set agreement then finders keepers. I myself would give a cut because it's a nice thing to do not because it's expected. We keep screwing our fellow man it will come back to us. Just ask yourself if you were digging with a friend would you split it? I bet most would loose that fellow digger as a friend. I go with a friend and we always talk about the big find and we have a agreement. On the small stuff we keep what we find. So just look how greed, jealously and anger are all over this post and think about it.

I get your point, but I don't read any jealously or anger in any of the posts.
I get the impression from your post that in the US you just gain permission without any discussion of what happens to any valuable finds. It amazes me that they just let you dig in their yards/fields without anything(maybe that's the cultural difference). I know every owner is different & we do have some that are not at all interested in keeping stuff. But a valuable find like this could MAKE or BREAK you. If the owner finds out that you made big bucks without including him (seen it before), he might not only ban you but ban everyone & tell everyone he knows that Detectorist's are greedy theives, & we know most of us are not.
Dad & I have more land than the Colchester Club who boast they are the biggest in the UK (many of you pay $2000 a week to holiday there, we pay nothing for ours), we got this by being honest/keeping to our word & having moral intregrity. We don't need to find land, it often finds us, however it would soon be the opposite with a find like this if we hide it. All I'm trying to share with everyone, is that you can be more successful by being up right & honest, otherwise I'm not the CRUSADER.
Take the hint or don't take the hint, everyone has a right to live by their choices, I know what keeps the smile on my face.

 

[K Zack]

I have said it before, I will say it again,
A Happy Property Owner Always has friends that they will tell what you have done for them.
More places to Hunt!!!

Crusader
If ever there were A Super Hero in this Hobby?
You Sir, would be It.
Happy Hunting to all
Kevin

 

[BuckleBoy]

The public park example doesn't really apply in this case. Who is the sole owner of a park? Even just dividing up the proceeds from one good find in a park would be silly (assuming it was lost LONG ago, and is not a diamond wedding band with a name in it, i.e. returnable). But the vast majority of private property in the United States is owned by one owner. To be honest, this is an ethical issue I've wrestled with many times. It IS one of the grey areas of our hobby. And it's also the reason that I very, Very seldom sell finds. It is easier for me to sleep at night when I know that in reality I am a collector, and not making a profit at the expense of the kindness and graciousness of others, unknown to them. That relationship changes--at least in my mind--when I sell. Now, yes I have found very valuable items before, and all those zeros start staring you in the face on a price tag it makes you think hard about selling. But since my childhood (I have been detecting a Long time), these types of issues bothered me. And unlike the UK, where if the find is good enough, or large enough, or rare enough, the Law forces the sale, we are under no such pressure here in the US. And so I am a collector of recovered items, with little interest in selling. And that's how I sleep at night. And being ethical, and kind, and thoughtful has gotten me on tens of thousands of properties since 1992. I have given hundreds of nice finds to property owners over the years, from silver coins to civil war relics, large cents, jewelry. And looking around my home at my massive collection, I don't miss these items one bit. Once you've been digging as long as I have, the individual find matter less, and the experience of digging that find matters more. To go detecting every trip is a privilege worth being thankful for.

 

[SmokinJoe]

The public park example doesn't really apply in this case. Who is the sole owner of a park? Even just dividing up the proceeds from one good find in a park would be silly (assuming it was lost LONG ago, and is not a diamond wedding band with a name in it, i.e. returnable). But the vast majority of private property in the United States is owned by one owner. To be honest, this is an ethical issue I've wrestled with many times. It IS one of the grey areas of our hobby. And it's also the reason that I very, Very seldom sell finds. It is easier for me to sleep at night when I know that in reality I am a collector, and not making a profit at the expense of the kindness and graciousness of others, unknown to them. That relationship changes--at least in my mind--when I sell. Now, yes I have found very valuable items before, and all those zeros start staring you in the face on a price tag it makes you think hard about selling. But since my childhood (I have been detecting a Long time), these types of issues bothered me. And unlike the UK, where if the find is good enough, or large enough, or rare enough, the Law forces the sale, we are under no such pressure here in the US. And so I am a collector of recovered items, with little interest in selling. And that's how I sleep at night. And being ethical, and kind, and thoughtful has gotten me on tens of thousands of properties since 1992. I have given hundreds of nice finds to property owners over the years, from silver coins to civil war relics, large cents, jewelry. And looking around my home at my massive collection, I don't miss these items one bit. Once you've been digging as long as I have, the individual find matter less, and the experience of digging that find matters more. To go detecting every trip is a privilege worth being thankful for.

Correct me if I'm misunderstanding your post but it sound like this: If you were to find a half dollar worth $10.000 you would only compensate the land owner if you sold it. But, if you decide to just keep it for your collection then nothing for landowner?
Don't get me wrong man, i could care less what you do with YOUR finds...it's none of my business. I tend to like to keep my nose on my face.
Generally my rule of thumb is to return an item to it's original owner if possible. In the case of my coin, the person who lost it has long since passed away.
There really is no right or wrong answer in my opinion. So many scenarios that could come into play.
For the sake of argument let's just suppose this: I find a coin on private land that i have permission to hunt, the land in question was previously owned by my grandparents. Whose "morally" entitled to the coin? The landowner or blood relatives of the person who lost it?
When we start using words like ethically and morally instead of lawfully then there is no one right answer.
Just my 2 cents worth.

 

[BuckleBoy]

Correct me if I'm misunderstanding your post but it sound like this: If you were to find a half dollar worth $10.000 you would only compensate the land owner if you sold it. But, if you decide to just keep it for your collection then nothing for landowner?
Don't get me wrong man, i could care less what you do with YOUR finds...it's none of my business. I tend to like to keep my nose on my face.
Generally my rule of thumb is to return an item to it's original owner if possible. In the case of my coin, the person who lost it has long since passed away.
There really is no right or wrong answer in my opinion. So many scenarios that could come into play.
For the sake of argument let's just suppose this: I find a coin on private land that i have permission to hunt, the land in question was previously owned by my grandparents. Whose "morally" entitled to the coin? The landowner or blood relatives of the person who lost it?
When we start using words like ethically and morally instead of lawfully then there is no one right answer.
Just my 2 cents worth.

I think you misinterpreted what I wrote. I am not saying that there is one right answer, only sharing with others on the forum what helps me sleep at night.

You bring up an important point in all of this. The fact that the people who lost these items are long gone is one of the main reasons I am able to do this hobby at all. I keep the items for my collection, and since no money is made it makes things easier for me and how I view myself and my hobby. May not be the answer for everyone, but since I was 12 years old I have detected and thought about that issue. I know that the items do have value, and I would prefer to keep the item than sell it and split the profit. Part of this is that I can't afford to buy the owner out of their half. And even more importantly, splitting the profits opens the door to haggling and differences in valuation with an owner, and gives opportunity for disagreement and hatred, and I don't want to go there (in the UK, finds are appraised/sold by the government by law, so that door for disagreement is closed. Better off that way, IMO.

Best Wishes,


Buckles

 

[hamiddetecting]

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Bottom line is SJ found it on land he was given permission to hunt by the owner, and told he could keep his finds. What he does with his finds is his business and his choice.

Since he had permission to hunt by the owner and is breaking no laws in THIS country, please remember that members should not start attacking his integrity as that is against TN rules.

 

[Carson Coin Master]

Beautiful find! Do yourself a favor and send it to PCGS and get it certified. DON'T CLEAN IT anymore than you already have. Here is an 1870-CC in PCGS VF-30 that we sold out of our store last year for $8,332.00 get it slabbed it will make a significant difference in its overall value. I will forewarn you that the coin will probably come back in a genuine holder without a grade due to environmental damage or cleaning although it was light, but overall it has some great detail. Again Congrats!

 

[CRUSADER]

Bottom line is SJ found it on land he was given permission to hunt by the owner, and told he could keep his finds. What he does with his finds is his business and his choice.

Since he had permission to hunt by the owner and is breaking no laws in THIS country, please remember that members should not start attacking his integrity as that is against TN rules.

No-one is, what you say is true. My comments are not directed at the poster but anyone willing to improve their land options. Happy owners get more land for you. Thats my point, people can take my advice or leave it, makes no difference to me.

 

[highplainsthr]

I have seated envy.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

No-one is, what you say is true. My comments are not directed at the poster but anyone willing to improve their land options. Happy owners get more land for you. Thats my point, people can take my advice or leave it, makes no difference to me.

Crusader, my post was just a friendly reminder to anyone that might consider it that any attacks on his integrity would be against the rules........ I named no names nor sent any private PMs to anyone accusing them of doing so....

 

[CRUSADER]

Crusader, my post was just a friendly reminder to anyone that might consider it that any attacks on his integrity would be against the rules........ I named no names nor sent any private PMs to anyone accusing them of doing so....

I try & make it a rule of not to attack anyone, I respect your opinion & moderation - THANKS

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

I try & make it a rule of not to attack anyone, I respect your opinion & moderation - THANKS

Thank you C, I am just trying to see to it that there aren't any repeats of the flame wars (verbal atacks and insults) like has happen in the recent past on several threads..... Members can discuss, debate and disagree with out resorting to attacks and insults......

 

[MaineRelic]

I am glad I took the time to read this entire post

It reminded me why I do not post on this site anymore and reinforced my feelings that I made the right decision. I venture to say that even before the members of this site are done with Joe he will be or already is sorry he posted this find . Great find Joe , Good luck at auction MaineRelic

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

It reminded me why I do not post on this site anymore and reinforced my feelings that I made the right decision. I venture to say that even before the members of this site are done with Joe he will be or already is sorry he posted this find . Great find Joe , Good luck at auction MaineRelic

Joe is fine here and welcome here....