Realcent.org

I've been stopping every Sat at a local bank for cents. No account there, but they keep handing them over just the same. One particular teller, an older lady way at the end of the row, has been my go-to person.

Last Sat, as I'm getting set to leave she says, "Are these anything?"...holding up a Morgan dollar.

A woman had come in complaining that some teenager working the donut drive thru wouldn't accept it, and she wanted to exchange a bunch of them for "real money". The teller gave her a buck each from her own pocket, telling me she figured they must be worth more than $1.

Honestly, the first thought I had was not of a potentially cheap bullion score, but the possibility of numismatic coin. After some stammering, I got her to say she'd bring a few in this Sat for me to check out. The one in her hand was an XF '90. She hasn't said yet just how many 'a bunch' is, but did indicate she'd sell them.

So, we have a customer who was clearly clueless, in this day of full page news ads offering to buy coins...plus TV spots a hundred times an hour. Then, a teller with good instincts but not much more to go on than asking a guy buying pennies she hardly knows. Can't fault her ethics. It's mine I'm worried about.

Naturally I'd like to get a deal, without feeling like I robbed her. Assuming the coins are all common dates, what would be fair? Should the fact she only paid face for them change the way I look at this?

Understand, I'm not looking for approval one way or the other. But I am interested in opinions

$25 bucks a coin. Thats leaps and bounds better than pawn shops and roadshows are paying.

Rodebaugh wrote:$25 bucks a coin. Thats leaps and bounds better than pawn shops and roadshows are paying.

Bully!

Or pay more! Set the hook and reel'em in.

Go to your local coin shop and offer to sell a similar item. Then match their buy price, whatever it is. If you offer less than what she could get for it with a little legwork your conscience will nag at you that you gypped her, making "the score" turn sour on you and ruining the accomplishment of it. Now then, if you do offer $25 say, and she replies "oh no, I couldn't take that, I only paid a dollar a piece for them, give me $10 each"... don't argue with her. You could also ask for the name of the customer who brought them in and contact her, tell her of her mistake, and offer her the differential you saved. She may have more and would then sell them to you at a favorable rate.

I would pay her $20-25 each and then bring her something nice later. Chances are she doesn't need the money as much as she needs the confirmation that chivalry is not dead.

Or, you could commit personal harakiri and tell her about realcent.org to help her be better prepared for the future. Then you would really feel good about having done something good in the world today.

Rodebaugh wrote:$25 bucks a coin. Thats leaps and bounds better than pawn shops and roadshows are paying.

That's what I've been thinking.

Let's see what happens Sat.