Epic Dream Find - An Entire Coin Collection + Gold!!

UnderMiner

Silver Member
Jul 27, 2014
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New York City
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Minelab Excalibur II, Ace 250
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Was cruising in my truck through a neighborhood that was having a garbage day last night. Just looking around for neat things people may have tossed out (as I do every now and then).
After ten minutes of nothing I happened upon a house that was being gutted. The curb in front of the house was piled high with garbage bags, furniture, and construction debris.
Long story short I looked in a few of the bags and saw some nice antique looking things so I tossed all the bags, about 7 of them, into my truck. At home I started to look around through the the bags and among a few really nice antiques and useful items I also found two plastic bags full of coins. It was someone's entire coin collection. The collection was complete with coin manifest sheets, magnifying glass, and separate boxes labeling coins from different nations.

In all I found 18 silver coins in the hoard, an 18K gold chain necklace, American and foreign paper currency, American and foreign clad coins, proof coins, many copper Canadian large cents, American Indian head cents (mostly early 1860's fat cents), handfuls of wheat cents, and an amazing rush the likes of which I haven't felt in a while.

My favorite finds from the hoard:
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A picture of everything:
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A red seal $2 Bill:
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All the American 90% silver coins:
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All the Indian Head cents (all fat cents except the one 1908 on top):
20150611_083708.jpg 20150611_100146 twp.jpg

A couple Buffaloes:
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Two 40% Kennedy Halves:
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Wheat pennies:
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The oldest wheat pennies in the collection (1910's on top, 20's on bottom):
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Some Canadian large cents and silver half dimes (1901 Queen Victoria LC is my favorite):
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The collection of mid-1800's Italian coins:
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The 18K "750" gold chain:
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A 1914 Italian paper note:
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American clad, bicentennial, and proof coins:
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The two bags of coins before I opened them:
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Coin inventory sheets (A few coins that are on the white list are missing from the collection but the vast majority are accounted for)
The yellow sheet lists coins that I have not seen in the collection at all (which is a shame as they are the coolest coins):
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Video of the discovery as it unfolded (red bag):
 

Upvote 39
Unbelievable find. You put yourself in the right place at the right time and you made the decision to look.
 

My wife would kill me if I ever came home with trash bags! Great saves!

The secret is to keep them in the truck and/or sneak them into the garage. Then if she goes in the garage and sees all the bags just tell her you were cleaning up the garaage and that's all the trash you're throwing away. She'll be very happy to hear that. :laughing7:
 

MANY KUDOS!!!!!!!
A little curiosity and a little of your time paid off big time!!
Sad that the people gutting that house didn't have a little of either..........
Just goes to show that "time is money" worked more for you than for them!!
 

I was just thinking earlier today, how many coins, rings, etc. go into the landfill every day.
Awesome save.
I had that exact thought a few years back when I found some rolled up bills in a small container I had bought at a flea market.

Awesome saves UnderMiner!!' WTG!!! Where do you think the missing listed items went?

Ya it is scary what people toss out now days.
 

Great saves. One mans trash is another mans treasure. The stars were alligned for you and you took advantage and scored. Maybe you ought to play the lottery today...:notworthy:
 

That is amazing
 

I had that exact thought a few years back when I found some rolled up bills in a small container I had bought at a flea market.

Awesome saves UnderMiner!!' WTG!!! Where do you think the missing listed items went?

Ya it is scary what people toss out now days.

My theory is that the white page is the main inventory list and the yellow page lists coins that were removed from the collection (for whatever reason). The coins removed are rare and expensive coins which leads to my theory that the owner may have sent them off to be professionally graded or maybe he sold them. The missing coins include an 1881 Morgan, an 1893 Columbian Exposition Half Dollar, an 1805 Ferdinand IV Silver Piastra, an 1859 Franciis II Copper 10 Tornesi, and a coin he listed simply as a "+?" which I assume was a Spanish Cob :'(.

Really would have been cool to get the 1805 Ferdinand :D :
Naples Large Silver coin Piastra.jpg
 

Great save:headbang:literally . Probably a foreclosure. The people that clean the houses don't look at anything,just throw it out.

I happen to clean foreclosures and yes I look through everything. Found several coin collections in my time. among other things that are very valuable. This is an awesome save. Congrats!
 

What every body else said. Just an awesome score. By any chance after discovering the coins, did you go out and buy a lottery ticket ? You sure were on a lucky streak.
 

Amazing what folks will regard as worthless.
 

What every body else said. Just an awesome score. By any chance after discovering the coins, did you go out and buy a lottery ticket ? You sure were on a lucky streak.

Nah, but I took my Excalibur II to the beach and scored some coins and a silver trinket this afternoon. I'll post it all a little later.
 

I happen to clean foreclosures and yes I look through everything. Found several coin collections in my time. among other things that are very valuable. This is an awesome save. Congrats!

Wow, I can only imagine the treasures you've found. Silver tableware, rings, antiques galore? :laughing7:
 

I KNEW !!! I should have not listened to my mom...
I should have dropped out of school and became a garbage picker.

(just kidding youngins)
 

Amazing- Voting banner- treasures where you find it!
 

Very cool save, makes one wonder.
 

I need to go become a garbage man...........then again the wife already complains about everything we bring home!!!!!!!!! You my friend have some awesome coins!!!!!!!!! That is way cool!! NICE SAVE!!!!
 

It doesn't surprise me what people throw to the curb.Just wish I was there when they did it.
 

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