I have heard the whole story on the 1894-s Barber Dime, and isn't ridiculous?? Why would a little girl take a coin from her father's collection and spend it on ice cream? Now there are only 9 of those that really are in tact. Has anyone here seen one from a coin dealer or something? Last time a dealer sold it to someone for 1.9 million! I have been looking for one from a dealer for about a week.:desk: (but I am not intrested in buying one, it's more than my whole lifes savings LOL!) -JefLinc
Jef: Just to set the story straight: The little girl in question did NOT take the coin from her father's collection. Her father was the director of the San Fran mint at the time, and he gave her three pieces. He told her to keep them, because some day they would be worth a lot of money. The story continues (as she told it some 70 to 80 years later) that on the way home she bought an ice cream cone with one of the coins. Hence the 'ice cream coin' moniker. Have I seen one? Nope, and probably never will. At times they are on display, usually at the ANA shows, but I have never lucked out to see one of them. Any for sale: not to my knowledge, at this time. But make an offer high enough and I am sure that one would show up. [say $5 million should do it.]
Good Luck. There are 10 examples accounted for: Using the Lawrence numbering system L-1: Newcomer Specimen. Proof 60 owned by anonymous collector; L-2: Eliasberg Specimen. PCGS Proof-65 Sold by Heritage 2005 F.U.N. sale; L-3: James Stack Specimen. NGC Proof 66 Sold 2005 1.3 mil by DLRC; L-5: Daggett-Parker-Johnson Specimen. PCGS Proof 65.heritage FUN sale jan 2005; L-6:Jerry Buss Specimen. Impaired proof. Current whereabouts unk; L-7: Norweb Specimen. NGC Proof-62 Current whereabouts unk; L-8:Rappaport Specimen. Grade unknown but probably an impaired proof, whereabouts unk; L-9: Ice Cream Specimen. Good-4. Sold to Private collector 1991; L-10: Romito-Montesano Specimen. AG-3. Private collector 1990, $35,000; L-11: Adolph Menjou sale, 1950. "Brilliant Proof." Other than that you could do some metal detecting in some of the finer parts of San Fran as of 1906. It is a good bet they were lost in the quake. Have I ever seen one, no. However from about 1894 to 1990 I beleive stacks had the L-10 up for sale in their show room.
Thanks for correcting me, I must have read the story wrong on wikipedia:computer:. And thanks for that very nice pic Coop.
Say it ain't so, Frank!! Say it ain't so!!!!!!!!!! If it's on the Internet it HAS to be true, right???
Definitely a coin that even a lottery win might not cover. I'll stick to collecting my low grade common coins.
Hey thanks for the info So $35 K for an AG coin, wowzer... I think I'd like to own of those higher graded proofs