SELECTIONS FROM DAVE WNUCK'S 'MAKING THE GRADE' #39

Have you ever done something so dumb that you can't believe you just witnessed yourself doing it?

You haven't? Er … well, this is awkward then. I was going for a, “Yeah Dave, I've done some really dumb stuff too,” sort of vibe here. Anyway, here's what happened with my adventure in stupidity.

A raw coin arrived in the mail for me last week. After I picked it up at the post office, I couldn't wait to see it in hand. So – like the eager genius I am I got into my car, opened the package right away and took the coin out of its 2x2 envelope. Instantly it slipped through my fingers and fell into a tiny seam in the center console of my car.

One moment it was in my hand; the next – gone like it never existed. If I had 100 more tries I couldn't have dropped another coin into that tiny gap.

When I recovered from the shock of it I furiously tried to get at the coin from various angles, with no luck. In frustration I briefly considered turning the car upside down and shaking it until the coin fell out, but that seemed impractical.

To recover it will require some major dis-assembly of the interior of my car. I have a good coin friend who fixes up cars for resale who I know could help, but I don't know if I want to subject myself to the ridicule that will most assuredly come with his assistance.

Its not even about the money – I just wanted that damn COIN! For 200 years it survived in delightful shape against all odds. Two world wars, several financial panics, one worldwide depression –it was still pristine. Now in one quick second it is part of a sedan. Ugh.

Don't worry - the Chinese will find it and redeem it at the U.S. Mint when the car is scrapped someday. (See: U.S. MINT RESUMES MUTILATED COIN PROGRAM )

Actually, I have done something almost exactly like that. I need to flash my photo ID badge and smiling face to the guards every morning when I drive in to work. Usually my badge is in a plastic holder on the end of the lanyard around my neck. One morning as I approached the guard station I realized the badge was still in my wallet. I fumbled to get it out and tried unsuccessfully to slide it into its holder. Instead - you guess it - I dropped it between the driver's seat and center console.

So the credential that took a six-month long security investigation, psychological profile, and awkward drug test to earn had totally vanished. It's generally not a good idea to tell people with automatic weapons "no" when they ask for your ID. "Gee, you're really gonna think this is funny" doesn't elicit grins either. But I think they were amused watching me flail about trying to fish it out after pulling over.

Anyhoo, here are a few items that caught my eye in Making The Grade #39: -Editor

(1860-1867) Japan Gold Koban. PCGS graded AU-55. JNDA 09-23 Man'en ? ? variety.3.30 grams. And now for something completely different. This coin stopped me in it's tracks when I saw it – it is just that beautiful. Gorgeous green-copper-gold in color. Most of these are found damaged or repaired, most likely due to their somewhat delicate nature. I'd be willing to bet most serious coin collectors do not have even one Koban in their collection.

KM-260. The single highest graded coin of this rare date, and the highlight of this list. Flashy luster with russet color peeking around the rims

1861 CSA “Beauregard Dime”. NGC graded Very Fine Details. A prized Civil War rarity. An article published in 1868 noted that these medals were “presented by the city of New Orleans immediately after the first battle of Bull Run." There are fewer than 10 specimens known, and nearly all are impaired in some way. This one is called, “VF Details, mount removed, obverse tooled” by NGC. It actually presents very well. There are several auction records around $10,000 and above. This one is just $5750.