Posted on 05/30/2005 1:03:54 PM PDT by wagglebee
Linda Stafford has been going to garage sales for 30 years, and taking good-natured ribbing from her family all the while.
Now, the tables have turned.
Stafford has found more than $3,000 in bills dating from 1928 to 1953 in the bottom of a high-backed chair she bought at a garage sale — for two bucks.
"When we found the money, they could probably hear us screaming all over the neighborhood," said Stafford, 57.
She made the discovery while trying to make room in her garage for more furniture. When one of her daughters, Mandy Rath, heard something rattle in the chair, they removed the bottom. Placed inside a compartment were two paper packets, one with $10 in coins, the other with $3,060 in bills.
Stafford remembers what she paid for the chair, but not where she bought it.
"I know that I've had it out in our garage for at least a year, maybe two," she said.
But, Stafford was not sure how she would spend the money.
"Who knows?" she said. "I might spend it all at garage sales."
Hiccup.
Pretty easily, actually. For instance, last weekend, I went to 10 garage sales, the wife to 9, and we both attended an auction where we bought the contents of a storage unit where the rent had not been paid. Other weekends involve all kinds of auctions, dumpster diving, and general wheeling and dealing- I couldn't tell you where most of the items in home come from anymore. Neither could my wife!
"...there isn't all that much silver in our silver coins, from that era."
I collect coins. Silver coins from that era are 90% silver. She could have some real jems in there. Peace dollars, Walking Liberty halves, etc. Even the currency could be worth a lot more than face value, if it is in decent condition.
Watch....the person who sold it will turn up and threaten a lawsuit
Now that you mention it, if the chair is that old, it may have value as well. (stirring the pot)
"$3,000 in bills dating from 1928 to 1953"
Shudder to think what that money could have increased to at even simple compound interest over the last 77-52 years.
"As it turned out, my wife and her coworkers purchased the coins at face value. We still have it locked up in the safe."
Yup, I work "retail", part-time and my co-workers and I are always on the look-out for silver coins and notes. We still come across them more often than one might think. :)
I remember silver coins so worn you couldn't read the dates or anything, and have no collector value. My question is - if they can't be melted down, where are they all?
Yes, it also applies to coinage; has for many decades.
In regular use coins, unless they are something rare and special, they aren't worth much more than face value. Even case enclosed mint sets, aren't worth all that much, though more than face value.
"I will pay face value on anything you have from 1920 to 1950 plus shipping & handling (please advise)"
So will my husband, who *is* a numismatist. Suffice it to say we've been sitting here chuckling at *certain* "comments" regarding "value". ;)
I wouldn't care, Silver is Silver.
Leni
Ha ! What a bummer...but if you didn't try you would always wonder...
Interesting wild ass speculation, founded on nothing but your imagination.
Before you tell me why it MUST be true, my father, who had lived alone for 17 years, had $6,000 taped under his dinning room table, $6,000 in the vacuum cleaner, and $2,000 in his pots and pans. We knew where to look but never got a real clear answer as to why he needed it. He had lots of money and a Rice degree, but said he might "need to buy something" ... go figure.
And unless one knows exactly what this find consists of, the value is of it is impossible to guesstimate; however, your guess was egregiously high.
And then there is the fact that FDR called in all gold coins. Most people complied, so those coins are probably off the table, for this find.
If the last dates on the money are from the '50s, it is probable that that's when this money was stashed. Coins for the '20's and '30s and '40's were still in circulation in the '50s.
You're right about the bills; chances are, they aren't worth more than 15-20% over face value unless they are star notes, or a series that is worth more than usual.
However, it is perfectly legal, and is actually very common to melt US coinage. During the silver boom in the late 1970's, many Ben Franklin halves, Washington quarters, and even common-date Morgan dollars were melted for their silver.
Also, it is not illegal to deface either US currency or US coinage, unless it is done with fraudulent intent; i.e. if you try to alter the date to make it look like a rare coin, etc.
Chances are the stash that she found might be worth around 5K, but definitely not much more than that, unless there are some extreme rarities involved.
You're right about the bills; chances are, they aren't worth more than 15-20% over face value unless they are star notes, or a series that is worth more than usual.
However, it is perfectly legal, and is actually very common to melt US coinage. During the silver boom in the late 1970's, many Ben Franklin halves, Washington quarters, and even common-date Morgan dollars were melted for their silver.
Also, it is not illegal to deface either US currency or US coinage, unless it is done with fraudulent intent; i.e. if you try to alter the date to make it look like a rare coin, etc.
Chances are the stash that she found might be worth around 5K, but definitely not much more than that, unless there are some extreme rarities involved.
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