BCD11 wrote:Hope the authenticators give you some good news next month!
I got verbals from 2 different authenticators/graders at the Central States Numismatic Society 74th Anniversary Convention.
Both said without a doubt that it is
NOT authentic. They each concluded that it is a struck counterfeit.
It was an interesting afternoon nonetheless.
Before I got word from the authenticators, I first stopped at the Heritage Auction booth. They got
very excited. It was one of their reps that put me in touch with the first authenticator (with PCGS).
I got to speak to the second authenticator by showing the '44 to a dealer who once owned a legitimate steel 1944 (a 'D' mint). That dealer got me an audience with ANACS.
I had a full pocket of FRN and had every intention of spending over $2,500, but the prices weren't right on the things I was looking for. Many of the dealers were very competitive on most things but the few that had stuff I was looking for were high. No big deal. I am very patient and will either eventually get it at my target price or I won't get it. I fed my need by buying two ship wreck coins - 800 B.C. Silver Egyptian coins recovered from shallow water near Israel.
I'll put this 1944 in one of my coin albums and let somebody in the far future go through the exercise I've gone through. Who knows, maybe the ending will change between now and then. It did for these folks (
http://news.yahoo.com/1913-nickel-fetches-more-3-1m-auction-175140077.html). They were told by experts that their million dollar nickel was fake. Then, they sold it for $3M+.