Coin Collecting For Dummies. Neil S. Berman

      Carrying coins on a plane

      Flying with coins presents special problems for the dealer and collector. Coins add to the list of stuff you must carry and watch out for. Coins can be heavy and must be handled carefully on flights so that other passengers aren’t injured. Some airlines may charge extra fees for excess baggage weight, and in extreme cases, you may not be allowed to bring the extra weight at all!

      

Consider yourself to be vulnerable every step of the way from the time you leave your home until the time you arrive at your hotel at the other end of your trip.

      

Here are my best recommendations for carrying coins on a plane:

       If you have a lot of luggage, enlist the aid of a skycap. Make sure that you keep your hands and eyes on your coins at all times. Don’t turn your back on your coins, even for a second; maintain physical contact with them at all times.

       Be careful at the airport security checkpoint, where you’re most vulnerable to coin theft. After you make it through the metal detector, security guards will probably ask to search your coin bag. (Rows of coins form suspicious-looking metal rods in an X-ray.) Ask for a private search so that the whole world doesn’t see what you have in your bag. Never allow the security guards or anyone else to take your coins out of your sight.

       Try to board the airplane early so that you can stow your coins under your seat or as close as possible to your seat. If you can’t find a compartment near your seat, stow your coins in the rows behind you, never ahead of you. In the crowded interior of an airplane, it’s easier to stop someone behind you than it is to chase someone ahead of you. Don’t let anyone know what you’re carrying. On long flights, check on your bag from time to time, just to make sure it’s still safe and secure, especially if you’ve dozed off during the flight.

       Don’t allow your coins to be placed in the trunk of a cab or limousine. Otherwise, you may end up watching helplessly as they’re driven off without you. You’re much better off taking the coins with you into the cab.

      How comforting is your inn?

      Security at hotels ranges from not-so-hot to nonexistent. Motel chains and independent operators offer no options for the traveler with coins, in which case you’re pretty much relegated to babysitting your coins. Larger chains offer safe-deposit boxes in the main lobby. Many hotels offer small safes right in your room. Nevertheless, if you’re carrying valuable coins or a lot of bulky coins, I recommend staying with them at all times. Never, ever leave your coins unattended in your room.

      

As an alternative to hotel security, most major coin shows offer security rooms manned by the same staff who protect the show or by outside security firms (often, off-duty police officers) hired for that purpose. Many times, security rooms are open well before and after the actual coin show.

      Dealing with a robbery

      Don’t resist a robbery, ever. I did, and it’s not an experience that you want to have.

      

Just because you’ve been the victim of a coin robbery doesn’t mean that it’s the end of the world. You have a much better chance of recovering your coins today than you did years ago. New technologies make it easier for you to send information about your robbery to those people who are most likely to recover your coins for you: coin dealers and law enforcement authorities.

      

Here are my recommendations about what to do now (before you’re robbed) and what to do after a robbery takes place:

       Keep good records. This way, you can supply a list of the missing coins to law enforcement authorities. Be sure to keep on file as much information as possible, includingA description of the coin, including any identifying marksSerial numbers (if the coins have been encapsulated by an outside grading company)Catalog identification numbersThe current value of the coinThe date you purchased the coinThe dealer from whom you purchased the coin

       Have your best coins photographed to help make positive identifications. Digital cameras and the use of the camera in your cell phone make coin photography easy and inexpensive.

       Begin locally and end globally. Contact every dealer in the town where your coins were stolen; then target dealers in the surrounding towns, dealers in the major cities in your state, and dealers in the major cities throughout the United States.

       Provide every contact as much information as possible, including inventory listings and photographs. Be sure to include contact information for yourself and any law enforcement officials involved with your case.

       Use email. Email allows you to send the same message to a large number of recipients at the same time. When I say “large,” I’m talking about the potential to contact hundreds and thousands of dealers. You could send an email each week just as a friendly reminder for dealers to keep an eye open for your missing coins. Be sensitive to spamming issues (sending unsolicited emails). Although most dealers are eager to help people recover their stolen coins, others may find your emails to be a nuisance. If someone asks you to stop sending them emails, honor the request quickly and politely.

Insuring Your Investment

      Insurance is a risk-based business, sort of a bet between you and the insurance company that something will or won’t go wrong. The bet includes odds that affect the size of the bet (the premium you pay to the insurance company) and the size of the payoff (the amount the insurance company pays you after a loss). In other words, the more risk you’re willing to live with, the less your insurance will cost and vice versa. A higher deductible may reduce your annual premiums, for example, but you receive less in the event of a loss.

      

Every insurance company treats coins differently, so be sure to discuss your needs with a professional insurance agent. Make sure you understand what you’re buying and how your coin collection will be protected.

      

When you sit down with your insurance agent, ask the following questions:

       Will my insurance policy cover my coin collection? Unless you purchase special coverage, your coin collection will be insured only for its face value. In other words, you get a buck for that silver dollar you purchased last year for $3,000! Buy coin insurance.

       Am I required to get an appraisal of my collection? You may be required to have an outside independent appraiser prepare an official evaluation of your collection. This evaluation can be expensive, so find out what kind of information the insurance company requires, whom it’ll accept as an appraiser, and how additions to and subtractions from your collection will be treated.

       Will I be required to protect my collection? Your insurance company may require you to install a home security system, a safe, or some other security method. If you already have such things in place, ask whether they’ll help reduce your premiums.

       Are the coins in my safe-deposit box covered? Typically, the answer is no — not unless you pay extra. Be sure to ask whether special coverage is required.

       What about transporting my coins? Are you covered when you take coins from your home to your bank’s vault? How about