Update: Reward Increases in Coin Theft Case
Arizona Coin Collector
http://www.numismaster.com/ta/numis/Article.jsp?ad=article&ArticleId=8027
Update: Reward Increases in Coin Theft Case
By Numismatic News
October 16, 2009
The reward being offered for information leading
to the arrest and conviction of whomever stole
coins Oct. 11 from the vehicle of coin dealer
Julian Leidman of Silver Spring, Md. is now up
to almost $150,000.
(Photo of Julian Leidman)
http://www.numismaster.com/images/uploaded/60807/ArtLargImg8027.jpg
A side window of Leidman's minivan was smashed and
the entire inventory of over 1,000 coins removed
when Leidman stopped in Pine Brook, N.J., on his
return from Coinfest held over that weekend in
Stamford, Conn., according to a Numismatic Crime
Information Center report.
The dealer community is banding together to help
law enforcement solve the case. The reward has
been rising steadily and is being coordinated
through the Professional Numismatists Guild. It
started out at $5,000 with the initial offer of
Coinfest founders Laura Sperber and Jon Lerner.
The Township of Montville, N.J., police are
investigating the crime.
Identifiable inventory items according to NCIC include:
. 1921 $20 gold piece NGC MS-61
. 1932 $20 gold piece uncirculated
. Several scarce date Libs and Saints
. 1806 half dollar PCGS MS-63 (proof- like) planchet flaw on reverse
. 1807 half dollar PCGS MS-65
. 1879 pattern dollar, Judd-1617, NGC Proof-65
. 1892-O dollar PCGS genuine holder incredible coin appears to be proof.
. 1829 5 mark struck off center
"I am asking people to contact me if they are
offered anything that does not 'look correct.'
There are just too many coins to list,"
Leidman said.
Anyone who can help with information should contact
any of the individuals below:
Detective Christopher M. Keezer
(973) 257-4112
e-mail: cke...@MontvilleNJ.org
Julian Leidman
(301) 585-8467
e-mail: jul...@JulianCoin.com
Robert Brueggeman of PNG
(760) 728-1300
e-mail: in...@PNGdealers.com
Doug Davis of NCIC
(817) 705-4450
e-mail: do...@numismaticcrimes.org
..
Mr. Jaggers
I hope they get the bastard, and soon. There were several dealers at the
St. Charles show who had already offered to let Mr. Leidman have parts of
their own inventory on memo until he gets back on his feet.
James the Lawman
Bruce Remick
"Mr. Jaggers" <lugburzman[at]yahoo[dot]com> wrote in message
news:hba8a...@enews1.newsguy.com...
Glancing at some of the colorful Coin World ads, apparently handling a
million dollars worth of coins isn't considered a big deal anymore to some
coin dealers. Having personally agonized over spending a couple hundred
dollars on a single coin that will sit in a bank vault, I have little
sympathy for an experienced professional coin dealer who drives away from a
show carrying several containers with over a million dollars worth of
inventory loaded in his van like so many cases of beer. And then to park
the vehicle while he went to dinner at a roadside restaurant for over an
hour?? Even if he happened to see the theft occur from his seat in the
restaurant, what did he expect he could do about it? Was he armed and
prepared to confront the thieves? Did having his goods insured and perhaps
never having experienced a robbery before lead to complacency?
As much as I, too, would love to see the perpetrators caught and jailed,
I still have a hard time sympathizing with this man who seems to have
ignored the rules and warnings all dealers who transport valuable coin
inventories to and from major coin shows would know and follow. There's no
need for these incidents to keep happening.
Mr. Jaggers
Col. Ellsworth, whose excellent website I previously linked in this thread,
was present at a show I just attended, and I had a chance to talk with him
at some length about the incident. In spite of everything he has said and
written about the subject of coin security, he expressed the real fear that
something of this sort could eventually happen to *him*.
Continue in your line of reasoning if you wish. I for one most sincerely
hope that we never hear of such a thing befalling you or someone you love.
James
The Giant Brain
"Mr. Jaggers" <lugburzman[at]yahoo[dot]com> wrote in message
news:hba8a...@enews1.newsguy.com...
> Charles show who had already offered to let Mr. Leidman have parts of their
> own inventory on memo until he gets back on his feet.
Every time I read about a coin dealer getting robbed coming home from a show, it
seems to always happen while the dealer is getting a bite to eat.
Did they ever stop to think "Gee, I've got a million bucks worth of rare coins
in my car. Maybe I better pack a lunch and drive straight home."?
While I don't want to appear to be blaming the victim, he clearly isn't the
sharpest tool in the shed either.
Mr. Jaggers
Of course, Leidman is not beyond reproach. Nor is a longtime dealer and
friend of mine who ten years ago was followed home from a show 500 miles
from where he lived and, as he was having to deal with a security system
problem, was robbed of $2M in coins. At the same time, we would all do well
to consider the effects of randomness in our lives. No matter how many
precautions we may take, when our number comes up, it comes up.
James the Fatalist
Bruce Remick
"Mr. Jaggers" <lugburzman[at]yahoo[dot]com> wrote in message
Not likely if he follows all of his own suggestions and avoids Mr. Leidman's
methods.
>
> Continue in your line of reasoning if you wish. I for one most sincerely
> hope that we never hear of such a thing befalling you or someone you love.
If I found myself in Mr. Leidman's situation, I would be following most of
Col. Ellsworth's advice at a *minimum*. If I STILL had fears, I would
probably avoid the show circuit altogether. In the real world, I am
confident that I and my loved ones will never find ourselves faced with this
dilema, seldom carrying more than a credit card and a couple bucks and never
going to coin shows any more.
Bruce Remick
"Mr. Jaggers" <lugburzman[at]yahoo[dot]com> wrote in message
Being followed for 500 miles after driving home (alone?) from a large coin
show with $2 million in coins hardly qualifies as a "random" situation.
There are precautions we can take to minimise the random threat. That
amount of merchandise should have been protected and transported by a
professional. Unless, as I mentioned earlier, a few million $$ just doesn't
mean that much anymore to a big coin dealer, what with insurance and all.
Mr. Jaggers
This is the first time in the 10 or so years that I have known the Col. that
I have ever seen him doubt his safety. Interpret that as you will.
>> Continue in your line of reasoning if you wish. I for one most
>> sincerely hope that we never hear of such a thing befalling you or
>> someone you love.
>
>
> If I found myself in Mr. Leidman's situation, I would be following
> most of Col. Ellsworth's advice at a *minimum*. If I STILL had
> fears, I would probably avoid the show circuit altogether. In the
> real world, I am confident that I and my loved ones will never find
> ourselves faced with this dilema, seldom carrying more than a credit
> card and a couple bucks and never going to coin shows any more.
If I go out on the streets of North Lugburz tomorrow afternoon and get
mugged in broad daylight, according to your reasoning, it was my fault for
going out on the streets of North Lugburz, and I just got what I so richly
deserve. Think I'll just stay home and see if I can avoid falling down the
stairs. I'm just so damned clumsy, and it would be all my fault, wouldn't
it? Shoulda stayed off those stairs. Guess the only safe place for me is
to go to a nursing home. Wait...
James the Recluse
Mr. Jaggers
I shall say no more on this topic.
James
Bruce Remick
"Mr. Jaggers" <lugburzman[at]yahoo[dot]com> wrote in message
No. If you go out on the streets of North or South Lugburz tomorrow
afternoon carrying a big canvas bag with $$ on it, put it in the trunk of
your car, go eat lunch somewhere, and come back an hour later to find your
trunk jimmied and empty, then yes-- you got what you asked for. You weren't
mugged. Leidman wasn't mugged. Based on the published reports, he was
careless with a million dollars of his merchandise. His loss could have
been prevented.
On the other hand, if you were mugged while walking down a busy Lugburz
street in broad daylight, that to me would more likely be random and unlucky
(unless maybe you were wearing a $1,000 suit and twirling a gold chain).
Mr. Leidman may have pushed his luck or naivety to the extreme and
eventually paid a price for it. Or rather, his insurance company supposedly
will.