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  • I have a penny I'd like to sell.

  • DEALER: That is-- whoa--

  • not a penny.

  • DANIEL: It's not a penny?

  • DEALER: Uh, no.

  • The United States has never made a penny.

  • Most people don't realize that.

  • Those damn Brits made a penny, but we've never made a penny.

  • We've always made a cent.

  • And the reason why it's called a cent is because it's 1%--

  • two different things.

  • So we made cents.

  • [laughing]

  • It's an American coin, and it was

  • minted just after we got our independence

  • from England, so very old--

  • 1791.

  • I bought it from an individual about 30 years ago.

  • I'd like to get at least $2,200.

  • I don't think I'll take any less than that.

  • DEALER: Early American coins are an absolute nightmare to judge.

  • You really have to know what you're doing,

  • or you can make an expensive mistake.

  • But if it is real, we could be talking a lot of money.

  • Did you have an idea what you wanted for it?

  • DANIEL: Well, I had an offer--

  • it's 20 years ago now--

  • but from a man who I think is still around.

  • And he offered me $2,000 for it.

  • Who knows?

  • I mean, quite frankly, it's worth anywhere between nothing

  • and God knows how much.

  • So I'm going to give my buddy a call.

  • I'm going to have him come down here,

  • and he's going to look at it.

  • And he's going to explain it to me and you.

  • Because I don't know anything about it.

  • I just don't. I think you got a few minutes.

  • Look around.

  • Maybe there's-- see if you can spend some of your money.

  • DANIEL: Thank you.

  • I'm a bit excited.

  • I think a second opinion is going to be great.

  • It is a real coin.

  • It is an American coin.

  • It is early.

  • And hopefully, he will see the value in it that I

  • see in it-- or maybe more.

  • DAVID: Oh, fantastic. OK.

  • Well, this is kind of interesting.

  • OK, this is neither a coin nor American,

  • but it's very important to the early coinage

  • history of the United States.

  • This was actually struck in 1791, as the date indicates,

  • in Birmingham, England. DANIEL: Really?

  • DAVID: Yeah. - Birmingham, England.

  • DAVID: This was actually manufactured with a very

  • specific commercial motive.

  • The United States Mint was not founded until a year

  • after this was struck.

  • In 1791, the United States Congress

  • was working with all sorts of ideas

  • about establishing a US mint.

  • And one of the possibilities was that they were going

  • to contract out the striking of coinage to an enterprising

  • Englishman of the name Walker.

  • He created the dies for this, and then they were

  • struck at a mint in Birmingham.

  • They shipped a keg--

  • we know of one keg--

  • to their agents in Philadelphia, and they

  • distributed them to all sorts of congressmen, senators, VIPs.

  • In other words, they were trying to win a government contract.

  • And the king didn't chop their fingers

  • off or anything for that?

  • DAVID: No, surprisingly.

  • DEALER: So is it real?

  • DAVID: Well, I'm going to check it with a loupe

  • just to make sure.

  • It is-- it's struck rather than cast,

  • and it has the engrailed edge.

  • The surfaces are correct.

  • Everything about it is absolutely correct.

  • This is genuine. - OK, sweet.

  • And now, is it worth a million dollars?

  • No. [laughing]

  • DEALER: What is it actually worth?

  • DAVID: Based upon condition, they

  • range from $200 or $300 or $400 up to $3,000 or $4,000

  • or $5,000 if you get one that is just in amazing condition.

  • This coin falls quite a bit short of that.

  • This is the kind of coin that retails

  • somewhere around $750, $800.

  • And it will very actively sell at that level.

  • OK.

  • Hey, not a problem. Thank you.

  • OK.

  • All right.

  • Best of luck. Thank you.

  • - Thank you. - See you soon, man.

  • As with all collectible coins, condition is incredibly

  • important to determining value.

  • This is a very nice coin, and it's

  • worth a respectable amount.

  • Actually, it's worth a lot more than I thought it was.

  • I'd give you $500 for it.

  • I've still got a $2,000 offer on the table for it.

  • And if I do, I have to check on that first.

  • To negotiate at this point would be moot.

  • Because there's no way I would come near that.

  • So see if the guy is still willing to pay you $2,000.

  • If not, come back, and we'll talk.

  • I'll give it a try.

  • We may see each other again. - OK.

  • Have a nice day, man. - Thank you.

  • I think, since I had a better offer before, hopefully,

  • it'll still be out there.

I have a penny I'd like to sell.

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