subject: How to Deal with a Coin Collection robbery ? [print this page] How to Deal with a Coin Collection robbery ?
Do not resist a robbery, ever. Neil has, 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 at 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 our recommendations for what to do now (before you're robbed) as well as 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: A description of the coin, including any identifying marks
Serial numbers (if the coins have been encapsulated by an outside grading company)
Catalog identification numbers
The current value of the coin
The date you purchased the coin
From whom you purchased the coin
Have your best coins photographed to help make positive identifications. Several digital cameras on the market today make coin photography easy and inexpensive.
Begin locally and end globally. Contact every dealer in the town where your coins were stolen, and 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 with 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 e-mail. E-mail allows you to send the same message to a large number of recipients at the same time. When we say "large," we're talking about the potential to contact hundreds and thousands of dealers. You could send an e-mail each week just as a friendly reminder for dealers to keep an eye open for your missing coins. Be sensitive to spamming issues (the sending of unsolicited e-mails). Although most dealers are anxious to help people recover their stolen coins, others may find your e-mails a nuisance. If someone asks you to stop sending him e-mails, honor his request quickly and politely.