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Unusual slab...dark history.....

22 posts in this topic

I saw this interesting slab today at a B&M, and paid $20. I bought this more for the slab because it was one I had not seen, and thought it would be fun to research, and just add to the collection even though the coin is really nothing all that special. Turns out, when I typed in Hannes Tulving rare coins, I found this! WHAT!!!!- this crook's in prison serving 2 1/2 years for defrauding $15,000,000 from his clients ????!!!!! Have any of you dealt with this weasel? When was he slabbing coins?

http://www.coinweek.com/bullion-report/federal-judge-sentences-coin-precious-metals-dealer-hannes-tulving-15-million-fraud/

 

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I vaguely recall that if you go ATS roadrunner knows some of Mr. Tulving's history. But I hasten to add that I may be incorrect.

Mark

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7 hours ago, numisport said:

Never seen one of those. Probably not sealed is it ?

No it's not sealed; appears to be a snap together slab of sorts.   It's thin, and similar to the size of the old ANACS slabs but thinner.  I actually like the concept, and look of these slabs.  I'd buy some of these if they were available to store some of my coins but I don't believe you can buy these?  

 

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A coin and precious metals dealer and his company responsible for defrauding more than 380 customers of over $15 million were sentenced in federal court late Wednesday, February 17, 2016

Why after the first $5 million didnt he just leave the country and head to Belize... I will never understand why thieves dont understand that eventually they will be caught. Greed always does them in.

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The slab is snap together.  It is a one piece shell that folds over and the interlocking snaps hold the two sides together into a single slab.  You can see four of the snap prongs around the coin, there are another one or two under the label

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3 hours ago, PerryHall said:

Hannes had a buy back guarantee so I don't think that slab can be opened without destroying the slab.

Hence the tab or tabs under the seal. In order to open the snap together clam shell, the tab under the seal has to be defeated.

I know these slabs are more than 20 years old (circa 1995) because I've seen them offered then.

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I've owned several of these Hannes Tulving slabs and the coins inside are usually quite a bit nicer than the grade listed. But the price listed on the holder (yours is peeled off) always is HIGH. The company has a fun history, so the holders always carry a premium... I actually really like the way they look & feel in-hand.

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One thing you have to remember is when they were doing these slabs prices were in the 1987 - 89 period when prices were much higher, you remember, the era when common Morgans (Such as the 1881-S) in MS-65 were going for $800.

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I read about this company when all of the negative stuff was going down. He was offering high volume, low margin PMs during the gold and silver run up of 2002-2012, then apparently got caught short when the bullion banks brought the PM market down. I guess it's easy to make $ when gold prices are rising a few dollars a day, but not so much when those prices are being pulled back down.

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I was recently researching Hannes Tulving and didn't know he was a crook !

I had bought coins from him I think around 1985 ( ? ) and they were slabbed just like the pictures above. The purchase , of course,  was just before the coin market crashed. Before that Hannes  had a buy back guarantee  of 15 % appreciation  per year. After the crash he rescinded  the guarantee.

I'm wondering if my coins are worth anything ??

 

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they made those in the mid to late 80's . on the lower right was a dollar value (yours is covered by whiteout)

in 1989 ? the FTC sued them and PCGS for investment related issues

Tulving had something to do with guaranteed buybacks

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22 minutes ago, Nutmeg Coin said:

Like Madoff he was a genius until his kingdom cracked and he was lowlife scum.  

Selling precious metals is not easy. Ordering and not paying or returns/chargebacks when prices go down hit the company hard. They are not the first precious metal seller to go broke.

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"Before that Hannes  had a buy back guarantee  of 15 % appreciation  per year. After the crash he rescinded  the guarantee."

an Unregistered Security; this, along with Cumberland Investment Company's U.S. concerning Silver Dollars,  did more to usher in the Age of PCGS, etc with a dedicated Dealer Network than many people realize
 

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I need to correct my timing from my  first post. I found the box that my Hanes Tulving coins came in. The date on the box was Feb 22, 1990. His address at the time was 5000 Birch St. Suite 500, Newport Beach, CA.

 Says  "Serving investors since 1976". ( ha ! )

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Actually, once-upon-a-time he was a reputable coin dealer. It's when he got into PMs and the prices started to swing in the 2010-2012 timeframe. Out & out fraud by 2013.

But that was "The Tulving Company, Inc." which is different from Hannes Tulving Rare Coin Investments, Inc., which had it's own issues, for example: https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/618599/hannes-tulving

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