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.
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: ckeezer@MontvilleNJ.org
Julian Leidman
(301) 585-8467
e-mail: julian@JulianCoin.com
Robert Brueggeman of PNG
(760) 728-1300
e-mail: info@PNGdealers.com
Doug Davis of NCIC
(817) 705-4450
e-mail: doug@numismaticcrimes.org
