Armed robbery at Edmonton coin shop

An employee of North Edmonton Coin and Currency (formerly known as Northgate Stamp and Coin) fell victim to a violent armed robbery this September.

It’s reported two people entered the store, which is the longest-running coin and stamp shop in Edmonton, on the afternoon of Sept. 19. They stayed for upwards of 30 minutes before asking the store’s employee to see an item in a cabinet on the customers’ side of the counter.

“There was only one employee at the store at the time,” said Stan Wright, a fellow long-time dealer and owner of Diverse Equities in nearby Calgary.

“The men then pulled a gun and held it to the employee’s head while they handcuffed him.”

The pair also covered the employee’s head with a jacket to obscure his vision.

“They opened the back door and let a third male in,” said Wright, who’s a life member of the Royal Canadian Numismatic Association as well as the American Numismatic Association.

The three suspects “proceeded to clean out the store,” he added. They made off with gold and silver bullion; paper money; all the store’s inventory of International Coin Certification Service-graded coins; foreign coins; and more.

The business owner is planning to close his doors after the robbery not only because of the ‘significant value’ lost but also because of his perceived lack of safety.

BUSINESS TO CLOSE

The business owner, who wishes to remain anonymous, is planning to close his doors after the robbery—not only because of the “significant value” lost but also because of his perceived lack of safety.

“On they way out, they also stole the video surveillance camera as well as the employee’s vehicle,” said Wright, who was not involved in the incident.

On Sept. 21, the employee’s vehicle was found; however, no arrests were made.

Wright is asking anyone who is approached to buy any of the aforementioned material to call the police immediately and “help us catch these thieves.”

The recent robbery isn’t the first incident to strike the Edmonton-based business owner.

This August, robbers used a U-Haul truck to smash into his south Edmonton store. Three months earlier, he was shot at after confronting a robber who was threatening his employee.

In 2011, when his north Edmonton store first opened, he was assaulted by two armed men.

“We must all be very careful and diligent as the crimes and violence continue to escalate,” Wright added.

STOLEN ITEMS

In addition to more than $10,000 in worldwide currency – including about $7,500 Cdn.; $1,450 US; £300; $200 AUD; $120 NZD; 150 Swiss francs; 300 redeemable German marks; and $400 in miscellaneous foreign exchangeable notes, the following items were stolen in the Sept. 19 robbery:

  • a 20-ounce hand-poured Johnson Matthey antique silver bar;
  • a five-ounce hand-poured Johnson Matthey antique silver bar;
  • a five-ounce hand-poured Johnson Matthey antique loaf silver bar;
  • a 25.84-ounce Drew antique silver bar;
  • about 40 A-Mark liberty bell silver one-ounce rounds;
  • about 80 Canadian Silver Maple Leaf coins (various years);
  • five half-ounce silver wolf coins;
  • one SS Garisopa 10-ounce bar;
  • three generic 10-ounce silver bars;
  • 10 various privy mark Silver Maple Leaf coins;
  • 15 U.S. silver eagles;
  • 12 PCGS-certified bullion coins, including a mix of kookaburras and koala coins;
  • about 70 other mixed silver rounds and coins;
  • about 200 Canadian silver 50-cent coins;
  • about 40 Canadian silver dollars;
  • about 80 common date U.S. silver dollars;
  • one antique sterling cigarette box;
  • a 1902 $4 note in Fine condition;
  • a 1935 French $20 note in Fine condition;
  • a 1933 U.S. gold certificate;
  • six U.S. flying eagle $1 notes;
  • a 1954 “Devil’s Face” $100 note certified Mint State-65;
  • about 40 various chartered notes, some of which are certified;
  • about 30 various U.S. notes, including confederate issues;
  • South Korea 100-wan note certified About Uncirculated;
  • two pairs of consecutive 1937 $20 notes;
  • a 1913 RBC train note PCGS-certified Fine-15;
  • a polymer $100 note (serial number “44444444”);
  • about 20 shinplaster notes from 1870, 1900 and 1923;
  • five 1935 Series $1 English-language notes;
  • one 1935 Series $5 note in Very Good condition;
  • one 1935 Series $10 English-Language note in Very Fine-30 condition;
  • about 30 1937 Series $1 notes;
  • three 1937 Series $2 notes;
  • two 1937 Series $5 notes;
  • about eight 1937 Series $10 notes;
  • about 12 1937 Series $20 notes;
  • three 1937 Series $50 notes;
  • six 1937 Series $100 notes;
  • about 10 1954 “Devil’s Face” $1 notes;
  • two 1954 “Devil’s Face” $2 banknotes;
  • about 12 1954 $20 “Devil’s Face” notes;
  • about 80 1954 modified $1 notes;
  • about 40 1954 modified $2 notes;
  • about eight 1954 modified $5 notes;
  • about 10 1954 modified $10 notes;
  • about 15 1954 modified $20 notes;
  • five 1954 modified $50 notes;
  • four 1954 modified $100 notes;
  • about 300 1973 $1 notes;
  • about 60-1974 $2 notes;
  • 18 1972 $5 notes;
  • about 60 1979 $5 notes;
  • about 15 1975 $10 notes;
  • about 50 1979 $20 notes;
  • five 1975 $50 notes;
  • eight 1975 $100 notes, two of which are sequential;
  • about 80 1986 $2 notes;
  • about 10 Bird Series $5 notes;
  • five Bird Series $10 notes;
  • about eight Bird Series $20 notes;
  • one Bird Series $100 note;
  • about 30 mixed certified scarce serial number Canadian notes from various issues;
  • about 80 Journey Series $5 notes;
  • about 20 Journey Series $10 notes;
  • two polymer $100 radar notes;
  • about 300 lower-grade star notes and replacement notes from various series (mostly $1 and $2 Canadian issues);
  • a quantity of unsorted Canadian and world notes with more than $1,000 face value;
  • a tray of about 100 U.S. Morgan and Peace dollars (various years);
  • a tray of about 200 mixed ancient copper and silver coins;
  • a tray of about 80 Canadian silver dollars (various years);
  • a partial tray of about 40 better-quality world coins;
  • a tray of about 40 various low-quality error coins;
  • a tray of about 80 better-quality Newfoundland and provincial coins;
  • a partial tray of about 50 better-quality Canadian coins (various denominations);
  • a tray of about 200 better-quality Canadian cents, nickels, dimes and halves (various years);
  • 16 trays of ICCS-certified coins, some of which are listed below, with a catalogue value of more than $60,000;
  • an 1891 SD LL “Obverse 3” in Fine 12;
  • a 1908 cent in ICCS Specimen-63;
  • a 1921 cent in ICCS Mint State-63;
  • a 1928 cent in ICCS Mint State-64;
  • an 1858 Large Date five cents in ICCS Very Fine-20;
  • an 1875 ICCS-certified five cents;
  • two 1884 ICCS-certified five cents;
  • an 1898 five cents in ICCS Mint State-63;
  • five 1925 five cents in ICCS Very Good-8/10 (mixed);
  • a 1926 “Far 6” in ICCS Very Good-8;
  • a 1926 “Near 6” in ICCS Extremely Fine-45;
  • a 1938 five cents in ICCS Mint State-64;
  • a 1953 “Shoulder Fold Far” in ICCS Very Fine-30;
  • a 1964 “Extra Water Line” five cents in ICCS Mint State-63;
  • ICCS-certified dimes (mixed grades);
  • an 1858 20 cents in ICCS Very Fine-30;
  • an 1875 25 cents in ICCS Very Good;
  • two 1880 25 cents in ICCS Very Good-10/Fine;
  • a 1936 25-cent dot coin in ICCS Very Fine-30;
  • a 1950 25 cents in ICCS Specimen-65;
  • two 1973 “Large Bust” 25 cents in ICCS About Uncirculated-55/Specimen-66;
  • an 1899 50 cents in Very Fine-30 Raw;
  • a 1905 50 cents in ICCS Very Good;
  • a 1932 50 cents in ICCS About Uncirculated-55;
  • a 1936 50 cents in ICCS About Uncirculated-55;
  • a 1948 50 cents in ICCS Mint State-64;
  • a 1935 $1 coin in ICCS Mint State-65; 
  • a display binder of about 1,200 coins, including 600 U.S. coins with all denominations in two-by-two holders and 20-pocket pages, 80 colonial tokens in pages and 100 milk tokens, merchant tokens and trade tokens;
  • a second display binder of about 1,500 Canadian 25 cents, 50 cents, $1 coins and $2 coins (with most dates having two to four examples, excluding key dates) all packaged in two-by-two holders and 20-pocket pages; and
  • three small flip books of about 150 worldwide counterfeit coins the owner accumulated and kept in two-by-two holders in the store’s safe so they couldn’t be sold.

According to the owner, who provided this list of stolen items, there are other coins and banknotes not listed about “due to lack of memory.” Some of the coins have certification numbers ranging from “XPZ502” to “XPZ609.”

Leave a Reply

Canadian Coin News

Canada

Canadian Coin News is Canada's premier source of information about coins, notes and medals.

Although we cover the entire world of numismatics, the majority of our readers are Canadian, and we concentrate on the unique circumstances surrounding collecting in our native land.

Send Us Your Event

Running an event? Send it to us and we will display it on Canadian Coin News!

Submit Event →

Subscribe To 26 Issues For Just $59.99/year

Subscribe today to receive Canada's premier coin publication. Canadian Coin News is available in both paper and digital forms.

Subscribe Now

We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund of the Department of Canadian Heritage.