Lost And Found Class Ring?

Q: I had taken out my 1956 Proof Half to put with my Franklin collection quite some time ago.. Well, I was thinking that I sent it in to be graded, since I DID send a 56 into PCGS a couple years back, and it came back PF66CAM.. I made more off that than I did the whole set.. so I was happy. So here I am, with the remainder of the set, with no half.. what to do.. Since I am meeting with George D. tomorrow to go to the Camelback Coin Club monthly show, I had planned on trying to hunt another one down, so I could put the set on ebay, as a full set.. I'll be derned if I didnt find another 56 proof half stuck in a side pocket(not see thru) in one of those hard plastic holders.. not the screw type, the snap type.. So I am one happy man! For once, I lost something, and actually found it!

A:I've never lost one for more than a few hours but man, that was a stressful few hours! More worried about not doing a good job with my stewardship responsbilies than the financial loss. Especially with the ancients I buy, the guilt factor would be SO HIGH if I trashed one. Lose a coin? Not me. Okay, I'll admit. I found a 1947 Jefferson nickel the other day and put it on my dresser with the intention of comparing it to the one in my collection for possible upgrade (regardless, one of them would end up in the "Jeff Hoard" for other collectors). It's still on my dresser, though it's anybody's guess where. Hmm.. I don't think I've ever actually lost or misplaced a coin of any significant value.. but I've been looking for my High School ring for over 30 years. Back when I graduated, Gold was about $35.00 an ounce and for a big size men's ring with a big red stone in it, solid 18k Gold, I paid about $43.00. My fingers got fatter in college and the thing got tighter and I couldn't wear it anymore and I thought about having it re-sized but put it away and haven't been able to find it since. I've looked through every drawer, box, cabinet, corner of every nook and cranny, pocket of every piece of clothing in the closets in my domicile.. multiple times (what is it they say about one sign of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results??.. ) .. and honestly don't know if it is somewhere within my four walls or not. But I suspect not. I gave it to a college gurlfriend who put yarn around it so it would stay on her little gurly finger, and she wore it for a while, we broke up, she gave it back.. I put it somewhere, and that was that. It's not just the sentimental value it has, but also the fact that a ring like that would sell for about $600.00 these days. Even if I had the $600.00 to throw at Balfour or Jostens (can't

remember which company made it), they don't have the molds for specific school ring designs that old any more so they'd have to custom make one, so they both told me. They also told me that hardly anyone orders 18k Gold Class Rings anymore because they're so expensive, so they are mostly made in 14k or 10k these days. I guess it'll always be a mystery as to where my damn ring went, and I doubt I'll ever find it again. It's entirely possible that it ended up in a box that ended up in another box that ended up in a landfill years ago. But if I ever do find it, you people on the East Coast will know because you'll be able to hear the scream of joy way over there ;) ..