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“No, a deal’s a deal. Besides, insurance will cover most of the costs”—she grimaced—“minus the deductible and depreciation.”
“In other words, the payout won’t replace your car.”
“It’s all right.” She pressed her lips into a grim line. “I don’t need anything fancy, just something to get me from point A to point B.”
As they left Smitty’s, the wrecker hauled away her car.
“Its last ride.” The corners of her mouth sagged.
If she won’t take the dime, how can I help? He turned toward Fort Stockton, wracking his brain.
At Wild Rose Pass, she pointed at the roadside. “That’s where I slammed into the mountain.”
“And that’s the ledge you would’ve gone over if you’d steered in the opposite direction.” He gestured to the drop-off on her right. “Your guardian angel was working overtime.”
She stared over the cliff. “He was, wasn’t he?”
****
A half-hour later, Luke handed the coin dealer the dime. “Could you give us an estimate?”
“A Winged Liberty Head.” The man examined it through the loupe hanging from his lanyard. Then drawing a sharp breath, he pulled a stereo microscope from under the counter and studied the coin beneath its lenses. Finally, he peered at Luke. “I see a few scratches but no defects. You know its history?”
“Not really.” Luke shook his head. “I recently built onto an old root cellar. My guess is the coin was trapped in the original wall. Then when I renovated, the dime slipped out.”
“Do you know what you have here?” The dealer arched his brow.
“I know it’s a 1919-D Mercury dime.” Luke shrugged. “But nothing else.”
“And one that’s virtually uncirculated, but did you see this?” The dealer stepped away from the microscope and waved him over. “Not only is it in mint condition, but the dime has a doubled die obverse.”
“Which means…?” Tilting his head, Luke squinted.
“In the right hands, this coin could bring a decent price.”
“Why?” Maeve leaned in.
“See how the words in god we trust were partially printed twice, one over the other?”
Luke stepped away to let her see.
“Yes…” She gave a surprised laugh as she peered through the eyepiece, then stepped aside.
“That’s a doubled die obverse—a rare occurrence.”
“How did that happen?” Luke studied the coin’s motto under the microscope.
“When the dime was printed, the first hubbing was incomplete. Only part of the letters were cast. Then when the hub was repositioned for a second strike, the letters were at a slightly different angle, creating a ghost image beneath the motto.”
“I never would’ve seen that detail without the microscope.” Luke shook his head.
“I may have an interested party. Let me make a quick call.” The dealer scrolled through his phone’s contact list and pressed a key as he stepped away. “Excuse me.”
“What do you think?” Luke searched her face.
“Your guess is as good as mine.” Her forehead wrinkling, she shrugged. “I don’t know anything about numismatics.”
“Me, neither.” Despite being across the room, Luke caught snippets of the dealer’s conversation.
