$200,000 in items stolen from car

LADSON -- A coin dealer at the Lowcountry Coin Club's annual winter coin club said more than $200,000 worth of rare coins and merchandise were stolen from his car late Friday.

Dealer Hank Passafero said he'd left the items in the trunk of his car outside a North Charleston restaurant where he ate. When he returned, the trunk looked to have been pried open by a crowbar.

Many of the U.S. coins were gold, with some dating to the mid-1800s.

Passafero thinks he fell victim to thieves who make a habit of targeting coin dealers, following them after a show closes for the night. Friday was the first day of the show at the Exchange Park Fairgrounds.

"Nobody would have known I had anything in the trunk," he said.

The coins were in two large brief cases and were insured. The difficulty is that the insurance does not cover the items if they are ever left unattended, Passafero said.

His car had been parked at the Longhorn's on Rivers Avenue. It was one of several places he tried to find to eat.

Security was tight at the event Saturday. Attendees were asked to show identification.

Passafero, who has been a dealer for 30 years, said theft is a common problem for coin dealers. He's heard stories of thieves applying for keys to vendor cars, or placing GPS units under vehicles in order to follow their movements and gain entry.

Some of the coins included a $2.5 Liberty gold piece from 1898 and a one cent piece from 1793.

The theft was reported to the North Charleston Police Department.

Randy Clark, president of the Lowcountry Coin Club, said the thief or thieves knew what they were doing in marking potential victims. During the show, the dealers' cars and the public entrance was separated by gates and fences.

"It's happened before," he said of robberies against the industry. "And it will happen again.

At least 1,500 people attended Saturday's event.