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May 19, 2008 9:57 pm US/Central
Thieves Make Off With $200,000 Worth Of Rare Coins
BENBROOK (CBS 11 News) ―
More than $200,000 in rare coins was gone in a flash.
The coin heist happened in the middle of the night at a business in the 8100 block of Camp Bowie West in Benbrook.
"They were $1,000 - $3,000 a piece," said Ron Swiney, the coin seller. "They knew exactly what they were looking for I think."
Police say the thieves came in through the ceiling, drilling through rebar and 8 inches of concrete into the vault.
"Then they got in there drilling a hole through the top of the safe with a rotor hammer drill," Swiney said. "I think it probably took about three or four hours to drill that hole out of there."
The thieves appeared to be in quite a frenzy. Any coins dropped were left behind.
"They missed this one," Swiney said, holding a coin worth $3,500. "It's the rarest coin of the Morgan Dollars, and it's not in very good shape."
His only insurance was a surveillance camera. But the thieves cut it.
"I figured sooner or later it would happen. Been lucky for 6 and a half years basically," said Swiney.
Now he wants other coin dealers to be on the lookout. He certainly will be.
"I'm an ex-police officer and I'd just love to catch them," he said.
Swiney is hoping for a break from a tipster. Anyone who may have seen something suspicious on the 8100 block of Camp Bowie Road is asked to call police.
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