Annual coin show highlights in Carson City

[To Belay Off] You were certainly not alone in being suprised by the volume of very interesting information and coins at the C4OA meeting. Lots of great suff to see and handle as well as a great deal of information. A very quick 3 hour meeting followed by a great dinner and additional conversation.

I appreciate you writing an article as it will help me remember items that I am sure I have forgotten already.

Hey gang...

I and some of the other C4OA members wrote a few short articles about the terrific August coin club meeting and CC coin show.

Here's a short clip from my complete article which will show up in the next Curry's issue.

--- Meanwhile, downstairs at the Carson City Coin show the coin dealers were busy with an ever widening spectrum of people from serious Carson City coin collectors to casual tourists wandering in from Carson Street, which fronts the old mint building. Unlike the big ANA show in LA a couple weeks earlier, the people roaming the Museum floor coin exhibits were notably more relaxed and not so protective of their interest in this coin or that. In fact, initiating a discussion with a dealer that day was almost like an open invitation for anyone standing nearby to share their thoughts. Yes, the crowd was very casual, but they were knowledgeable too. At one table I overheard the words “die polish” spoken by a little kid wearing a Dodgers baseball cap (backwards). He could not have been more than ten or eleven years old . Truth be known, he’s probably Q. David’s latest prodigy sent out west on a mission to enlighten us country folk!

There were literally dozens and dozens of Carson City minted coins on display including an abundance of CC Morgan dollars and quite a few examples of the three denominations of gold coins minted at Carson City. There were lots of coins in low to mid level grades representing the four CC minted silver denominations of less than a dollar. This last classification of Carson City coins, together with a host of modestly graded silver and copper US money from the other US mints, was perhaps the perfect fit for the average collector visiting the show that day. Unfortunately, for the well-healed collectors roaming the floor, the combined displays offered only a smattering of important Carson City rarities…with one exception which I will describe a bit later.

Raw coins from 1c through 50c out numbered certified coins 50 to 1 or more at many of the tables. These coins drew a lot of attention, especially with the young coin collectors attending the show. One young numismatist’s experience in particular made my day.

With his Whitman album in hand and the Bank of Dad standing by, I was privileged to watch a 12 year old, freckle faced coin collector view his first 1955 Doubled Die Obverse, Lincoln Cent. His pure amazement and unbridled joy of discovery spread through the immediate crowd like ripples on a pond. All around him people were smiling and passing knowing looks back and forth as we watched this child’s mini-epiphany. The moment was intense, but fleeting, as budget realities quickly sobered his acquisition plans. ---

More to follow.... Belay Off

I know there is a rumor that No Body gets in to see the Wizard, not No Body, Not No how, but at the C4OA meeting in the Emerald City, I'm sorry I meant to say "Carson City" a few weeks ago,No broomstick was necessary to have wishes granted by the Wizard himself as he made a Memorable and Grand Appearance in the upstairs private Chamber of the "CC" Castle specially reserved just for the C4OA members.

Great time, amazing coins, wonderful friendships!
Thank you to Rusty, Marie and the entire Southgate staff for all their coordination and efforts to make this such the fantastic and fun event that it was!

Tom DeFina