ANA Show Report

Boosibri · August 9, 2023 5:20AM

First, Im surprised that there haven’t been more show reports, now on day 2 of the show.

My trek to Pittsburgh from Michigan didn’t get off the ground, quite literally, very well to start. I ventured to the local airport for a 6:40am flight to Detroit before a tight connection to Pittsburgh. About 10min before boarding, the pilot comes out to announce that there is a maintenance issue and that the maintenance staff aren’t at the airport. With that announcement, I strolled right back out the door and to my car to make the 5:30hr drive to Pittsburgh.

The drive was uneventful, though stopping for a water in Coldwater, MI, a rural town, the gas station has a bitcoin ATM which is the first that I have seen.

I arrived in Pittsburgh, headed to the very aged Omni hotel which was the back up to the Westin which was sold out, dropped the car, bags and headed to the bourse. Registered without issue or wait and then walked right into the floor at opening. Couldn’t have timed that better!

I went to see my friend from Panama who had a coin held for me in a prearranged trade. The coin, an 1868 Chile Peso struck as a proof in silver. Now, a proof Chile peso is rare, but available in copper or bronze from time to time. Silver… there are probably two extant. Ironically, the other is in the ANA sale as a brushed details graded coin. That coin came from the Farouk collection as a part of a full proof set, then John Jay Pittman. It sold in Pittman and then reappeared again in a Kunker sale after which the set seems to have been broken up and the details coin bounced around a few HA auctions never successfully selling.

My coin however is an MS64, from the Millennia sale. I have not been able to find the coin in any previous sales and probably came from South America to a dealer who placed it with Millennia.

I walked the floor, came to find @MrEureka, showed him the peso, dropped a few coins to him, and continued to walk the floor. I bumped into John and MaryAnne at CRO, and @DeplorableDan at their table. Good to meet you Dan! Also caught @bidask who had some nice coins as always, and chatted with Justin at Boardwalk Numismatics who is a great guy that I always enjoy talking to.

I made my one major purchase at the table of Paul Karon where he had a 1925 Guatemalan Quetzal MS63, ex. Lissner, which is about the nicest this rare issue comes. Great add to my Latin American Crown set. Here are the poor pictures from Lissner. Better ones to come.

After wrapping the day I had dinner with a few friends and then headed back to the hotel for a drink which turned into several and joined by many of the Latin American auction houses which was a great discussion and contacts for me. The night ended with some stories from Paul Karon and Kent Ponterio which I wont repeat but needless to say, I learned a ton.

The morning showed me again how I am getting old, as I woke up ragged from the night out and found that the Omni is lacking in hot water in the shower. Now back to the show for a few hours and then back on the road.

lermish · August 9, 2023 5:29AM

Nice report and newps! I am in a cab on the way there with a lowly XF45 1925 Quetzal in my bag😂. Your MS63 is indeed top pop, a NGC 62 sold at Heritage a few months ago but this is #1 in a slab.