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RGL rocks the house!!!!!!!!

keetskeets Posts: 25,351 ✭✭✭✭✭
Well, he actually rocked the school cafeteria, but you get the idea. Last night was his time to put-up-or-shut-up at the Columbus Numismatic Society monthly coin club where he had been asked by Gerry Tebben to give a short talk on Jefferson Nickels and coinage from the SMS years. Since I hadn't had the distinct pleasure of meeting Randy, I made the short three hour drive to be in attendance.

It turned out to be somewhat of "old home week for me because I saw several dealers and collectors I recognized from the Ohio/Pennsylvania Show circuit. That was kind of neat and the club was also very friendly and informal. As a plug, they're sponsoring a 90++ dealer show on Labor Day weekend, September 3-5 for anyone who isn't burned out from the ANA!!! But enough of that, on to the day at Columbus..........

I arrived with enough time to relax and met Randy as I walked in the door. I think we suspected who each other was and as I was asking a club member if they could point me to him, he was already walking over. We talked briefly, looked at a few coins we'd brought----he has some monster 38-42 Jeff Proofs!!!----and settled in as the meeting started. When it was Randy's turn at center stage the strange twist of fun started. He gave a brief outline of himself and what he collects and prompted the club members to ask questions they might have about his areas of interest and expertise, and it wasn't long before curiosity centered on the PCGS Set Registry and Forums!!!!Several in attendance were curious about grading standards with regard to being able to discern the fine line between a single grade point, but more focused on exactly how it is that a collector participates.

After his presentation there were several club members who came over to our table with questions and to look at coins Randy had brought to help his presentation. My impression of their response was one of interest tempered with skepticism. We encouraged those who are online to visit PCGS.com and lurk for awhile if they didn't feel comfortable participating initially, so if you feel someone breathing on your shoulder you know who to blame!!image At the same time there was some shared knowledge of SMS coinage and early proofs going back and forth, good stuff.

All in all it was a worthwhile trip for me, time well spent on the highway in my sled and a smooth ride home with little traffic and the CD player cranked. It was enjoyable to finally meet RGL and to share some of our collections with each other's eyes. Hopefully he can get some free time to make the Registry luncheon in August, I'm sure you guys would be pleased to meet the man behind the icon.

al h.image

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Comments

  • krankykranky Posts: 8,709 ✭✭✭
    Good story, keets. It's always a pleasure to meet forum members. Nice for a club to have such distinguished presenters!

    New collectors, please educate yourself before spending money on coins; there are people who believe that using numismatic knowledge to rip the naïve is what this hobby is all about.

  • That sounded like fun. I wish I was there!
  • Cool! image
    -George
    42/92
  • RGLRGL Posts: 3,784
    Our friend Al is both desperate for entertainment and easily amused. image It was great to meet him and swap some coins for examination. I loved seeing Al's "babies" -- his counterstamped Cleveland commems -- and he is amassing a great collection of wonderous exposition medals with some amazing designs! And, I hope he checked his bag when he got home ... it might be light that 1940 Reverse of '38 proof Jeff he cherried and made at PR-67. image

    The most interesting aspect of my coin talk, as Al noted, was the healthy interest in the Registry, the PCGS grading system, etc. I asked and there was not a Registry collector in the room among the 50 or so folks on hand. The group largely was older and dedicated to their raw coins and I picked up that most had few, if any, slabs. I think many of us are so familiar and comfortable with slabs, the Registry and these boards, we perhaps lose sight sometimes that we a small minority among all the collectors out there. That said, from the questions, some club members appear interested in checking out the Registry and the boards. Some remain disbelieving that a coin can be accurately graded on 1 point increments from 60 to 70 with any consistency.

    I came across a few collectors who were putting together raw Jeff proof sets who were eager to pick through my box to examine my slabs and found a couple of others who share my love of Buffs. One couple appeared particularly interested in the Type 1 and Type 2 steps on the Jeff and slabs of both types circulated around the room as examples of what to look for to cherry the '40 Reverse of '38 and the '39 Reverse of '40 ... still another couple of collectors seemed quite taken by SMS slabs, particularly the DCAMs. They were a great and congenial group of collectors. Many of them also were very enamored of Al's medals.

    It was so wonderful to share a wonderful evening with coin enthusiasts, and impart what little knowledge I have, and meeting and swapping coins with Al was the frosting. He even was so kind as to look through a box of coins I have been hoarding for a submission and offer some opinions. When you can talk with a collector about shoulder die polish, jaw pitting, frost fade, SMS haze, how to potentially rule out a full steps circ strike Jeff from looking at the obverse (the steps are opposite the jaw, the deepest point on the obverse, and a weak strike there dooms FS) and other arcane stuff, you've come across a true Jeff collector!

    And, those of you in the area can mark your calendars now for club's annual Ohio State Coin Show, Sept. 3-5, at the Clarion Hotel-Dublin, just off I-270 on the northwest side of Columbus. I never miss it and it is a good show with over 125 tables and 90 dealers. ANACS always is on hand with its free opinions since Columbus is its hometown ... More info available at cnscoins.com Send me PMs and I'll start keeping a list of whomever wants to show up so we arrange to have dinner or breakfast on the day most convenient to most folks.




  • keetskeets Posts: 25,351 ✭✭✭✭✭
    hey Randy

    i forgot to mention the reaction of the club when you brought up Braddick's PO1 Registry Set!!!imageimage the room erupting with laughter was kind of neat. i think for some of the older members that simple and unusual fact actually lent a twinge of legitimacy to the whole Registry concept.

    al h.image

    "Reach for the Stars!!"

    image
  • RGLRGL Posts: 3,784
    Al was the one that stage whispered to me to mention Braddick's quest ... it very much delighted the coin club members and elicited a lot of chuckles. And, that pix on Al's prior post is one of his wonderful Expo medals he showed last night ... image
  • Definately sounds like a great time was had!

  • Would appreciate opinions from proof Jeff. experts on my set. Thank you.
    image
    image


    Have a Great Day!
    Louis

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