My impressions from the Central States Show in Columbus.
keets
Posts: 25,351 ✭✭✭✭✭
-----way to many dealers doing "Wholesale only" and causing prices to rise for the average collector.
-----a floor that had steady traffic but no "crowd" that ever showed up.
-----a busy meeting schedule which made up for the floor action if you're so inclined. I was surprised that the So-Called Dollar Club was on the agenda and attended.
-----coffee priced at $2.25 a cup!!!
-----unattended tables and/or tables with empty showcases. Can anyone tell me if Evan Gale is ever at his "Aspen Park Rare Coins" table? He missed a sale to me at the 2004 ANA for that reason and probably missed one yesterday.
-----my biggest show gripe is that dealers need to find a better way to transact business at shows, perhaps inviting a customer behind the cases to spread all his crap on a card-table or something!! I can't tell you the number of times I was denied access to showcases(and the coins they contained) because a buyer had everything covered. I realize it's how things are done and a necessary evil, but there has to be a better way to do it.
-----there are more rude, and thoughtless dealers than there are classy ones. The "rude" guy that sticks out is the one who opened the case up in my face and pulled out the slabs i was looking at to show another dealer sitting next to me. The classy guys that stood out were Anaconda and Poorguy, Andy S. and Pushkin at the AngelDee's table and MS68 who was spending time there.
-----is Melissa Karstedt nuclear white hot, or what??!!
She answered a few questions at the ANR table and caused me to realize that as the money has flowed into the hobby the women have followed. There were quite a few at the show.
-----I noticed the Legend team was in attendance. Darn-it, I just never made it to there table.
-----did I mention that coffee was $2.25 a cup??
-----1805 Half-Cents above VF are very, very hard to find---I think I saw about six. Nicely toned Mercury Dimes are even tougher, I think I saw 2-3. Shield Nickels do not exist higher than VF and lower than MS/PR64. I was looking for some AU/slider Unc's and saw none, raw or holdered.
-----Cameron Kiefer has come a long way from the gangly kid who bought his girlfriend a bedroom set. He was busy each time I saw him at the ICG table and seems determined to be helpfull and make his mark.
-----1909-S VDB Lincoln Cents are not a rare coin. I believe it would have been possible to assemble a grading set at this show from VG10 through MS65RD. If you want this coin, shop around before you buy.
-----Columbus traffic at 5:20 in the afternoon on Friday sucks in a major way.
-----I saw a wonderful 1938-Date Jefferson Nickel Proof Set in a Capitol Holder that I hesitated on and now regret. The pre-1955 coins were nice and the 1939 was the "wrong Reverse" and toned nicely, though it was hairlined from an old cleaning. By the time I went to buy, it was gone.
-----MS68 gave me the tip-of-the-day when he allowed me to borrow a halogen desk lamp he had in his pack. I think it's a new show essential for me.
-----my Mentor was in attendance at the HYCOIN table and it was nice to spend time talking with him.
-----my lone purchase was a slightly toned 1925 Norse thick medal in an NGC MS64 holder. The folks at the Anaconda table said they only had it for about a half hour. Talk about a quick flip!!!
Thanks and sorry if I missed you there.
Al H.
-----a floor that had steady traffic but no "crowd" that ever showed up.
-----a busy meeting schedule which made up for the floor action if you're so inclined. I was surprised that the So-Called Dollar Club was on the agenda and attended.
-----coffee priced at $2.25 a cup!!!
-----unattended tables and/or tables with empty showcases. Can anyone tell me if Evan Gale is ever at his "Aspen Park Rare Coins" table? He missed a sale to me at the 2004 ANA for that reason and probably missed one yesterday.
-----my biggest show gripe is that dealers need to find a better way to transact business at shows, perhaps inviting a customer behind the cases to spread all his crap on a card-table or something!! I can't tell you the number of times I was denied access to showcases(and the coins they contained) because a buyer had everything covered. I realize it's how things are done and a necessary evil, but there has to be a better way to do it.
-----there are more rude, and thoughtless dealers than there are classy ones. The "rude" guy that sticks out is the one who opened the case up in my face and pulled out the slabs i was looking at to show another dealer sitting next to me. The classy guys that stood out were Anaconda and Poorguy, Andy S. and Pushkin at the AngelDee's table and MS68 who was spending time there.
-----is Melissa Karstedt nuclear white hot, or what??!!
She answered a few questions at the ANR table and caused me to realize that as the money has flowed into the hobby the women have followed. There were quite a few at the show.-----I noticed the Legend team was in attendance. Darn-it, I just never made it to there table.
-----did I mention that coffee was $2.25 a cup??
-----1805 Half-Cents above VF are very, very hard to find---I think I saw about six. Nicely toned Mercury Dimes are even tougher, I think I saw 2-3. Shield Nickels do not exist higher than VF and lower than MS/PR64. I was looking for some AU/slider Unc's and saw none, raw or holdered.
-----Cameron Kiefer has come a long way from the gangly kid who bought his girlfriend a bedroom set. He was busy each time I saw him at the ICG table and seems determined to be helpfull and make his mark.
-----1909-S VDB Lincoln Cents are not a rare coin. I believe it would have been possible to assemble a grading set at this show from VG10 through MS65RD. If you want this coin, shop around before you buy.
-----Columbus traffic at 5:20 in the afternoon on Friday sucks in a major way.
-----I saw a wonderful 1938-Date Jefferson Nickel Proof Set in a Capitol Holder that I hesitated on and now regret. The pre-1955 coins were nice and the 1939 was the "wrong Reverse" and toned nicely, though it was hairlined from an old cleaning. By the time I went to buy, it was gone.
-----MS68 gave me the tip-of-the-day when he allowed me to borrow a halogen desk lamp he had in his pack. I think it's a new show essential for me.
-----my Mentor was in attendance at the HYCOIN table and it was nice to spend time talking with him.
-----my lone purchase was a slightly toned 1925 Norse thick medal in an NGC MS64 holder. The folks at the Anaconda table said they only had it for about a half hour. Talk about a quick flip!!!
Thanks and sorry if I missed you there.
Al H.
0
Comments
time to liquidate the dogs i own while the money is flowing
and gold is up.
it sounds like going to coin shows can be a real drag. spend
more money getting there and back, then you do on coins.
Can anyone tell me if Evan Gale is ever at his "Aspen Park Rare Coins" table?
Coinosaurus and I spent some time together at his table at last year's CSNS show. Maybe we got lucky (or unlucky
it sounds like going to coin shows can be a real drag. spend
more money getting there and back, then you do on coins.
You learn far more looking at coins at a show for a few hours than you do by looking at coins on the internet for a few years. What you learn by seeing coins in person, as well as interacting with dealers and collectors in person, will make you a more informed, efficient, and successful collector.
<< <i>She... caused me to realize that as the money has flowed into the hobby the women have followed. >>
Good Report!
there were medals available, but not the better issues and certainly nothing in gem Mint state. i saw some Leshers that were overpriced as they always are some other common medals in various grades.
the meeting was pleasant. there were about eight of us and discussion entailed a prgress report on the club with about 20 minutes dedicated to the new book which is about 2-3 years away. we talked about the Continental Dollar issues the confusion of Dickeson and Elder strikings, an area that seemed to interest all present. i had fortunately brought along a few Elder pieces and an original Continental issue from 1876, sometimes mistakenly called a restrike. for his importance in the Numismatic field during the mid-late 1800's, Dr. Montroeville Dickeson has left a nearly invisible trail to follow. what remains is confusion as to who struck what medals when, with many attributed to Thomas Elder that may indeed have been struck by the good Doctor.
it has the makings of a good book for a diligent and well connected researcher.........................ala QDB.
Her mother looks pretty good too... nice picture in Numismatic News this week.
High gas prices might have kept attendance down.
-----my biggest show gripe is that dealers need to find a better way to transact business at shows, perhaps inviting a customer behind the cases to spread all his crap on a card-table or something!! I can't tell you the number of times I was denied access to showcases(and the coins they contained) because a buyer had everything covered. I realize it's how things are done and a necessary evil, but there has to be a better way to do it.
There needs to be a better way than hogging the whole table
in order to make a deal and denying other people access.
Not sure what the solution is.
"The silver is mine and the gold is mine,' declares the LORD GOD Almighty."
<< <i>Columbus traffic at 5:20 in the afternoon on Friday sucks in a major way. >>
It`s always a nightmare, or rather " Hell on Earth " , during rush hour. It`s always bad downtown but, it`s Hell during rush hour. It gets alot better on the Westside traffic wise on the interstate. Eastside on I-70 and Northside on I-71 isn`t much better.
Thanks for the report too!
i think the present technique employed by most only tends to force customers to the competition, hoping to come back later. that, in a word, is stupid.
Oh, I'll bring my thermos.
Gas prices where not going to keep me from going to that show for anything.....
You just have to take enough cash to make it worth your while at the show.....
Ike Specialist
Finest Toned Ike I've Ever Seen, been looking since 1986
I looked at the Proof Jeff set. Too expensive for what it was!
The 39 was the rev of 40, but no better than a 63 (it did have pretty color, but plenty of hairlines and a carbon spot) making it worth $250 at best.
Your commentary on the show is very accurate!!!
Ike Specialist
Finest Toned Ike I've Ever Seen, been looking since 1986
-----did I mention that coffee was $2.25 a cup??
Cheap bastige!!!
PS.
What size was the cup of coffee?
I like to read all the reports from the larger shows, so keep em' coming.
-----------
etexmike
<< <i>There needs to be a better way than hogging the whole table >>
Just say "Hey!! You make a better door than you do a window"!!
<< <i>Great report!
Coinosaurus and I spent some time together at his table at last year's CSNS show. Maybe we got lucky (or unlucky
>>
Yes, I remember that
Evan *was* at his table when I walked by yesterday. Unfortunately didn't have anything for me.
Noticably absent were the observations on the wheeling and dealing ......were the coins a little too pricey? We know about the coffee but what about the coins?
keets-----If you're a coin dealer, why don't you have any coins??
anonymous coin dealer-----Coins?? What coins?? We don't need no coins!!! We don't have to show you stinkin' coins!!!
now, just tell me what movie this little parody came from.
actually, there were some nice coins to be found but i was rather myopic in my searching. also, i didn't spend much time at any one place to see any transactions taking place that were out of the norm.
while i was talking to the Anaconda team i mentioned Proof Mercs and they showed me a nice Mint State gem and then Poorguy said he'd seen a nice Proof at Aspen Park, so we walked over to the table. on the way there i mentioned that Mr. Gale never seems to be "at home" and guess what, he still wasn't. we only got to peer through the glass at what i think was a PR68 1937 in a PCGs holder, nicely toned from what i could see of the obverse. back at the Snake's table there was a lovely Connecticut with pearly blue tone in the fields and gold high points that made the tree look like it was shimmering.
i inquired about a nice concentric toned 1875 Seated Dime that Pinnacle had, probably still at their website. i think it was a PCGS MS65. what really struck me about the coin was the way the wreath looked, pale blue and contrasted against the rest of the reverse. if it had been closer to the sheet price i probably would have bought it.
someone had a Proof Gold display with some fantastic coins, did anyone else see it?? the one that stuck out was a wire rim $20 High Relief with a Matte finish that had the appearance of having been sand blasted. later on at a table i don't remember i saw a slabbed High Relief Saint in about VF35, worn quite smooth on the highest points. what a pocket piece that must have been.
the EAC guys have all the best Large Cents and Half Cents. not knowing any of them, i'm struck by the fact that they all seem to arrange their wares in the same fashion, leaving me to think it's a ritualistic thing aimed at conformity for display as opposed to actually selling the coins. no offense to those guys, but does a high ranking EAC member come around to check their table layout?? do they really want to sell anything?? why do they stubbornly grade so strictly and out of whack with the rest of the hobby while pricing the coins close to where we assign a grade?? i can't touch anything they offer and they offer some nice coins.
for AndyNC2005----20 oz. coffee hotter than MK!!
i managed a short glance at a wonderfully toned group of Ike Dollars, perhaps 5-6 pieces in PCGS holders and each toned nicely. one in particular struck me because it had the telltale Peacock coloration of sea green. the grades were modest, MS64-66. i know this issue isn't fully appreciated by many collectors, but clean coins with good luster and color are truly beautiful.
i noticed that Stacks and a couple other auction sites had preview coins at their tables. who's planning on attending the Stacks sale in May? the offerings they showed were fantastic. it proved to me that the hobby is strong and my pockets are too shallow.
<< <i>Coins?? What coins?? We don't need no coins!!! We don't have to show you stinkin' coins!!!
now, just tell me what movie this little parody came from.
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre...now, what do I win?
There were a few nice coins there, but "moon money" is the key word these days, unless you want Ebay looking stuff.
I saw quite a few key date Saints but they were priced veru high. I also saw the standard key date NGC Saints that would never make the grade with PCGS. Same old stuff.
Columbus has a few nice sections, but try getting a cab! There are about 40 Ethiopians and Eritreans that are the entire cab fleet, and half the time I walked back to the hotel.
I'll add to the report:
-----There was a ton of wheeling and dealing. BUT, most of it was before the public came around. The dealers I agree are still in a bull market, and they are not wasting their efforts with someone who wants a (sorry) piddly $50 coin. They don't have to.
-----PCGS is swamped. MOST ALL the submissions are Gold (surprise?). Copper and other, don't bother sending in during a show. Do it during off-show peak days. Very few if any grades (upgrades, crossovers, etc.), being won these days. Gold taking over with the submissions.
-----Laura and Legend table did very well. Wanted to buy more but not much good material to buy. They were basically sold out. Laura always has plenty of customers. Andy S and David (MS68) always a pleasure to deal/meet with. Andy's booth had what I thought the best coins available. Higher grade cents, nickels. Rick Snow had a lot of good stuff also.
------Melissa K - and other women. Don't be fooled. Most were her friends hanging out with her, and in other cases, the girls were basically "bought". But you didn't hear it from me.
------I spent a lot of time with Stewart Blay, (Dr.) Steve Duckor, (who thought I would be bidding on his $10's), Heritage, Andy and Saintguru. Met Kranky and Goose for the first time. Shook Goose's hand - mine's still soar. Hope I never run into him when he's on duty...
------Silvano at Superior - had a drink with him. Has a lot of good coins coming up at Pre-long beach. Again, the dealers have a lot of customers, and a lot of sales happen before these shows even start. Besides auctions, I dont see how these dealers even WANT to go and hang out at these shows. The money is made before Saturday ever gets there.
------Christine Karstedt invaded our dinner table Friday night. Great lady, and I love their organization.
------Records continue to break. I knew Dr. Duckors $10's would go for big bucks. A selective and classy and PATIENT collector who was rewarded with a big prices-realized in about 15 minutes.
------Mike Sadler a great one to talk with at Heritage. Same with Rohan. Everyone was in a good mood.
------Crown Plaza wanted $189 a night frrom me. Stewart Blay was with me, and he said "It should be $119, like mine". I didnt know of a CSNS discount.
------I don't drink coffee. Red bulls were still $2.50!!!
------Nicest coins I looked at were a few coming up at Stacks, Andy's booth, Duckors $10's. I was with too many talkers to get a chance to see too many others!!!
------Met and had dinner with Todd Imhof who is taking the big career "crossover" from his Pinnacle to Heritage, starting....now...
------Larry Abbott looks and is built like Claude Van Damm
It was fun, the public traffic seemed small, and the convention center had an interesting crowd around. The Women of Faith had a meeting, and then their was the Wrestling championships. I saw 6-year-old kids that had calves that looked like Shwartzenegger's. Girls were wrestling boys in certain age groups - and winning...
P.S. Saintguru - half the time you STUMBLED back to your hotel...
<< <i>
-----Cameron Kiefer has come a long way from the gangly kid who bought his girlfriend a bedroom set. He was busy each time I saw him at the ICG table and seems determined to be helpfull and make his mark.
>>
I was able to do the interactive grading workshop with Cameron using the gold coin set. Very, very informative activity that was well worth the trip alone. Cameron knows his stuff. I knew next to nothing about grading gold and after that I feel able to give at least a ballpark figure.
For being such a large show I was surprised to see just how few people were actually there.
I only purchased two coins, a BU 1938-D Buffalo and 1892 Columbian Expo half. Nothing major but seeing a PR67 UCAM Barber quarter was quite nice
Positive BST: WhiteThunder (x2), Ajaan, onefasttalon, mirabela, Wizard1, cucamongacoin, mccardguy1
Negative BST: NONE!
Shows like this are really all about dealer to dealer wholesale activity. They always have been imo. It's nice for the dealers to meet the collectors at a show but their bread tends to be buttered by other dealers. Dealers like Legend and Whitlow might be different but they are part of a very small group of select dealers.
Most tables at a show are manned by dealers whose transactions are mainly wholesale. It is often far easier to purchase and sell from other dealers, in less time, and for more profit. And the dealers don't come back and bad mouth you if they didn't get exactly what they though they were getting (ie a rip). Just my 2 cents. I would agree, the shows are for wholesale trading before the public shows, the rest if more window dressing or to wait out the auction lots.
roadrunner
It was nice to see keets and goose3 again; since Cleveland area shows were cancelled I don't bump into them as often any more. Also renewed acquaintances with WayneHerndon, jjcoins (Jared), njcoincrank, CameronKiefer, beartracks42 and his charming wife Bev, AACoinCo, tassa, vam44, anaconda and MrEureka, and got to meet for the first time saintguru, Bothuwui, lloydmincy, StewartBlay, poorguy, regulated, book, ColonialCoinUnion, Conder101, chabot510 and FredWeinberg. Apologies in advance if I missed anyone, I tried to keep a good list.
Keets' so-called dollar set is really impressive. I can easily see those taking off even before the book comes out, as they tend to have very beautiful designs with intricate detail - no "spaghetti hair" on those babies. I was glad to have a chance to look at it. For those who love coins with great detail and a historical connection, you can't beat SCDs.
Tip o' the hat to Columbus native Bothuwui for coordinating lunch AND dinner on Friday, both of which were a lot of fun. Good guy and a gracious host. And now I know how to spell Bothuwui.
It was nice to meet poorguy finally and I was glad to have the chance to chat with him a bit at the Anaconda table.
saintguru was kind enough to show me a few of his Saints and teach me a bit about what totally original ones look like. My goodness, they were great coins. Wow. Thanks for letting me check them out.
Andy from Angel Dees is just a very pleasant person and has top-notch stuff. That was Pushkin with him? I didn't know that!
I bought a Pepsi instead of coffee, and it was $2.50. Then I realized I could walk out of the bourse into the hall, and get a 20oz Pepsi from the vending machine for $1.50. No coffee sold that way, though.
I had very nice extended conversations with regulated, MrEureka and njcoincrank. They were generous with their time and knowledge. Not only did I learn quite a bit but I saw some very, very cool stuff. Thanks to all of you for your time. Also to WayneHerndon who let me spend a good bit of time at his table chatting.
I passed Evan Gale's table a number of times and saw him there once. Next time, keets, give me a heads-up and I'll call you if I spot him there!
One dealer had his laptop sitting on a case with the screen facing the customers. It was displaying a photo, and a name, with the caption "Be careful of this guy". Turns out the guy was known for writing bad checks, and the dealer told me names of at least 5 dealers who had gotten burned in the past. The guy was at the show.
The registration booth for the show had signs at the window saying "We will be pleased to complete your transaction when you have finished your cell phone conversation."
I must agree Melissa Karstedt is a beautiful lady.
I guess it's pretty obvious from the above comments that I enjoy the social aspect of the shows more than the business side.
The rest of the post is tidbits from a talk I attended by Michael Lantz who worked 34 years in the Denver Mint in the production area; if that's not interesting, skip ahead. Conder101 was there and in case I misquote something I hope he'll correct me.
Die life when they were minting silver was 250,000 - 300,000 coins, but when they went to clad, it plummeted to 60,000 initially until they got the hang of it. When they went to clad, the collars gave them big problems, and they were replacing two or three collars a day in each press. They don't use a fixed pressure on the presses, they use whatever makes the coins look good. He mentioned when they started minting SBAs, they were told to use 82 tons of pressure, but they found that they got good product using anywhere from 70-90 tons, depending on the press. Die life is now at about 300,000 for quarters, and a million for cents.
In the mint, they refer to die alignment as the "beam". They once had to scrap an entire day's production of cents (6 million coins) because one press operator put the dies in using medal alignment accidentally (his term was "off beam") and didn't catch it until the whole production run from that press had already been mixed with all the other output from the presses. That caused them to use a new system called first strike inspection - the press operator checked the first coin, the supervisor had to check it again, and the assay department had to also check it. After all three agreed, they could start the press. This is done every time the press is set up (new dies)
We talked about the Wisconsin quarters - he said it was likely a washer broke and a piece of the washer came between the dies and caused the "extra leaf". Conder101 quickly noted that since they were made in a single press (not a double or quad), that meant TWO washers had to break on two different presses and cause a similar impression. (not very believable). Lantz said that no first strike inspection coin showed an extra leaf, so it must have happened during the press run. He felt only a diesetter could have made the marks if it was intentional, as the press operator would have no tools to do it with. And he felt it was very unlikely any press operator would chance stopping the press, marking the dies, and starting back up.
He noted that the Mint is quite proud of their workmanship, and they are taking even more care with the state quarters since they will be scrutinized more. He mentioned more than once (with pride) that the Denver Mint is more productive than Philadelphia Mint.
He said there is an area of the Mint called the "J vault" which is where they store the gold. It is subdivided into a number of small cell-like rooms. It is opened once a year where one cell - approximately 10% of the total contents - is audited. Security is very tight, and in his 34 years he was in there one time - in his last year before retirement, and he was granted special permission to be there.
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.
Holy Columbus !! How much was the beer !!!!!!
- Marcus Tullius Cicero, 106-43 BC
also, where did you see njcoincrank at?? admittedly, i spend most of my time at tables and on the floor with my eyes focused downward and on coins, but i managed to miss him. and believe me, i know Bill usually has some of the most interesting stuff at shows. care to share??
Camelot
<< <i>OK, Jim, fess up and tell us about the coin you bought!!! by now you should almost have your Type Set finished in a denomination i really enjoy.
also, where did you see njcoincrank at?? admittedly, i spend most of my time at tables and on the floor with my eyes focused downward and on coins, but i managed to miss him. and believe me, i know Bill usually has some of the most interesting stuff at shows. care to share?? >>
Well, I got a 1913 T1 Buffalo proof from Angel Dees. I tried to find a Shield with rays, but once I got the Buffalo, the tank was empty. So to complete my type set I need a Shield with rays (the first coin in the set) and a Jefferson "Westward Journey" coin (the last one in the set). Couldn't find that Jefferson at the show, believe it or not, even though any of the four from 2004 or 2005 would qualify. I'm shooting for the PAN show next month to finish it out.
I still can't believe that was Pushkin at Angel Dees table!
njcoincrank's table was one row over from Angel Dees, I bet you walked past it more than once.
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.
Mark
They were what gold SHOULD look like...all natural, toned and pristine!! Numerous POP1's. Total realized...$1,100,000 for 18 coins. There were gasps at some of the prices paid.
i'm no help there, Bear, i walked past them all regardless of grade. there was a time about 2-3 years ago that i came upon the idea of assembling a raw set of Barber Half-Dollars in XF, assuming it would be cheap and easy............................i doubt it is now and i learned after a couple shows that it wouldn't be then, so i gave up the ghost. i was amazed at the number of high grade Proof Barbers i saw, both Quarters and Halfs. though i never paid attention to the dates the sheer number that i saw made them seem almost common and i know that's not even close. to be honest, i liked the toned Proofs that i saw more than the black-and-white examples, a thought that sacres me!!!
my collecting habits dictate that i fill the holes in my personal Type Set slowly and in a cost efficient manner. stuff like the Gold and some 19th Century holes won't likely be filled for many, many years. an example is a $10 Indian, one of the most attractive coins i think the Mint has ever struck. i want one badly so i always look at them. the same is true of Barbers; the coins that catch my eye are just too expensive right now. hopefully they'll be available at a time in the future when i can step up to the plate.
<< <i>so $2.25 a cup... so Starbucks was there selling extra extra small cups? nice details on the show report, looks like everyone really appreciates the finer points. Cheers! >>
I paid $9.75 for a burger and coke and then had gut rot all day. Never again, I will walk outside the show and get something healthy for half the price. it just ain't worth it in the long run.
Well, my main intent was to finish off my lincoln set and work on my proof mercs. I accomplished both. I got a nice low grade example of a 1922 No D lincoln to kill off that set. I was a little worried buying it unslabbed, but Cameron gave it a thumbs up when I did the grading workshop (which by the way was very informative for me!). I also picked up a couple PCGS slabbed proof mercs. Got a 1937 in PR65 and a 1938 in PR66. Now I just need a 36 and a 39 to finish the set. I may have to go with a PR64 to be able to afford the 36 though.
I had a good lunch and dinner with several forum members. I really enjoyed hearing their coin collecting stories. Dinner was especially nice, since we had a great waitress! It's sounds like Chabots and a few other got to experience some campus life too, glad you got to experience some of Columbus' excitement.