NYINC blog -updated everyday

SYRACUSIAN

NY international, first day, $100 early bird, but what the heck? I flew for 12 hours straight, the hell with the $100. First stop, Whitman publishing. Bad news for Cathy, the book she's been waiting for is in the printing process as we speak. The place is Waldorf Astoria, Park Avenue, 18th floor, show scattered in various suites. Then I see Andy. In good mood and with great coins as usual. I leave him Gene's swap gift,who's supposed to come tomorrow (I hadn't sent it yet ) ,we talk about an eventual future lunch or dinner ,I say hello to James from NEN who happened to be there and I move on. I see the first Greek person at the show. Then I stop by Karl Stephens.I come across a 1920 Swiss franc PCGS MS68. You just don't refuse an MS68, it's bad manners and ignorence, so I take it along with 10-12 more raw coins from Karl's boxes. Low total cost. I wander, I see all the big shots, nice coins, lots of slabs. Louis Teller's booth catches my eye for the second time. He has a Killer Egyptian silver 20p in NGC MS66 but it's a four figure coin, for Egypt. Will sleep on it. I go and say hi to James from NEN where I buy an Ionian coin. Then I try to go to Ponterio's lot viewing, to see an alleged MS64 sil;ver phoenix, but I'm rudely told that I should come back tomorrow at nine in the morning. I see Josh with his partner and I spend a few minutes at a booth by a couple of German boys that I've met in Chicago. Finally, I say hi to Ron Guth from PCGS, and then I hit the bar for a couple of Manhattans. At that moment I missed Larry.

Will report back soon.

spinaker2000

Sounds like you've setteled in. Can't wait to see those coins.

worldcoinguy

You have me ready to jump on a plane to walk the show! One of these years I will find a way to make it....

Stork

Sounds like a good time so far! I hope you didn't have too many Manhattans on top of jet lag--it might slow you down today. Thanks for looking for the book...I just checked the Whitman website and if I pre-order I can get free shipping. Maybe that's why I couldn't find it at Amazon .

Keep us posted--I'm working tonight so I'll need some entertainment .



Cathy

3Mark

Dimitri:

I would have had a couple of Manhattans with you Say hello to Steve Huber at table M5 for me.

Larry (3Mark)

TwoKopeiki

Sounds like a great show so far. I should definitely get myself out there next year.

FilamCoins

Guess this wasn't Dimitri! He's in NYC.

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Blast at U.S. embassy called 'terrorism' By NICHOLAS PAPHITIS, Associated Press Writer

ATHENS, Greece - The U.S. Embassy in Athens came under fire early Friday from a rocket that exploded inside the modern glass-front building but caused no casualties in an attack police suspect was the work of Greek leftists.

Narrowly missing the embassy emblem, the anti-tank shell pierced the building near the front entrance shortly before 6 a.m., damaging a bathroom on the third room, which houses the ambassador's office, and shattering windows in nearby buildings.

"We're treating it as a very serious attack," U.S. Ambassador Charles Ries said.

Greece's Public Order Minister said police were examining the authenticity of anonymous phone calls to a private security company claiming responsibility on behalf of Revolutionary Struggle, a militant left-wing group.

"It is very likely that this is the work of a domestic group," Minister Vyron Polydoras said. "We believe this effort to revive terrorism is deplorable and will not succeed."

Revolutionary Struggle claimed responsibility for a May 2006 bomb attack on Culture Minister Giorgos Voulgarakis, in which nobody was injured.

U.S.-owned banks and companies have often been targeted in small bomb attacks by groups in Greece. But Friday's incident was the most serious since the 2002 break-up of the far-left November 17 group, which was blamed for several attacks against foreign diplomats and military personnel, including the assassination of a CIA station chief in Athens.

Polydoras said Greece "strongly condemns" the attack.

"We believe it is a symbolic act," he said. "It is an attempt to disrupt our country's international relations."

Police cordoned off streets around the heavily guarded building after the explosion, stopping traffic in much of central Athens for more than three hours. Emergency services scrambled to the embassy building, which is a frequent destination for protest groups.

Investigators were examining what they believed was the device used to fire the rocket shell from a construction site near the embassy.

"This is an act of terrorism," Police Chief Asimakis Golfis said. "There was a shell that exploded in the toilets of the building ... It was fired from street level."

Ambassador Ries said the building was not occupied at the time and the damage was minimal. The embassy is now a crime scene and will remain closed until further notice, he said.

"There can be no justification for such a senseless act of violence," said Ries, who added that there had been no warning.

Authorities were searching nearby apartment buildings and a nearby hospital for evidence.

Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis visited the embassy after the blast.

"I came here to express the solidarity of the Greek people following this deplorable action," she said.

"Such actions in the past have had a very heavy cost for the country. ... The Greek government is determined to undertake every effort to not allow such phenomena to be repeated in the future."

Giorgos Yiannoulis runs a kiosk near the embassy. "I heard a loud bang; I didn't realize what was going on," he said.

It was the most serious attack on the mission since 1996, when November 17 carried out a rocket attack against the embassy that caused minor damage and no injuries.

Polydoras said police would set up a special task force, headed by a former counterterrorism chief who eradicated the November 17 group in 2002. The group was blamed for killing 23 people — including U.S., British and Turkish officials — and dozens of bomb attacks.

Several obscure militant groups have appeared since the November 17 members were arrested. Radical groups Revolutionary Struggle and Popular Revolutionary Action have been blamed for the bombings of three government ministries in 2005.

In 2003, a special court gave multiple life sentences to November 17's leader, chief assassin and three other members. Lesser sentences were given to 10 others.

1jester

Dimitri, it certainly appears that you haven't lost your zeal for coins!

SYRACUSIAN

A rocket to the US embassy? The miserable individuals who did that, it's a Mies van der Rohe building!

Larry, I've looked at Steve's table, next to Dirk's, but he wasn't there that particular moment, I 'll probably see him today. The bartender at the Waldorf makes some terrific Manhattans,where else can you enjoy them more? I stay five blocks away in a more hip environment. J, no I haven't quit the hobby, I just moved on and see it differently now.

3Mark

Have a Manhattan for me tonight and I will have one here for you Wish I was there

Larry

MacCrimmon

<< <i>D:

Have a Manhattan for me tonight and I will have one here for you Wish I was there

Larry >>




Dimitri, don't drop any coins on the floor whilst in the bar.

spinaker2000

And don't lose any on the plane!!

RareBronzeCollector

Seven of us met for lunch today....
It was nice putting faces to names.......
Interesting conversation and knowledge being shared.......
Pity this only happens once a year here..... Twice if you count the NY invitational......

I met some dealers I knew, so it was more socializing than buying... although I did make some minor purchases.... most interesting being a hollowed out GB twopenny Cartwheel... A "Smugglers coin".....

Also, I have to contact a supply dealer to change an order that I placed...

All that being said, it was a delightful day.....

SYRACUSIAN

And RBC brought a CGS slab with him! Unc 82? It already took me 5 years to familiarize enough with the 70 points ,I'm not sure I want to get into them. But it's an interesting proposition with few chances of really making it IMO, unless they create a local market of their own, especially hammered and earlier milled British.Then, big sharks Ron Guth with homerunhall will swallow them.


I've attended part of Ponterio's auction later that night, but life saver Andy was there so I was able to leave, all I wanted was one lot anyway.I hope he has good news for me today.

SYRACUSIAN

<< <i>And don't lose any on the plane!! >>




Thank you spinaker for reminding us one of my most embarrassing moment!

bidask

<< <i>Seven of us met for lunch today....
It was nice putting faces to names.......
Interesting conversation and knowledge being shared.......
Pity this only happens once a year here..... Twice if you count the NY invitational......

I met some dealers I knew, so it was more socializing than buying... although I did make some minor purchases.... most interesting being a hollowed out GB twopenny Cartwheel... A "Smugglers coin".....

Also, I have to contact a supply dealer to change an order that I placed...

All that being said, it was a delightful day..... >>

Great meeting all you guys....hope the lunch pic turns out!

1960NYGiants

<< <i>

<< <i>And don't lose any on the plane!! >>




Thank you spinaker for reminding us one of my most embarrassing moment! >>



LOL - Some of us need our memories refreshed!

RareBronzeCollector

<< <i>And RBC brought a CGS slab with him! Unc 82? It already took me 5 years to familiarize enough with the 70 points ,I'm not sure I want to get into them. But it's an interesting proposition with few chances of really making it IMO, unless they create a local market of their own, especially hammered and earlier milled British.Then, big sharks Ron Guth with homerunhall will swallow them.


I've attended part of Ponterio's auction later that night, but life saver Andy was there so I was able to leave, all I wanted was one lot anyway.I hope he has good news for me today. >>



Thanks for reminding me.....