My brief trip inside the ANA museum in Colorado Springs

gecko109

Was in Colorado Springs last weekend with my wife and son to visit her aunt. I insisted on a quick trip to the ANA museum, and wow...what a collection of goodies! In addition to a 1913 V nickel, and an 1804 dollar, the museum had on display the Bass collection of patterns and gold coins including many proofs. Near the museum is the Garden of the gods state park with beautiful rock formations. I included a few of these photos as well. Enjoy.

Awesome display of patterns....many in R6 and higher!


My wife standing in front of a collection of gold eagles.


My best attempt at photographing a 1907 HR wire edge through what seemed like 2 inches of glass!


Wife and son standing in front of gold coin exhibit.


HUGE balance used to weigh gold back in the early days.


Garden of the gods state park. Spectacular views!

Tootawl

Taking photos at the ANA Museum was sometimes next to impossible.
Garden of the Gods is too cool for words. Did you get to go to the top of Pikes Peak?

gecko109

Pictures are allowed on coins, but NOT any of the paper currency. I wanted a photo of the $100,000 bill they had, but oh well. Unfortunately my ticker starts fluttering at about 11,000 feet, so pikes peak (at over 14,000 feet) is off limits to me. We did drive around Pikes peak tho to get to Cripple Creek to play some blackjack.

…

when i went there it was a beautiful exhibit during summer seminar. and my tour guide was none other then Miles Standish!

Tootawl

When I went to the AMA museum during the Denver ANA show, I took several photos of the currency and no one said anything.
The view from on top of a 14,110 ft mountain was amazing. You should try riding a bicycle down Pikes Peak sometimes. YES!! I said ride a bicycle down! Nowm, that was cool! (and sometimes scary!)

gecko109

I had a pretty decent view from atop Palmer park , and it was low enough of an elevation to not send me into cardiac arrest!

GoldenEyeNumismatics

Cute kid.

Yes, the ANA museum is very neat.

CaptHenway

I took many a drive through the Garden of the Gods when I lived out there. It IS that gorgeous.

Used to play cards with a guy who was the number two man in the El Paso County Search & Rescue squad. They averaged probably two rescues a weekend in GoG from flatlanders who scrambled up those vertical rocks and then couldn't get back down.

The big rescues were up on Pikes Peak of people who broke ankles and legs coming down the hiking trail to the top. They'd get up there exhausted from the climb and lightheaded from the altitude, then pick up too much speed coming back down. Me, I drove. Very safe road. There are no guardrails, because they only give people a false sense of security.

TD

gecko109

Tom, on the drive along I-67 to Cripple Creek, its one false move and you literally drive OFF THE MOUNTAIN! My wife was very nervous, I thought it was kinda cool.

CaptHenway

He77, that road is nothing! Try going over Independence Pass West to East. Two way trafffic on a road that averages 15 feet wide. You take turns passing at the wide spots. Literally a 500 foot drop off on the right edge. Was going up it one day and met a cattle truck coming down. Had to back up to one of them wide spots.

19Lyds

The weirdest road I ever drove was on the Capulin Cinder Cone in New Mexico. Right out in the middle of flatlands and the road up was counterclockwise with no guard rail. You are left basically staring off into open space as you drive up. It''s not a long drive by any means but a white knuckler for me!

lasvegasteddy

nice fam there and neat museum too

Swampboy

Can't wait to see the ANA Money Museum. Three of my YNs have moved to Denver so it's
100% likely I'll be a visitor to that area within a year.
That scenery is spectacular!

NHSBaseball

Thanks for the great post- next best thing to being there!


You have a beautiful family, by the way. Did they enjoy the museum as well or did they just go to humor you? I couldn't interest my wife in the Mint Tour in New Orleans- finally had to get my brother to accompany me!

edix2001

Seeing that Bass exhibit was part of my homework in the US Type Coins class during Summer Seminar this year, taught by Frank Van Valen and David Lange. I was partial to the patterns, but was truly blown away by the ultra high relief Saint.
I didn't catch much local sightseeing, besides a trip into downtown Colorado Springs, but I did make it to Denver for the US Mint floor tour.

gecko109

<< <i>Thanks for the great post- next best thing to being there!


You have a beautiful family, by the way. Did they enjoy the museum as well or did they just go to humor you? I couldn't interest my wife in the Mint Tour in New Orleans- finally had to get my brother to accompany me! >>




Thanks NHS. My son is 16 months old and most likely had no idea where the hell he was, he just likes being around people. My wife LOVES anything made of gold, so she really was digging the gold collection but could care less about the patterns (which was my favorite display). On a funny side note, about 10 minutes after we got there, she called to me and motioned me over to the complete set of $3 gold. She said "look babe, we used to have this coin". She was refering to the 1854 $3 gold in AU55 I recently sold. I said "no sweety, those are PROOFS in GEM condition, ours was a business strike....not even in the same ballpark!"

rgCoinGuy

Great pics Phil, thanks for sharing!

dbldie55

I finally went through the museum this summer. The Bass gold is amazing.

astrorat

Hey Phil-

I didn't know you were visiting our beautiful town...too bad I missed you!

Lane

SeattleSlammer

excellent pics thanks for sharing....that patterns display is very sweet...i'm sure PCGS would love to get their hands on those coins

speety

<< <i>He77, that road is nothing! Try going over Independence Pass West to East. Two way trafffic on a road that averages 15 feet wide. You take turns passing at the wide spots. Literally a 500 foot drop off on the right edge. Was going up it one day and met a cattle truck coming down. Had to back up to one of them wide spots. >>



Your not kidding! We went on that road in a suburban and we met another car on a turn... they had the honor of backing up til the last passing spot which was still a very tight squeeze! Cool view though.