San Fran or Lake Tahoe area coin dealers/tourism?

FadeToBlack

Visiting San Fran for a week in August, and then Lake Tahoe the following week. Any good dealers I can check out while I'm there? Also, any coin-related tourism stuff besides the San Fran mint?

3keepSECRETif2rDEAD

Carson City Mint museum

rhedden

I have always done well with Witter Coin on Market Street in San Fran. Haven't visited many others.

Unknown

This content has been removed.

LanLord

<< <i>I have always done well with Witter Coin on Market Street in San Fran. Haven't visited many others. >>


I'll second Witter Coins in SF. Great place, very nice guy there.

Up in Tahoe there is a store in south shore, I think it's called Tahoe Coin. The guy there is also quite nice to deal with.

Enjoy your trip.

SanctionII

There are coin shops in multiple towns throughout No. Cal. Some are out of the way and kinda funky. Some owners are very good and helpful. Some are hostile and rude.

Some are in ig cities (SF, Oakland, San Jose, Berkeley and the Sacramento metropolitan area).

Some are in smaller cities (Carmel, Pacific Grove, San Rafael, Palo Alto, Santa Rosa, Albany, El Cerrito, Vallejo, Vacaville, Davis, Pleasant Hill, Antioch, Danville, Castro Valley, Woodland, Redding, Fresno, Auburn, South Lake Tahoe and various cities in the Sierra foothills along Highway 49).

There are other dealers in the area that do not have B&M shops but who will make appointments (i.e. Kagin's in Tiburon).

Best thing to do is do any internet search for California coins shops, print out the list and see which ones will be close to where you will be staying and driving on your trip. Make a list and maybe do a follow up post in this thread to ask forumites which of the shops you have found could be of interest to you given your area of interest.

Of course you could just say I have to go to the shop in Carmel, Cal., simply because it is Carmel (and after visiting the shop you are in Carmel and can hob nob with the locals at Carmel beach or in town).

mariner67

Someone here posted nice comments about the Wells Fargo Museum in downtown SF.
Don't know if they have coins but recall mention of real California gold rush gold, real stagecoach etc being there.
I think it is small but worth a quick visit.
SF in August....bring a sweater or jacket for sure!

TopographicOceans

The Carson City Mint is about an hour east from Lake Tahoe and it is a MUST see.

And as long as you're there, go up to visit Virginia City, NV







And my one good picture

yosclimber

The Bank of California gold rush museum is pretty cool (in Union Bank, 400 California St., San Francisco).
It has one small room (downstairs, near entrance), but lots of good stuff (territorial gold, ingots, scales, elaborate nuggets).
Not open on weekends (open during banking hours).
http://forums.collectors.com/messageview.cfm?catid=26&threadid=685407
[Edited link to the excellent thread that SanctionII provided]

The Wells Fargo Museum had a few coins at one point, but it was robbed a year or two ago (thieves drove a car through the front window).
The more interesting stuff they had (in my view) were original Wells Fargo postal items.

SanctionII

You can Google a list of California coin shops. A list will show up as well as a map of California with red dots showing where coins shops are located. There is a very large amount of coin shops located in the Bay Area and along the 1-80 corridor leading from SF up to Tahoe, Truckee and Reno.

There is also a Bank in SF on Market Street that has a Gold Rush Coin Museum in the basement. It is great and it is free. I have visited the museum and it very interesting. There is an old thread on it with photos of the museum. I will try to find it and send it to the top so you can see the photos and get the details of where the Bank is located.

CoinZip

Here is the list on coinzip with in 50 miles of 94111 (San Francisco)


Ace Coins Inc.
ALEX & SON'S COINS
Alistair Skinner
American Rarities Coin Company - CA
Asia Super Core Inc.
Brentwood Coin Exchange
Bullseye Bullion
Camino Coin Compan
Campbell Gold Mine
Castro Valley Coin
CoinMinePhone: Vallejo, CA
corptkm
Cotati Coins & Collectibles
David C. Stagg III, Inc
El Cerrito Coin Exchange
FALCONE COINS & COLLECTIBLES
Flying Eagle Coin
Frederick Lowndes Rare Coins
Gold Hill Coin
GRIFFIN COINS
Hedley Betts - Medals
Jack H. Beymer, Inc.
Jerry Heuer Rare Coins
Josh Felter Rare Coins & Collectibles
Kagin's, Inc.
Ken Barr Numismatics
Ken Feldman
Liberty Coins
Mish International Monetary Inc.
Mishtime
Mt. Lassen Coins
Nora's
North Bay Rare Coin & Jewelry
PACIFIC MIDWEST CO.
Peter F. Hamilton Company
Pyramid Coin & Collectible Shows
Sheridan Downey, Numismatist
Snoozy's Coins
Wargo Enterprizes
World Paper Money
Wright's Coins & Collectibles
WTC Group

blu62vette

<< <i>

<< <i>Carson City Mint museum >>



Whoa CC is only 43 minutes from Lake Tahoe, awesome! >>



And across the street is Northern Nevada Coin. Was in Tahoe last weekend, weather is just fantastic this time of year!

blu62vette

<< <i>Here is the list with in 50 miles of 94111 (San Francisco)


Ace Coins Inc.
ALEX & SON'S COINS
Alistair Skinner
American Rarities Coin Company - CA
Asia Super Core Inc.
Brentwood Coin Exchange
Bullseye Bullion
Camino Coin Compan
Campbell Gold Mine
Castro Valley Coin
CoinMinePhone: Vallejo, CA
corptkm
Cotati Coins & Collectibles
David C. Stagg III, Inc
El Cerrito Coin Exchange
FALCONE COINS & COLLECTIBLES
Flying Eagle Coin
Frederick Lowndes Rare Coins
Gold Hill Coin
GRIFFIN COINS
Hedley Betts - Medals
Jack H. Beymer, Inc.
Jerry Heuer Rare Coins
Josh Felter Rare Coins & Collectibles
Kagin's, Inc.
Ken Barr Numismatics
Ken Feldman
Liberty Coins
Mish International Monetary Inc.
Mishtime
Mt. Lassen Coins
Nora's
North Bay Rare Coin & Jewelry
PACIFIC MIDWEST CO.
Peter F. Hamilton Company
Pyramid Coin & Collectible Shows
Sheridan Downey, Numismatist
Snoozy's Coins
Wargo Enterprizes
World Paper Money
Wright's Coins & Collectibles
WTC Group >>



Very few of these are B&M stores.

blu62vette

Also...in Aug there is a coin show at the casino in CC, used to be at the mint but they moved it. Not big, but if you can fit it in, might as well.

Unknown

This content has been removed.

blu62vette

I believe Aug 21 and 22.

mvs7

I would second both the Bank of California building museum (now in the basement of a Union Bank branch) and Witter Coins. The museum has an unbelievable collection of pioneer gold, a full PanPac set in original display case, and lots of nuggets. Dean Witter (that's the dealer's name... No kidding) has his store on an upper floor of an office building, and has a much bigger selection out of view, so be sure to ask about what you want. Old school with coin envelopes and typed descriptions. I try to hit one or both whenever I'm in San Fran. There is also a State of California historical plaque at the site of the original mint. It's a few blocks from the Union/Wells bank museums and you can take a picture of/with the sign if you are so inclined.

ricko

The 'don't miss' site is definitely the Carson City Mint.....I would make that one even if I went to no others. Cheers, RickO

metalmeister

CC mint and Museum is a must IMHO

JBN

If you want a real 'old school' dealer, try Don's Village Coins on Ocean Ave in SF.

No internet presence, only a few coins in slabs, lots of trays of coins in 2x2s.

I like going there. Call ahead to verify he will be there, don't want to make the trip to see a note on the door (I've done that).

GhosOfRudy

<< <i>I have always done well with Witter Coin on Market Street in San Fran. Haven't visited many others. >>



Been here as well and had a nice visit. The Old SF mint is also a few blocks from here.

kiyote

If you can, make it out to the ghost town of Bodie. It's really cool!

CalGold

As others have mentioned the gold rush museum in the old Bank of California (now Union Bank) is a must. Also the Wells Fargo museum on Montgomery near Sacramento street. If you have time take a few minutes to stroll through the Jackson Square area -- Jackson Street and Pacific Avenue between Montgomery and Sansome--just below the Transamerica Pyramid. There are still hitching posts in Liedsdorff alley and Hotaling. This is the oldest remaining part of the pre-1906 earthquake down town and is missed by most tourists. It is now the home of antique shops and offices in the old brick buildings. Gold Street (between Jackson and Pacific) is where the US Assay office was located. I think Bix restaurant is in the building now and is a good choice for lunch or dinner. On the corner of Jackson and Montgomery is the site of the bank where William Tecumseh Sherman once worked during the 1850s--there is a plaque on the side of the building. Heritage has a small branch office on Jackson Street but they probably do not have any coins there. Across Montgomery on Commercial is the site of original SF Mint. Somewhere in the area on one of buildings there is or at least there used to be a plaque designating the cite of Wass Molitor's offices (haven't been able to find it recently).

The Old Mint at 5th and Mission is now in limbo. No one has figured out how to make use of it and the cost of seismic retrofit is untenable.

The current Mint is on Mint Hill. Not sure if they do tours (doubt that they do).

CG

CoinJunkie

<< <i>

<< <i>Carson City Mint museum >>



Whoa CC is only 43 minutes from Lake Tahoe, awesome! >>


If you have any interest in the Old West, I'd highly recommend visiting Virginia City. As a bonus,
you'll drive past the old Comstock mine on the way there.

johnny9434

<< <i>

<< <i>Carson City Mint museum >>



Whoa CC is only 43 minutes from Lake Tahoe, awesome! >>

you gonna have a safe trip next time your out there?