The Midland Coin Fair Show Report

Boosibri

Has anyone ever been to the Midland Coin Fair in Birmingham England? I thought of stopping over for the day on Sunday but if it's 4 old guys with some worn farthings I'll pass.

CIVITAS

I've never been, but their dealer list makes it look like a pretty good show:



http://www.coinfairs.co.uk/Vie...010%202016%20%209:30AM

Boosibri

Thanks, I missed that somehow. I think I'll attend

Bjorn

I've not been, but apparently has a good range of material (i.e. not all British stuff). I think London and Harrogate are the best ones for picking up good material.

Boosibri

I will report back!

Boosibri

I left the house for my 6:30 flight, landed in Birmingham at 7:20. The National Motor Cycle museum was a nice venue. Probably 40 dealers set up. Most were British as expected with a mixture of lower grade foreign. I ink the show was more sparsely attended than usual with the euro 2016 final tonight and with Andy Murray in the Wimbeldon finals.



Surprise was seeing not one but two counter marked Pillar 8Rs. A cleaned and perhaps polished VF 1749-Mo and a decent but scratched 1771-MO. The first was 900, the second was 6500. Should have bought the cheaper one and sold it to the second guy. While counter marked Portraits are available, Pillars are much less common and if you go by the guy with the 6500 piece, they are R7. I doubt that but still I have only seen a few.



I walked the room for several hours. Made some good contacts for my move to England. Spent some time with the one dealer who lives in my new neighborhood in Cheshire. Proceeded to buy a red brown 1775 gem farthing from them (pics to come), and then asked them to keep me in mind for some other things. While I would have liked to have found more, I am happy with the one purchase.



As a note, English airport security is the worst in the known world. It takes universally three times as much time as it should and the screeners are super strict. I thankfully bypassed the. 1 hr line with my priority pass and proceeded to feel a little bad as they brought me to the front of the line cutting 99% of the poor people who clearly were not happy. Now cider in hand I wait for my flight back to Dublin.

ShadyDave

Originally posted by: Boosibri

I thankfully bypassed the. 1 hr line with my priority pass and proceeded to feel a little bad as they brought me to the front of the line cutting 99% of the poor people who clearly were not happy. Now cider in hand I wait for my flight back to Dublin.

Exbrit

Maybe you should pick up a nice ex-Cheshire collection sovereign for your new residence.

Boosibri

I'll be heading to the York show tomorrow so I just might

Exbrit

Is that supposed to be a good show?

Boosibri

Originally posted by: Exbrit

Is that supposed to be a good show?

The dealers that I spoke with advised that it would be. I think that the further from London you get the more opportunity there is to find coins which are fresh.



Who knows, I moved to England today! So rather than unpack, I will head to a coin show and of course will report back here with any newps.

coinkat

Great to read that you are enjoying collecting across the pond