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Baltimore Spring 2018 Show Report [Day 1 & 2] (better images added)

EVillageProwlerEVillageProwler Posts: 5,859 ✭✭✭✭✭
edited March 29, 2018 11:29AM in World & Ancient Coins Forum

Thursday started a bit rough for me - I had to get up early to open up my driveway from the snowplows that came again in the early morning. Not too bad, except that I still hadn't packed and I needed to leave not too late.

I make it to Baltimore without incident, thankfully, and got to the convention center by around 2:30pm. At the registration, I fill out the card and present my ID and show the guy that I still have my label from the November show and told him that he needed to fill out another label (with my first name on it). He insisted that he needed to do that, even though it was an identical label. (My label is taped onto a old NYINC badge that hangs from my neck so it wouldn't lose its adhesion -- normally attendees stick the label on their clothing, but the label quickly loses its adhesion.) I didn't argue with him so took the extra label and when he wasn't looking I just threw it away.

Next, I try to walk onto the bourse and got stopped by a security guard that complained that I was not wearing the label stuck onto my clothing but rather hanging around my neck. Why the heck does that matter to him??? Anyway, he lets me in. Jeez.

I meet up with my first appointment, a veteran dealer of Anglo-Saxon material, and I buy two pieces from him:

The first is a Series G, type 3a, sceatt that the dealer attributes to Nothhelm of Sussex (c. 792 - c. 725) even though most of the literature attributes this to Northumbria. I'll need to talk to this dealer.

SCBC 800, North 43. 1.06g.

Ex JP Linzalone Collection. Ex Stack's Auction, December 1994, lot 2281 ($900 hammer). Ex Arthur Fitts collection. Ex Parsons, lot 2.

The second is also a sceatt, from CNG's Triton XXI auction, lot 1356:

ANGLO-SAXON, Secondary Sceattas. Circa 720-745. AR Sceatt (12mm, 1.06 g, 10h). Series K, type 42b (Style A/B). Mint in east Kent. Diademed and draped bust right, hand holding cross bird to right / Hound Lion standing left, head reverted, eating berries from bush in background. Metcalf & Walker 24; Abramson 41.20; Metcalf –; SCBI 63 (BM), 511; North 100; SCBC 803A. Good VF, darkly toned.

From the Dr. JDR Collection. Ex Finn FPL 18 (2000), no. 49.

(I think I paid too much for this, but so be it. I really like the coin so I'll just move on with life.)

I almost bought a third sceatt - an relatively inexpensive, common Northumbrian piece that caught my eye. But, no, that is not to be.

I part this dealer and move to my next appointment: Atlas Numismatics. I pore over his inventory of pre-selected material that Chris @ Atlas had set aside for me. I whittle the batch down to 3 coins: one must have, and two that presents a quasi Sophie's Choice moment for me. I will decide on the two tomorrow. Today, I buy one:

GREAT BRITAIN. England. Charles I. 1625-1649. 1646 AR Shilling. NGC AU58. Large crown divides CR, XII below / OBS / NEWARK/ (date). KM 370.2; SCBC-3143.

Siege Coinage. Lovely old cabinet patina.

(This is hands down the finest of the type I have ever seen; it has a decent strike and great luster to go along with the attractive patina.)

Knowing that I'm hard up on cash (perpetually) and that I must preserve my war chest for upcoming auctions in the UK, James suggested that I walk my coins to another dealer (from whom I bought those coins I'm trying to sell) instead of trying to use as trade-in with Atlas. So I did that and got almost what I paid for them. I'm a bit sad seeing them go, but I needed the cash and I wasn't pursuing that series anymore.

Done for the day, my next order of business was to figure out my dinner plans with a dealer friend. After dinner it is back in the room for some chit chat. Getting late now. Bed beckons. (The friend with whom I am sharing the room is complaining about the light.)

How does one get a hater to stop hating?

I can be reached at evillageprowler@gmail.com

Comments

  • SeattleSlammerSeattleSlammer Posts: 9,953 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Good report! Nice newps. :star:

  • TheRavenTheRaven Posts: 4,143 ✭✭✭✭

    I like that square coin alot.

    Collection under construction: VG Barber Quarters & Halves
  • KkathylKkathyl Posts: 3,762 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Nice report. I too am a rebel against the name tag. I was told that anyone with a name tag is considered easy prey. I too tried to avoid those tags. I write my name to be "Human". No one has ever questioned that. So I think that will be my "coin crowd name"

    Nice pick ups look forward to hearing the rest of your trip story

    Best place to buy !
    Bronze Associate member

  • ZoharZohar Posts: 6,629 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I will miss these shows... nice write up.

  • StorkStork Posts: 5,205 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Maybe you can fly in for one every so often.


  • EVillageProwlerEVillageProwler Posts: 5,859 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Day 2 (Friday) actually started Thursday evening when a friend in California who is also a p/t dealer called me to advise on my Sophie's Choice. Friday morning started for me with the painful realization that while not out of money I cannot afford to deplete my war chest for the upcoming UK auctions.

    So I make my way back to Atlas' table to check out the the lots of interest, particularly the two that make up my Sophie's Choice. I tell myself that compared to what is coming up next week, these have to come in second. Of the main two lots, one is related to one of my core collecting interests but also not really. The other is part of a core collecting area, but not my top collecting area (which is Anglo-Saxon).

    I spent the next several hours chatting up dealers and looking for less pricey items to purchase. Said hello to MrEureka. Spent time talking to CRO and Mrs. CRO. Browsed other inventories too. Almost bought Irish gunmoney, but decided I didn't know enough about them. Almost bought a nice Elizabeth I groat, but again I didn't know enough. Basically, at this show, I eyed a few items outside my comfort zone. In addition to the gunmoney and groat, I also eyed Ormonde Crown and 1/2 Crown and a counter-marked Scottish Ryal. The dealer of the two Ormonde pieces told me the 1/2 Crown is not nearly good enough for my set, and also dissuaded me from the Crown because they come nicer if I am patient to wait for a keeper piece. As for the counter-marked Ryal, the same dealer didn't know how to advise me (that is 1/2 of my Sophie's Choice) because by then the choice wasn't so clear to him.

    Here's what the dealer told me about my Sophie's Choice situation: Coin A (do not ask me to identify it) is less expensive, Choice MS, and only a fractional denomination; Coin B (the c/m Ryal) is pricier, a wholesome circulated specimen, and out of my comfort zone.

    Flashback to Thursday evening and my conversation with my left coast friend, he told me that he really likes Coin A but not so much the c/m Ryal.

    So the takeaway lessons (for me at least) are: (1) not be hasty spending money on material that one does not understand (I already bought stuff and spend quite a bit of money, so there is no pressure to buy something so I do not come home empty-handed); and use my time to learn about grades and pricing (e.g., one dealer had a nice raw Teutonic 1/4T, so I compared that to a slabbed MS63 Teutonic 1/4T to assess relative detail/wear and price; next time, I need to look at more groats raw and slabbed to educate myself on quality versus grade versus price).

    Exhausted, I went back to my hotel room and crashed. I changed my dinner plan and decided to stay in, eating a nice Maryland crab cake sandwich in my room and watching some TV shows I downloaded onto my iPhone.

    Time for sleep so I can get up early and check out.

    Hopefully my holding back will be worthwhile -- we'll see what next week brings.

    EVP

    How does one get a hater to stop hating?

    I can be reached at evillageprowler@gmail.com

  • bidaskbidask Posts: 13,834 ✭✭✭✭✭

    You mean this upcoming UK auction ?

    https://www.dnw.co.uk/auctions/auction.php?auction_id=483

    I manage money. I earn money. I save money .
    I give away money. I collect money.
    I don’t love money . I do love the Lord God.




  • ExbritExbrit Posts: 1,237 ✭✭✭✭

    Arg! I missed the show again -- would have liked to talked to the dealers you mentioned. For some reason - I am always in a hurry at these shows and never get a chance to talk to them. Nice report and good luck next week.

  • 7Jaguars7Jaguars Posts: 7,228 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Exbrit, I know a few GB collectors in mid-
    atlantic area and might be able to meet up at a future B-more show..??

    Love that Milled British (1830-1960)
    Well, just Love coins, period.
  • StorkStork Posts: 5,205 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I would have liked to go this year but my poor, suffering, husband had a cannon shooting event (something about 100 ton models all being in the same place at the same time--we are both nerdly in our own way). Considering my work schedule and my coin trips it was definitely his turn to take a solo trip for a weekend.

    It's nice to get reports, stories, hear about dilemmas, and mostly, SEE SOME PICTURES. It's more fun to be there, but the posts are nice! In the end, I hope you tell us all the details about what you chose and why.


  • coinkatcoinkat Posts: 22,721 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Nice haul... Reads as if you had fun

    Experience the World through Numismatics...it's more than you can imagine.

  • ExbritExbrit Posts: 1,237 ✭✭✭✭

    @7Jaguars said:
    Exbrit, I know a few GB collectors in mid-
    atlantic area and might be able to meet up at a future B-more show..??

    Would like to meet up at a later show.

  • worldcoinguyworldcoinguy Posts: 2,999 ✭✭✭✭

    Whoa - wait a minute......cannon shooting event? That sounds like a thread in itself.

  • StorkStork Posts: 5,205 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Okay, can't get more off topic, but I suppose it's my husband's payback for all of my coin nonsense :wink: And it really is the main reason I didn't go up to Baltimore.

    A functional 1:17 scale model of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/100-ton_gun


    (can you believe this is the only photo I found of it???)

    And this is the entryway/hallway in my house. Nothing like walking in and staring down a few barrels (eyeroll). And yes, there is a can of black powder and the Michelin Man in my entryway too. Sigh. Did I mention my husband is actually pretty tolerant of my hobby? I have to be the same.

    So he, and a couple other guys who also have working models are getting together to have a target shoot. My husband has never shot an actual projectile from this particular cannon, but he's just happy because apparently there are only a few of them and they will all be together shooting at once. I'm probably not using the appropriate terminology but oh well.


  • EVillageProwlerEVillageProwler Posts: 5,859 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Stork said:

    It's nice to get reports, stories, hear about dilemmas, and mostly, SEE SOME PICTURES. It's more fun to be there, but the posts are nice! In the end, I hope you tell us all the details about what you chose and why.

    I'm glad you found this worth reading. I am sure I left out many details, partially because I was tired but mostly for better reading. If you have any specific questions, feel free to throw 'em at me and I'l do my best to respond. If it's a matter of my Sophie's Choice Coin A, I'm afraid that I will need to keep that coin unidentified for the foreseeable future.

    If I had enough funds to choose one more coin, I'd have chosen Coin A over B because A was the nicer of the two and I really didn't understand Coin B (besides being a cool-looking Crown-sized coin in average circulated condition, I really know nothing else about it).

    EVP

    How does one get a hater to stop hating?

    I can be reached at evillageprowler@gmail.com

  • EVillageProwlerEVillageProwler Posts: 5,859 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Here are images of some coins not bought:

    [Ormonde Crown]

    [Ormonde 1/2 Crown]

    [Counter-marked Ryal]

    How does one get a hater to stop hating?

    I can be reached at evillageprowler@gmail.com

  • EVillageProwlerEVillageProwler Posts: 5,859 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited March 29, 2018 11:29AM

    Newly processed images:

    How does one get a hater to stop hating?

    I can be reached at evillageprowler@gmail.com

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