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Baltimore Show Report June, 2012
TomB
Posts: 23,285 ✭✭✭✭✭
Traditionally, the Baltimore spring and fall shows can generally be counted on to be among the best of the year. Within the last decade a third show was added to the schedule and was placed in the summer. This show has never been as strong as the other two, but it is still well worth attending.
I drove to the show and made very good time over the course of the first 250-300 miles, but then hit traffic that made me stop. Within a few moments of stopping I realized that my left arm felt mighty warm and then that feeling of dread arrived where I realized I would have “driver’s tan” during the show. More precisely, it might have been termed “driver’s sunburn”. Ugh. I’m fair skinned to begin with, so this burn was very obvious and quite red. However, on the bright side, it really didn’t burn or sting at all and didn’t affect any part of doing the show. The clear skies and high heat that were encountered on the drive down stayed in Baltimore throughout the show. Truly, I do not know how more folks who work outdoors for a living in this heat don’t get overcome or ill from the heat; it was relentless.
The SB auction was disappointing in the depth of proof WLHs being offered. My favorite denomination is the half dollar, but I prefer them to be a bit older than WLHs and this run of 900 or so proof Walkers seemed as relentless as the heat. It was wilting and could easily make one’s eyes glaze over. Given the SB auction, the competition with the simultaneously held Colorado Springs show and ANA seminars and the fact that this was the summer Baltimore show, my expectations were fairly low. Thankfully, this is one time that I was largely wrong in that the show was successful in many ways. The Baltimore Convention Center is easy to get to, close to many larger hotels, situated right with the rest of the attractions in the Inner Harbor and has been running long enough so that nearly everything runs smoothly. Many aspects of the show, such as ease of auction lot viewing, convenient security room, quick dealer registration and the like might not make it onto the radar of most collectors, but they go a long way toward making it easier for dealers to not only arrive in a better, more relaxed mood, but also they serve to make the show more inviting for dealers to actually attend.
Because of the conflict with the Colorado Springs show and ANA seminars, many regulars at the Baltimore show were not in attendance and, indeed, overall dealer participation was lighter than typical. Thursday is generally a day where only the most hard core of collectors attend and the foot traffic through the aisles on Thursday was especially light. In spite of this, those collectors who did attend were quite serious in their buying and I watched in horror as my inventory shrunk considerably. The horror wasn’t so much for the shrinking inventory, but was more for the fact that it near impossible to replace that many coins in one show for someone who is as picky as I am with the items I will list. It also seemed to me that many of the coins that were purchased to be listed on my site were picked off by collectors before I even left the show. I can’t state that the show was booming, but there were far more sales than one might have reasonably predicted given the attendance.
Of course, having fewer folks at the show allows one to interact in greater depth with those who stop by the table to look at, talk about or show coins. A truly cool coin that was shown around at the table was a double struck, chop-marked Trade dollar that crypto79 brought with him. It had been dipped, but how many double struck, chop-marked Trade dollars are out there? That was really cool. Another highlight of the show for me was to again speak with HalfCollector and to view some pieces that he had brought with him for educational purposes. I am a life member of the JRCS (John Reich Collector Society) and those of us who are members of the JRCS may be aware that there has been underway a long term project to write a comprehensive book on Reeded Edge half dollars. Jules Reiver prepared the groundwork with his variety identification manual (VIM) produced in the 1980s. Unfortunately, the VIM is mighty tough to use and has virtually no images. HalfCollector has been working very hard for a considerable length of time to bring useful variety attribution of Reeded Edge half dollars to the collecting public. I am also happy to say that he has graciously allowed me to participate in this project and that, given the current timetable; it looks like the book may become a realization sometime this summer. My participation was limited to writing a comprehensive introduction to the book as well as editing the manuscript, while HalfCollector did what I consider the backbreaking (and eye blinding) work of writing the attributions and writing their descriptions. I doubt that our first printing will be extensive, so if anyone would like to obtain a copy of the book they may be well served by getting in touch with either one of us on the boards or through email.
Some specific observations about the show-
• The rise in the value of gold and silver put many dealers in a good mood and not simply because it helps bullion prices, but also because the mood of the bullion market seems to affect greatly the mood of many collectors and their willingness to actively collect.
• Certified gold was by no means rare, but less of it was around than previous shows. Whether this was due to dealers not wanting to sell into a weak market or simply having less inventory is not known to me.
• Most dealers I spoke with seemed to be doing quite well at the show in spite of the relatively light attendance and low expectations.
• Certified Buffalo nickels and WLHs were aplenty while certified Lincoln cents must have been in hiding.
• I was asked by a number of folks if coins had gone to CAC when they had no sticker. The answer was easy. No.
• Morgans. Everywhere. All the time.
• Almost every raw coin that was offered to me by a collector was previously cleaned with the best pieces having been at least dipped.
• An extension of the above is that this was one of the few shows where almost all the cool coins available were from dealers and not the public.
• One well respected dealer had a new run of 20+ 1947-1958 Mint Sets in original papers (minus the outer envelopes) where the papers still had good glue and none of the coins appeared “popped” in the past. The coins weren’t monsters, but the sets were selling well for about 30% over bid.
• Are ICG holders extinct? They might be if this show is consistent with the rest of the pool.
• The concern for those in Colorado was obvious and ever present.
On the way home on Saturday I was hoping that it might be possible to outrun the heat. Unfortunately, that did not happen and it was 100+ degrees for over 250 miles of driving and at least 98 for over 300 miles of driving. During the drive I drank 80 ounces of water and Gatorade to keep hydrated. I hope all got home safely and had a great time. Please feel free to add more details as I have no doubt forgotten to write everything down.
I drove to the show and made very good time over the course of the first 250-300 miles, but then hit traffic that made me stop. Within a few moments of stopping I realized that my left arm felt mighty warm and then that feeling of dread arrived where I realized I would have “driver’s tan” during the show. More precisely, it might have been termed “driver’s sunburn”. Ugh. I’m fair skinned to begin with, so this burn was very obvious and quite red. However, on the bright side, it really didn’t burn or sting at all and didn’t affect any part of doing the show. The clear skies and high heat that were encountered on the drive down stayed in Baltimore throughout the show. Truly, I do not know how more folks who work outdoors for a living in this heat don’t get overcome or ill from the heat; it was relentless.
The SB auction was disappointing in the depth of proof WLHs being offered. My favorite denomination is the half dollar, but I prefer them to be a bit older than WLHs and this run of 900 or so proof Walkers seemed as relentless as the heat. It was wilting and could easily make one’s eyes glaze over. Given the SB auction, the competition with the simultaneously held Colorado Springs show and ANA seminars and the fact that this was the summer Baltimore show, my expectations were fairly low. Thankfully, this is one time that I was largely wrong in that the show was successful in many ways. The Baltimore Convention Center is easy to get to, close to many larger hotels, situated right with the rest of the attractions in the Inner Harbor and has been running long enough so that nearly everything runs smoothly. Many aspects of the show, such as ease of auction lot viewing, convenient security room, quick dealer registration and the like might not make it onto the radar of most collectors, but they go a long way toward making it easier for dealers to not only arrive in a better, more relaxed mood, but also they serve to make the show more inviting for dealers to actually attend.
Because of the conflict with the Colorado Springs show and ANA seminars, many regulars at the Baltimore show were not in attendance and, indeed, overall dealer participation was lighter than typical. Thursday is generally a day where only the most hard core of collectors attend and the foot traffic through the aisles on Thursday was especially light. In spite of this, those collectors who did attend were quite serious in their buying and I watched in horror as my inventory shrunk considerably. The horror wasn’t so much for the shrinking inventory, but was more for the fact that it near impossible to replace that many coins in one show for someone who is as picky as I am with the items I will list. It also seemed to me that many of the coins that were purchased to be listed on my site were picked off by collectors before I even left the show. I can’t state that the show was booming, but there were far more sales than one might have reasonably predicted given the attendance.
Of course, having fewer folks at the show allows one to interact in greater depth with those who stop by the table to look at, talk about or show coins. A truly cool coin that was shown around at the table was a double struck, chop-marked Trade dollar that crypto79 brought with him. It had been dipped, but how many double struck, chop-marked Trade dollars are out there? That was really cool. Another highlight of the show for me was to again speak with HalfCollector and to view some pieces that he had brought with him for educational purposes. I am a life member of the JRCS (John Reich Collector Society) and those of us who are members of the JRCS may be aware that there has been underway a long term project to write a comprehensive book on Reeded Edge half dollars. Jules Reiver prepared the groundwork with his variety identification manual (VIM) produced in the 1980s. Unfortunately, the VIM is mighty tough to use and has virtually no images. HalfCollector has been working very hard for a considerable length of time to bring useful variety attribution of Reeded Edge half dollars to the collecting public. I am also happy to say that he has graciously allowed me to participate in this project and that, given the current timetable; it looks like the book may become a realization sometime this summer. My participation was limited to writing a comprehensive introduction to the book as well as editing the manuscript, while HalfCollector did what I consider the backbreaking (and eye blinding) work of writing the attributions and writing their descriptions. I doubt that our first printing will be extensive, so if anyone would like to obtain a copy of the book they may be well served by getting in touch with either one of us on the boards or through email.
Some specific observations about the show-
• The rise in the value of gold and silver put many dealers in a good mood and not simply because it helps bullion prices, but also because the mood of the bullion market seems to affect greatly the mood of many collectors and their willingness to actively collect.
• Certified gold was by no means rare, but less of it was around than previous shows. Whether this was due to dealers not wanting to sell into a weak market or simply having less inventory is not known to me.
• Most dealers I spoke with seemed to be doing quite well at the show in spite of the relatively light attendance and low expectations.
• Certified Buffalo nickels and WLHs were aplenty while certified Lincoln cents must have been in hiding.
• I was asked by a number of folks if coins had gone to CAC when they had no sticker. The answer was easy. No.
• Morgans. Everywhere. All the time.
• Almost every raw coin that was offered to me by a collector was previously cleaned with the best pieces having been at least dipped.
• An extension of the above is that this was one of the few shows where almost all the cool coins available were from dealers and not the public.
• One well respected dealer had a new run of 20+ 1947-1958 Mint Sets in original papers (minus the outer envelopes) where the papers still had good glue and none of the coins appeared “popped” in the past. The coins weren’t monsters, but the sets were selling well for about 30% over bid.
• Are ICG holders extinct? They might be if this show is consistent with the rest of the pool.
• The concern for those in Colorado was obvious and ever present.
On the way home on Saturday I was hoping that it might be possible to outrun the heat. Unfortunately, that did not happen and it was 100+ degrees for over 250 miles of driving and at least 98 for over 300 miles of driving. During the drive I drank 80 ounces of water and Gatorade to keep hydrated. I hope all got home safely and had a great time. Please feel free to add more details as I have no doubt forgotten to write everything down.
0
Comments
Dave
Loved your attention to detail, not to mention those pertinent pesky bullion requests!!!
You would(already) make a great numismatic journalist!!!
Your Pal
GB
I always loved going to the Baltimore shows when I lived in the area...even the summer show.
It would have been nice to have been there this time, even if I'm no longer a buyer.
Great report and I was relieved to read that the warm tingley feeling in
your left arm was only a sun-burn in the making.
I am in Colorado Springs and enjoying it at ANA Summer Sessions - my first time -
and the fires' smoke has been the only concern. As I live at 3 Ft above sea level,
being at over 6,000 Ft has been hard to adjust. The smoke didn't help.
The Colorado Springs Coin Show this past weekend was a bust, because of the
forest fire, and other assorted reasons [ Obama was in town and the roads were
blocked; Obamacare passed the Supreme Court and this new "tax" was just the
straw that broke the camel's back. ] Previous attendees mentioned that the foot
traffic at the show was down at least 66%.
edit for the wrong choice of words...nix Superior for Supreme
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Coin collecting is not a hobby, it's an obsession !
New Barber Purchases
<< <i> Obamacare passed the Superior Court and this new "tax" was just the
straw that broke the camel's back. >>
I'm hoping that
<< <i>Superior Court >>
is sarcasm (a much needed emoticon on this site). Otherwise, perhaps Diana Ross can fill you in.
I usually eschew socio-political comments on this site. I am otherwise considered by my peers to be disturbingly "liberal" in some of my sensibilities and political judgments.
My analysis of the Baltimore show (albeit made only with the insights I personally gained teaching at the remote location of Colorado Springs) was that RomneyCare was not the factor some others might imagine. Tough choices remain on a complicated subject whose counter-argument relies to some extent to a national health-care philosophy of "if you get sick, die quickly". You give simplistic, you get simplistic.
Perhaps the 30+ millions who might be benefitting from this "dangerous" political event were not motivated by their new-found bounty. It is, after all, just another aspect of the creeping European socialism (like Social Security and Medicare) that have held the hobby hostage for so many decades. But I am somewhat surprised that those more aligned with more pure free-market leanings did not flood the show in an effort to rid themselves of ever-more-increasingly useless dollars.
Colloquy with friends attending the Baltimore show suggested that 100+ degree temperatures and 200% humidity, combined with the annual and quite predictable Summer slowdown, may have had more to do with show turnout than various macro-economic stressors.
So we can go even further OT as I incite others to reply to my socio-political observations. I invite PMs so that this Forum can remain somewhat uncluttered by political rants from those such as myself and others who seem to occasionally align themselves with the positions of other enemies of our economic system such as Bill Gates and Warren Buffett.
Karl Marx (Keynes was such a wuss!) versus Friedrich Hayek!
Celebrity Death Match
Alternatively, we could focus on coins.
Thanks for yet another incisive report, Tom
<< <i> Most dealers I spoke with seemed to be doing quite well at the show in spite of the relatively light attendance and low expectations. >>
I got the opposite impression. I heard some dealers grumbling that they were not selling enough to cover the table fee and only reason why they were there was to hold their spot in the bourse. Overall I heard the word "slow" more often than comments about how well they were doing. Attendance was definitely lower.
<< <i>Tom,
Great report and I was relieved to read that the warm tingley feeling in
your left arm was only a sun-burn in the making. >>
Let me echo those thoughts - whew! Thanks for the great read, Tom. Attending this time just wasn't in the cards for me. Maybe I can make the fall show.
<< <i>macro-economic stressors >>
Holy mackeral, that is an awesome phrase.
Do I have permission to use it at some of the Economics seminars we
teach to the top executives in Cleveland, Ohio?
Now that I think of it, I claim "micro-economic stressors" as my own.
Great report Tom. My stomach fluttered when you said your left arm was feeling warm and whatnot. Glad it was just a minor solar event.
Morgans are everywhere always. I just wish I could get to a coin show someday.
Can't wait to see your new offerings.
Too many positive BST transactions with too many members to list.
The Penny Lady®
ColonelJessup, thanks for the best/funniest post around here in recent memory...
<< <i>
<< <i>macro-economic stressors >>
Holy mackeral, that is an awesome phrase.
Do I have permission to use it at some of the Economics seminars we
teach to the top executives in Cleveland, Ohio?
Now that I think of it, I claim "micro-economic stressors" as my own. >>
Go right ahead. I'd love to get a doily out of this, but it's in the public domain. I probably stole it from someone and I just don't remember.
Friedman? Samuelson? Greenspan? Krugman? Professor Irwin Corey?
Try "velocity of money". If they're not avid econometricians it could sound a lot more useful.
Micro-stressors. Trademark as soon as possible. Buy the domain name before it gets hot.
Back OT. I read Tom's report a second time and appreciated it even more.
I like the Whitman and ANA folks as much as anyone, but they really ought not to schedule events at the same time.
98=Heatwave....... that's funny. We call 98 degrees in Texas summer.
In God We Trust.... all others pay in Gold and Silver!
<< <i>Great report!
98=Heatwave....... that's funny. We call 98 degrees in Texas summer. >>
In vegas, it's spring.
Experience the World through Numismatics...it's more than you can imagine.
Would an individual submission to a TPG qualify as a "micro-economic stressor"? How about a negotiation with (fill in the blank)? How about spending six hours in a car alone with a coin doctor? (CJ knows I'm not kidding about the last one!)
Doggedly collecting coins of the Central American Republic.
Visit the Society of US Pattern Collectors at USPatterns.com.
<< <i>• Almost every raw coin that was offered to me by a collector was previously cleaned with the best pieces having been at least dipped. >>
good report Tom.
did they know? how did they take the news?
as far as traffic north of Baltimore into Del has a lot of just trees beside I-95 but the place goes into parking lot mode quickly and often.
Route 40 runs to Baltimore near I-95 and you can get off 95 and drive on it as a way out of stopped traffic.
So... where are the shows around CT?
The report of a decent show may very well be colored by the expectations of a dismal show. Therefore, even if the show wasn't gangbusters it still might look pretty darn good. While my expectations for the show were low, I also did fairly well and was surprised by the strength of the material that sold. The raw coins offered to me by collectors were offered with the full knowledge of the collectors as far as I could tell. I mentioned to one that every coin in his small booklet of pieces for sale had been cleaned and he stated that he knew. Another readily admitted that the better raw coins were all dipped, which had been obvious anyway, while a third said nothing and I told him that there was nothing in his group that would work for me. As for shows in CT, we have a few great ones and they are the Boston show and the Baltimore shows.
The images taken at the show had not been something I was planning on doing until a day or two before the show. In general, I do not take my photography equipment with me to shows, but I had a rather late request for an important coin and decided I should do the job. I finished quite late that night, but am glad that I did the job. I'd also received a PM asking about commems and my honest answer is that I don't recall a thing about commems at the show. This must mean that there was nothing that grabbed me on the bourse and no one asked about any commems that I had with me. Of course, I only have one commem in my inventory and, even though it is quite spiffy, carrying one commem doesn't exactly make me a big player in this lovely niche.
In honor of the memory of Cpl. Michael E. Thompson
<< <i>
<< <i>Great report!
98=Heatwave....... that's funny. We call 98 degrees in Texas summer. >>
In vegas, it's spring.
Yeah,but its dry heat.LOL
<< <i>... How about spending six hours alone in a car with a certain coin doctor? (CJ knows I'm not kidding about the last one)! >>
Boldface word inserted.
MrEureka should know better.
The last time we discussed this individual, I told Andy that if he paid me $5 I wouldn't tell him the last
Happened at the same Fun Platinum Night lot viewing as the famous "Dead Man Walking" incident
Some scurrilous details available on the latter two stories at Philly. Weird scenes inside the gold mine indeed.
As Alice Roosevelt Longworth said many a time "If you don't have anything good to say about anybody, why don't you come over here and sit down next to me?"
Cue Garth Brooks.
<< <i>
<< <i>Great report!
98=Heatwave....... that's funny. We call 98 degrees in Texas summer. >>
In vegas, it's spring.
I am sitting here on the Oregon coast .......59 degrees and a nice seabreeze!
I give away money. I collect money.
I don’t love money . I do love the Lord God.
<< <i>
<< <i>... How about spending six hours alone in a car with a certain coin doctor? (CJ knows I'm not kidding about the last one)! >>
Boldface word inserted.
MrEureka should know better.
The last time we discussed this individual, I told Andy that if he paid me $5 I wouldn't tell him the last
Happened at the same Fun Platinum Night lot viewing as the famous "Dead Man Walking" incident
Some scurrilous details available on the latter two stories at Philly. Weird scenes inside the gold mine indeed.
As Alice Roosevelt Longworth said many a time "If you don't have anything good to say about anybody, why don't you come over here and sit down next to me?"
Cue Garth Brooks. >>
I have no idea what you are talking about but suspect it is extraordinarily juicy
<< <i>
<< <i> Obamacare passed the Superior Court and this new "tax" was just the
straw that broke the camel's back. >>
I'm hoping that
<< <i>Superior Court >>
is sarcasm (a much needed emoticon on this site). Otherwise, perhaps Diana Ross can fill you in.
I usually eschew socio-political comments on this site. I am otherwise considered by my peers to be disturbingly "liberal" in some of my sensibilities and political judgments.
My analysis of the Baltimore show (albeit made only with the insights I personally gained teaching at the remote location of Colorado Springs) was that RomneyCare was not the factor some others might imagine. Tough choices remain on a complicated subject whose counter-argument relies to some extent to a national health-care philosophy of "if you get sick, die quickly". You give simplistic, you get simplistic.
Perhaps the 30+ millions who might be benefitting from this "dangerous" political event were not motivated by their new-found bounty. It is, after all, just another aspect of the creeping European socialism (like Social Security and Medicare) that have held the hobby hostage for so many decades. But I am somewhat surprised that those more aligned with more pure free-market leanings did not flood the show in an effort to rid themselves of ever-more-increasingly useless dollars.
Colloquy with friends attending the Baltimore show suggested that 100+ degree temperatures and 200% humidity, combined with the annual and quite predictable Summer slowdown, may have had more to do with show turnout than various macro-economic stressors.
So we can go even further OT as I incite others to reply to my socio-political observations. I invite PMs so that this Forum can remain somewhat uncluttered by political rants from those such as myself and others who seem to occasionally align themselves with the positions of other enemies of our economic system such as Bill Gates and Warren Buffett.
Karl Marx (Keynes was such a wuss!) versus Friedrich Hayek!
Celebrity Death Match
Alternatively, we could focus on coins.
Thanks for yet another incisive report, Tom
While we are musing on historical and verboten political subjects might I mention the now forgotten Bataan death march? I am also politically conflicted, was once a laissez faire libertarian, but appreciated a recent performance of "Marx in Soho" in the people's republic of Vermont...lol
I decided not to drive the 250 miles plus down from CT though it is one of the best East coast shows. I enjoy the show when I go, rent a motel room a half hour north of the city for $50 or so. I walk by the harbor to Whole Foods for some great food. One regret, Baltimore show natives who do not share their city hospitably, yes I know many collectors and dealers are not overflowing with charisma, but I have tried to show hospitality to visiting people in CT.
I caught this interesting report on an 1800 dollar on the John Reich site:
"I showed the coin to another dealer a bit later on in the show, when one of the x-ray detection reps was showing him his product. I wanted to see if the product worked, as I also collect elements, so I asked the rep to test my dollar. The result came up 98% silver and 1% copper, along with 1% rhodium (?!). It was strange. I had no doubt that the coin was genuine, so I didn’t worry about it a lot… figured that the device only tested the surface and had other problems. Later on, in my search for a 1916 PHILADELPHIA quarter in nice condition, I happened on another dealer’s table where another rep for the x-ray device was showing off the device. He had a different and newer model than the other rep, so I asked him to test my dollar. Again, it came up 98% silver with some other trace elements and I asked him why… the coin didn’t look fake, and it seemed strange to have it come up 8 or 9% more silver than regulation. He held it on the coin for longer, and it changed to 90% silver and 3-4% SULFER, as well as trace amounts of several other elements."
http://jr-newsletter.blogspot.com/
Also I enjoy Mr. Wnuck's road report at coinraritiesonline for day to day discussion of his high end experiences.
<< <i>
<< <i>
<< <i> Obamacare passed the Superior Court and this new "tax" was just the
straw that broke the camel's back. >>
I'm hoping that
<< <i>Superior Court >>
is sarcasm (a much needed emoticon on this site). Otherwise, perhaps Diana Ross can fill you in.
I usually eschew socio-political comments on this site. I am otherwise considered by my peers to be disturbingly "liberal" in some of my sensibilities and political judgments.
My analysis of the Baltimore show (albeit made only with the insights I personally gained teaching at the remote location of Colorado Springs) was that RomneyCare was not the factor some others might imagine. Tough choices remain on a complicated subject whose counter-argument relies to some extent to a national health-care philosophy of "if you get sick, die quickly". You give simplistic, you get simplistic.
Perhaps the 30+ millions who might be benefitting from this "dangerous" political event were not motivated by their new-found bounty. It is, after all, just another aspect of the creeping European socialism (like Social Security and Medicare) that have held the hobby hostage for so many decades. But I am somewhat surprised that those more aligned with more pure free-market leanings did not flood the show in an effort to rid themselves of ever-more-increasingly useless dollars.
Colloquy with friends attending the Baltimore show suggested that 100+ degree temperatures and 200% humidity, combined with the annual and quite predictable Summer slowdown, may have had more to do with show turnout than various macro-economic stressors.
So we can go even further OT as I incite others to reply to my socio-political observations. I invite PMs so that this Forum can remain somewhat uncluttered by political rants from those such as myself and others who seem to occasionally align themselves with the positions of other enemies of our economic system such as Bill Gates and Warren Buffett.
Karl Marx (Keynes was such a wuss!) versus Friedrich Hayek!
Celebrity Death Match
Alternatively, we could focus on coins.
Thanks for yet another incisive report, Tom
While we are musing on historical and verboten political subjects might I mention the now forgotten Bataan death march? I am also politically conflicted, was once a laissez faire libertarian, but appreciated a recent performance of "Marx in Soho" in the people's republic of Vermont...lol
I decided not to drive the 250 miles plus down from CT though it is one of the best East coast shows. I enjoy the show when I go, rent a motel room a half hour north of the city for $50 or so. I walk by the harbor to Whole Foods for some great food. One regret, Baltimore show natives who do not share their city hospitably, yes I know many collectors and dealers are not overflowing with charisma, but I have tried to show hospitality to visiting people in CT.
I caught this interesting report on an 1800 dollar on the John Reich site:
"I showed the coin to another dealer a bit later on in the show, when one of the x-ray detection reps was showing him his product. I wanted to see if the product worked, as I also collect elements, so I asked the rep to test my dollar. The result came up 98% silver and 1% copper, along with 1% rhodium (?!). It was strange. I had no doubt that the coin was genuine, so I didn’t worry about it a lot… figured that the device only tested the surface and had other problems. Later on, in my search for a 1916 PHILADELPHIA quarter in nice condition, I happened on another dealer’s table where another rep for the x-ray device was showing off the device. He had a different and newer model than the other rep, so I asked him to test my dollar. Again, it came up 98% silver with some other trace elements and I asked him why… the coin didn’t look fake, and it seemed strange to have it come up 8 or 9% more silver than regulation. He held it on the coin for longer, and it changed to 90% silver and 3-4% SULFER, as well as trace amounts of several other elements."
http://jr-newsletter.blogspot.com/
Also I enjoy Mr. Wnuck's road report at coinraritiesonline for day to day discussion of his high end experiences. >>
LOL on the whacko X-ray thinggamajiggie! That was my table where your Bust Dollar was tested and I too thought how could your Bust Dollar be 98% silver when it showed a circ cc morgan at 89%! I just do not see that contraption as being reliable...especially not to the tune of $18,500!