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Richmond, Va. show report
kaz
Posts: 9,386 ✭✭✭✭✭
Hosted by the Richmond Coin Club, this show is at the Clarion Hotel on Boulevard and continues tomorrow. I stumbled upon it while driving around (missed CoinZip's post earlier in the week) and decided to check it out this AM. I missed the show last year.
The hotel is right beside (almost under) I-95 and is easy to get to. I estimate there were 20-25 dealers, which fit comfortably into an upstairs conference room. There was a good mix of US and world coin sellers. Since I didn't need a map to get around, I decided to start at one end and circle the room.
My first stop was at the table of G.A. Singer, who had a nice selection of early British coins, European coins, and South American silver.
I asked if he had any coins from the William & Mary period and indeed he did. I wound up buying a 1693 half penny (Irish) because I attended W&M undergrad and it was founded in 1693. Mr. Singer, it turns out, has a Ph.D in Medieval history, so we talked a little about archaeology and that an 18th century brewery had just been excavated on campus adjacent to the Wren Building. (Harvard may have been first, but W&M has dibs on the first keg party. Go Tribe!) While I was sitting there, a Korean gentleman walked up to help identify a folded piece of paper that Mr. Singer had purchased in a box of stuff. It seems it was a sort of pass used by citizens of communist N. Korea in the late forties to document their travels. Its original owner had been born in 1899. The Korean translator happily purchased it for his own collection, so what may be the only written documentation of another human on the other side of the world is in good hands, for now at least.
I asked about Trade Dollars at the next table, and the dealer showed me several but I did not need them for my set. He mentioned that chopmarked coins were selling very well for him and that he recently had sold 2 chopped Morgans. I had never seen or heard of a chopmarked Morgan dollar but no doubt some exist. Maybe chopmarked coins are the next Hot Thing?
The Reeded Edge was there and had some very nice material and, in particular, an 1877-cc $20 in EF40, OGH, dirt and all, that was very tempting. Rob and Robbie were helpful and pleasant as always. And they take Visa. And that $20 is still bouncing around in my head (but not my pocket. yet.)
I hopped over to the table of a small local seller and asked about raw trade dollars. You would have thought I had inquired about raw milk, or mentioned that I had just returned from West Africa with a slight fever. "Raw Trade Dollars? I don't have any of them, they're all fakes, never will, won't buy one unless it's slabbed. Same for Seated Dollars." Can't say as I blame him for feeling that way. We chatted a little about id'ing counterfeits and I noticed that he had some Little Monitor CWT's, actually very nice, MS ones. In fact one that was labeled MS60 in a 2x2 looked to me more like a 63. Unfortunately I passed as I already had those in my set. I hope somebody picks them up.
While standing by a display of coins in holders of a 3d tier company whose name I will not say, squinting at the lone trade dollar, 2 guys were looking at a 1904 $20 whose label stated "MS 63, lightly cleaned." They consulted their freshly purchased price guide book and I heard one of them say "That's worth $1900!" Before I could clear my throat and mutter "bullion! bullion!" they had moved on and I hope furthered their education in an inexpensive way.
Finally I ended up at the table of Mike Olson, a N. Va. dealer, along with a stranger and we just sat around and chatted a while about the usual topics that we coin geeks but no one else finds interesting. It turns out that the stranger and I both teach for the local medical school but practice at opposite ends of the spectrum (in terms of specialty and location). While we were talking, a member of the Coin Club announced the door prizes and the stranger (now Ed) was a winner. His prize was a fresh 2014 ASE. Mike showed me a Dansco with a complete set of Barber halves in it. They were in grades from good to fine, but all were original, uncleaned with few marks; the sort of set someone with patience, a good eye and average means could assemble, and be proud of. A "back to roots" set.
While I didn't find any trade dollars, I think I made some new friends and contacts. I hope the dealers did OK; there was a steady stream of people from 10am to 1pm. This is a nice place for a small local show and I hope it continues.
Final stop: downstairs at a good Mexican place, Nacho Mama's, for lunch.
Hope everybody is having a great weekend.
The hotel is right beside (almost under) I-95 and is easy to get to. I estimate there were 20-25 dealers, which fit comfortably into an upstairs conference room. There was a good mix of US and world coin sellers. Since I didn't need a map to get around, I decided to start at one end and circle the room.
My first stop was at the table of G.A. Singer, who had a nice selection of early British coins, European coins, and South American silver.
I asked if he had any coins from the William & Mary period and indeed he did. I wound up buying a 1693 half penny (Irish) because I attended W&M undergrad and it was founded in 1693. Mr. Singer, it turns out, has a Ph.D in Medieval history, so we talked a little about archaeology and that an 18th century brewery had just been excavated on campus adjacent to the Wren Building. (Harvard may have been first, but W&M has dibs on the first keg party. Go Tribe!) While I was sitting there, a Korean gentleman walked up to help identify a folded piece of paper that Mr. Singer had purchased in a box of stuff. It seems it was a sort of pass used by citizens of communist N. Korea in the late forties to document their travels. Its original owner had been born in 1899. The Korean translator happily purchased it for his own collection, so what may be the only written documentation of another human on the other side of the world is in good hands, for now at least.
I asked about Trade Dollars at the next table, and the dealer showed me several but I did not need them for my set. He mentioned that chopmarked coins were selling very well for him and that he recently had sold 2 chopped Morgans. I had never seen or heard of a chopmarked Morgan dollar but no doubt some exist. Maybe chopmarked coins are the next Hot Thing?
The Reeded Edge was there and had some very nice material and, in particular, an 1877-cc $20 in EF40, OGH, dirt and all, that was very tempting. Rob and Robbie were helpful and pleasant as always. And they take Visa. And that $20 is still bouncing around in my head (but not my pocket. yet.)
I hopped over to the table of a small local seller and asked about raw trade dollars. You would have thought I had inquired about raw milk, or mentioned that I had just returned from West Africa with a slight fever. "Raw Trade Dollars? I don't have any of them, they're all fakes, never will, won't buy one unless it's slabbed. Same for Seated Dollars." Can't say as I blame him for feeling that way. We chatted a little about id'ing counterfeits and I noticed that he had some Little Monitor CWT's, actually very nice, MS ones. In fact one that was labeled MS60 in a 2x2 looked to me more like a 63. Unfortunately I passed as I already had those in my set. I hope somebody picks them up.
While standing by a display of coins in holders of a 3d tier company whose name I will not say, squinting at the lone trade dollar, 2 guys were looking at a 1904 $20 whose label stated "MS 63, lightly cleaned." They consulted their freshly purchased price guide book and I heard one of them say "That's worth $1900!" Before I could clear my throat and mutter "bullion! bullion!" they had moved on and I hope furthered their education in an inexpensive way.
Finally I ended up at the table of Mike Olson, a N. Va. dealer, along with a stranger and we just sat around and chatted a while about the usual topics that we coin geeks but no one else finds interesting. It turns out that the stranger and I both teach for the local medical school but practice at opposite ends of the spectrum (in terms of specialty and location). While we were talking, a member of the Coin Club announced the door prizes and the stranger (now Ed) was a winner. His prize was a fresh 2014 ASE. Mike showed me a Dansco with a complete set of Barber halves in it. They were in grades from good to fine, but all were original, uncleaned with few marks; the sort of set someone with patience, a good eye and average means could assemble, and be proud of. A "back to roots" set.
While I didn't find any trade dollars, I think I made some new friends and contacts. I hope the dealers did OK; there was a steady stream of people from 10am to 1pm. This is a nice place for a small local show and I hope it continues.
Final stop: downstairs at a good Mexican place, Nacho Mama's, for lunch.
Hope everybody is having a great weekend.
1
Comments
Thank you for the report...great read
- Jim
New collectors, please educate yourself before spending money on coins; there are people who believe that using numismatic knowledge to rip the naïve is what this hobby is all about.
It's especially nice to read about a show we don't usually hear about.
Check out the Southern Gold Society
Thanks for the report Kaz, it sounds like you had a good time.
coinzip.com
<< <i>You are an excellent writer, by that way. >>
This comment encouraged me to read the OP's post.
<< <i>I had never seen or heard of a chopmarked Morgan dollar but no doubt some exist. Maybe chopmarked coins are the next Hot Thing? >>
I would be surprised if chopmarks ever became hotter than the coins themselves given how easy it would be to counterfeit the chopmarks.
<< <i>
<< <i>I had never seen or heard of a chopmarked Morgan dollar but no doubt some exist. Maybe chopmarked coins are the next Hot Thing? >>
I would be surprised if chopmarks ever became hotter than the coins themselves given how easy it would be to counterfeit the chopmarks. >>
True. I was being somewhat tongue in cheek with the last remark. However, I do think that more collectors are appreciating chopmarked coins as something other than "damaged goods." I wonder if some Chinese collectors are starting to be interested in these coins connected to both East and West.
Complete Set of Chopmarked Trade Dollars
Carson City Silver Dollars Complete 1870-1893http://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/showcase.aspx?sc=2722"