My 20 hour day, a Baltimore report
yellowkid
Posts: 5,486 ✭
The alarm went off at three thirty and I headed for the airport for a six oclock flight. Took the light rail to the CC (right across the street for those of you not familiar with the area, very easy to get to.) Called Mike D, we were supposed to meet for breakfast but problems delayed him and we will have to do it another time. The show seemed well attended albeit I thought the gate may have been down from last trip there, just my impression. I didn't really do much selling, I had one piece I took to Glenn H. who said "fine", thank you Glenn, always a pleasure to see you.
I went down looking for commems and tokens and I was pleased with what I got. My first "big" purchase was from the CRO guys who had a stunning Conder, a Middlesex 1123a, Spence's "Hanging Thomases" which features three fellows swing from the gibbet. rated RR but in actuality harder to find, it is in an NGC ms66 slab with marvelous red blue surfaces, I am tickled to get it, it's not a piece that will be upgraded!
Also from Dave and John a token from the name we can't type here without resorting to chicanery, which at the moment I have forgotten how to do. Anyhow it is a 1/2p piece with a kangaroo on one side and a lion with a dog on his back on the other, in an NGC ms63 holder with nice brown color and a good strike. The animals from this series are very popular and getting harder to locate, I thank the CRO fellows for these two.
Gary Groll had a Middlesex 753 dog/highlander in unc with 50% red, Gary said it was the best he had ever had and I took it. He picked it up on his recent UK buying trip where he said the pressure on the Conder market was apparent. That stands to reason, there are about a half dozen of us here who are buying good examples. For 18th century issues, they are, IMHO, a great value.
I had trouble getting a seat at any of the three token dealers whom I frequent, Steve Tannenbaum, Ernie Latter, and Steve Hayden all were busy but I persevered and was finally able to get four or so pieces from them and discussed a piece I am interested in that wasn't there, any new developments and you will be the first to know!
I bought more commems at this show than I have before, remember I am a relatively new collector. from Enzio Romano, who had a small but nice selection, a tab toned Albany, a 66. Joe Rominski had a Booker T in 66 with great color that I got. Jim carr, a fellow new Englander had a nice Lexington with good rim color, something you don't see a lot of. It is a 64 and I have a nice 65 but I couldn't leave it there.
Finally, I hadn't dealt with Joe Polonsky or George McCoy before. They had a nice selection of PCGS graded commems, all with CAC stickers. Not monster type color, but many with very pretty rim tones, lots of reds and roses, three pretty Pan pacs, when do you see that? From them I acquired an Albany in 66 with the bean, attractive red and oranges. My plan for this issue had been to get a 67 when it came up, but this 66 was so pretty I couldn't see any sense in passing on it, it's not a piece that will be easily upgraded. I am becoming a little more interested in the "coin and not the holder" than I have been, maybe some of this is rubbing off on me
I feel it was my best show trip of the five I have made although I was sorry I missed the conclave of board members. I stopped many times at Charmy and Todd's booth and got to see her Goldberg Conders, very nice Charmy, lets see those pics. Todd imaged a few things for me and I have more to send him. My pictures will be posted ASAP.
I did get to visit with some of the other members and enjoyed the train ride back to the airport with Tom Miller, a Morgan error guy from the Buffalo area. My flight took off at nine fifteen and I drove in my garage just before midnight, totally spent, but I did take a few minutes to check in here.
PS almost forgot the highlight of the trip. Bonnie at Albanese told me to come back to their booth later they had some nice comemms to exhibit. I did and almost fell over, about a dozen pieces from Gregg Binghams collection, 68's . I asked her, about the Cincy(mind blowing color) "what would that go for at auction 20-30K? So she turned and got some guy, I had never met him and couldn't see his name tag, and he said "50k" and then he started telling me about the coins. To cut to the chase it was Gregg himself and a nicer guy I never met. I'll bet he spent a half hour telling me about his commems. He has the first commem, the actual first Columbian minted and told me the story behind it. It was worth the trip just for that half hour!!
I went down looking for commems and tokens and I was pleased with what I got. My first "big" purchase was from the CRO guys who had a stunning Conder, a Middlesex 1123a, Spence's "Hanging Thomases" which features three fellows swing from the gibbet. rated RR but in actuality harder to find, it is in an NGC ms66 slab with marvelous red blue surfaces, I am tickled to get it, it's not a piece that will be upgraded!
Also from Dave and John a token from the name we can't type here without resorting to chicanery, which at the moment I have forgotten how to do. Anyhow it is a 1/2p piece with a kangaroo on one side and a lion with a dog on his back on the other, in an NGC ms63 holder with nice brown color and a good strike. The animals from this series are very popular and getting harder to locate, I thank the CRO fellows for these two.
Gary Groll had a Middlesex 753 dog/highlander in unc with 50% red, Gary said it was the best he had ever had and I took it. He picked it up on his recent UK buying trip where he said the pressure on the Conder market was apparent. That stands to reason, there are about a half dozen of us here who are buying good examples. For 18th century issues, they are, IMHO, a great value.
I had trouble getting a seat at any of the three token dealers whom I frequent, Steve Tannenbaum, Ernie Latter, and Steve Hayden all were busy but I persevered and was finally able to get four or so pieces from them and discussed a piece I am interested in that wasn't there, any new developments and you will be the first to know!
I bought more commems at this show than I have before, remember I am a relatively new collector. from Enzio Romano, who had a small but nice selection, a tab toned Albany, a 66. Joe Rominski had a Booker T in 66 with great color that I got. Jim carr, a fellow new Englander had a nice Lexington with good rim color, something you don't see a lot of. It is a 64 and I have a nice 65 but I couldn't leave it there.
Finally, I hadn't dealt with Joe Polonsky or George McCoy before. They had a nice selection of PCGS graded commems, all with CAC stickers. Not monster type color, but many with very pretty rim tones, lots of reds and roses, three pretty Pan pacs, when do you see that? From them I acquired an Albany in 66 with the bean, attractive red and oranges. My plan for this issue had been to get a 67 when it came up, but this 66 was so pretty I couldn't see any sense in passing on it, it's not a piece that will be easily upgraded. I am becoming a little more interested in the "coin and not the holder" than I have been, maybe some of this is rubbing off on me
I feel it was my best show trip of the five I have made although I was sorry I missed the conclave of board members. I stopped many times at Charmy and Todd's booth and got to see her Goldberg Conders, very nice Charmy, lets see those pics. Todd imaged a few things for me and I have more to send him. My pictures will be posted ASAP.
I did get to visit with some of the other members and enjoyed the train ride back to the airport with Tom Miller, a Morgan error guy from the Buffalo area. My flight took off at nine fifteen and I drove in my garage just before midnight, totally spent, but I did take a few minutes to check in here.
PS almost forgot the highlight of the trip. Bonnie at Albanese told me to come back to their booth later they had some nice comemms to exhibit. I did and almost fell over, about a dozen pieces from Gregg Binghams collection, 68's . I asked her, about the Cincy(mind blowing color) "what would that go for at auction 20-30K? So she turned and got some guy, I had never met him and couldn't see his name tag, and he said "50k" and then he started telling me about the coins. To cut to the chase it was Gregg himself and a nicer guy I never met. I'll bet he spent a half hour telling me about his commems. He has the first commem, the actual first Columbian minted and told me the story behind it. It was worth the trip just for that half hour!!
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Comments
<< <i>enjoyed the train ride back to the airport with Tom Miller, a Morgan error guy from the Buffalo area. >>
Tom is from Lockport, NY and is a real nice guy. The last show I saw him at he had a NGC MS68 Morgan in his case.
DPOTD-3
'Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery'
CU #3245 B.N.A. #428
Don
nice maine, spur of the moment buy, me liked,
next was a connecticut i was looking for but it has a green
looking football on the holder. both have a subtle gold
tone that accents the relief. nice.
1919 buff that has deep gold/red tone
with a blue tone right in the
center of the hair, reverse is a hard, burnt
orange color. wish i could image it but im technology
deficient.
Camelot
<< <i>awesome report, how do they know that it was the first comm struck >>
He explains as having a way to track the planchet flaw that was on the first coin inserted to be struck. There is much more detail that Gregg explained to me also. He had some to die for material.
Gregg is an amazing guy, and he owns some incredible coins. Did you get to see his trade dollar? It is the most beautifully toned td I have ever seen (no I have never seen any of tradedollar nut's collection). And speaking of commemoratives, did you see the Booker T. Washingtons in the B & M auction? Amazing color, three graded 68 and one graded 67. The 67 sold, but the 68's had high reserves, and none sold. I picked up one coin in Baltimore a "Vooe" variety of the Voce Populi. It was in the Stack's auction earlier in the week, and I got it from Dave and John at Coin Rarities. They always have such nice material, but some of the pieces are real budget busters.
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