Naftzger cents are still available if you have the $$$.

We had another good show in Baltimore two weeks ago. One of the things I wanted to do was see if I could find any of the Naftzger middle date large cents. I had looked over the auction results and identified a few that I'd consider buying if I could find them. It was no surprise that Chris McCawley (CVM) had quite a few for sale. While a couple tempted me, none were among the select few I was looking for. I found several others in a couple other dealers' cases, but they weren't on my list either. All of the ones I saw have been so noted in my Naftzger spreadsheet.

My primary business at the show was to view lots in the Bowers & Merena and Heritage auctions. One of the large cent dates I was hoping to upgrade in the Naftzger sale was 1819. CVM had a nice MS64BN for sale, but for more than I had left to spend. The B&M auction included another (not Naftzger) that looked good to me, and I was able to get it in the Thursday evening session for less than 1/3 the asking price for CVM's Naftzger coin. Because it was less than $1000, I would have had to pay 6% Maryland sales tax to pick it up at the show, so I had B&M ship it for less. It arrived today, and is now happily in the company of her sisters.

That purchase and other recent purchases left me with several duplicates. There were some half dimes in the Heritage auction that caught my eye, so I decided to try to sell the duplicates at the show so that I could afford something. I took my lesser 1819, 1834, 1836, 1838, 1846, and 1855 with me when I went back to the show on Saturday. (Work is demanding these days, and I had to work Friday. Maybe I'll write more about my job another time.) I won't drag this out - I was able to sell them all, split among three dealers, for a total amount that was actually more than I had planned to ask for them.

The Saturday evening Heritage session was in a small room in a hotel a couple blocks from the show. I got there early and had some of the food provided. I sat through the early copper as usual. But few of the usual crowd were there. It may have been that there wasn't much to attract them, or perhaps the fact that the show was over and dealers were already leaving town kept attendance low. After the cents were sold, the "crowd" dwindled from a maximum of perhaps 20 down to a handful during the nickels. When the half dimes came up, I was the only non-Heritage person in the room! That didn't last long, though. One dealer (from whom I bought my 1835 cent) came back.

Having sat through 700 plus lots, my target 1832 half dime came up. With a single bid, it was mine. Although it was more than $1000, in which case I'd normally pick up the lot(s) the next morning since there would be neither tax nor shipping charges, Heritage was not having lot pickup in town. This coin also arrived today. But she is lonely. She's my only capped bust half dime, and will never have quite the same circle of friends that my large cents enjoy, or that my seated Liberty half dimes hopefully will.

So here I am, happy with my two new acquisitions, but with my numismatic funds nearly depleted. And what comes to my attention? Heritage's next signature auction has quite a few nice large cents and half dimes. Don't expect a story about any of them.