Coin show report - Parsippany, NJ

[DaveG]

I just got back from the monthly Parsippany, NJ coin show, which has about 80 dealers.

 

As usual, it was a good show: floor traffic was heavy, it was hard to get through aisles. This month, I did more talking than looking, so my comments on the coins that were there are fairly limited.

 

TomB had a table and I met Airplanenut, MrKelso and marcmoish (I apologize if I left anyone out). Tom had his type set of silver dollars, which featured a beautifully toned 1881-S Morgan and a to-die-for Draped Bust Small Eagle dollar. It was PCGS slabbed, either XF-40 or 45 and it might have been a 1795 - the coin was so impressive, I forget the other details!

 

It was evenly battleship gray and the reverse was sharply struck, with no hits, dings, bagmarks, scratches or rim-dings! (The obverse was nice, too!) To say the coin was PQ for the grade is a truly limp understatement! This was a coin to sell your first-born for!

 

The other highlight for me was that I got to hold an actual SS Central America GOLD INGOT! It was small, about 2" x 3" x 1" and encased in a custom, thick lucite holder. As I recall, it was a Kellogg & Humbert ingot. WOW! What a piece of history! I don't go to many national shows, so I never thought I'd see a Central American ingot in person, so this was a huge thrill for me!

 

There was also a dealer who had a lot of coins from big auctions, including a Pine Tree shilling, several colonial coppers and a Bar Copper from an ANR auction. (Now that's something you don't see every day!)

 

Tom and his table-mate, Bob Beels, had their usual nice selection of toners and 20th century coins, including an ANACS MS-66 Mercury Dime with attractive peripheral toning (which he sold), a really attractively toned Columbian half (MS-64, but I can't recall whether it was PCGS or NGC) and several 1940s MS-65 Mercuries in PCGS rattler slabs.

 

I've seen enough of these coins around that I'm sort-of thinking about putting together the short set of Mercuries in rattler slabs. It might be a fun, inexpensive project. By the way, while I see a variety of inexpensive ($30-$50) coins in rattler slabs, the cheapest coins I've seen in early generation NGC slabs are usually $80 or more.

 

I didn't buy anything today, as Tom Hyland wasn't there, and the only O-mint gold I saw, except for an NGC-55 1844-O half eagle, were some quarter eagles and a couple of with-motto eagles.

 

By the way, TomB said he expects to have a table at Parsippany going forward.

[airplanenut]

Dave- you met with me... we've already met

 

I sold three coins, and spent a whole $2... just not a lot that I was interested in, I guess

 

Oh, well... I have more money than I expected, and I got to talk with a lot of people, so it was fun all in all.

 

Jeremy

[TomB]

The show went very well for me and I am quite happy with the decision that Bob and I made to resume taking our familiar, corner table.

 

The folks that DaveG mentioned all stopped by as did njcoincrank of the PCGS boards. Most of these members I had previously met, but it was very nice to meet more members.

 

The show was busy until just after noon, probably because it was such a nice day and probably because the Giants game started at 1:00 pm. The Merc that DaveG mentioned was actually bought from bigd5 at the NENA show in NH last month and it had gorgeous patina on it.

 

I didn't purchase anything, which is quite unusual, but I did get to see a very cool collection of US Assay Medals from the 1860s through the 1910s in various metals and finishes. That is a real treat as it is like having a museum stop by your table.

 

Also, DaveG brought his nearly complete Registry set of Lincoln Memorial cents and he was gracious enough to let us examine them closely! It surprised me that DaveG had such an extensive set since he never writes about it and instead writes about New Orleans gold. Things that make you go Hmmmm.....

[mrkelso]

It was nice meeting up with you Gentlemen today at Parsippany. We must do it again.

[DaveG]

Shush, Tom!

 

How will I be able to manipulate the Lincoln Memorial market if you go around telling people about my set?

 

You better not start talking about my rolls of MS-70 cents, either, or else I'll start giving away your secret techniques for getting AT coins past the grading services!

[TomB]

D'OH!

 

Not a word from now on!

[DirtyGoldMan]

Nice report, DaveG.

 

Robert

[TomB]

I should also mention that bustman was there and he brought some awesome coins to share.

[airplanenut]

Tom could have bought plenty... but Nooooo... he decided to pass over mine