Rochester Coin Show

[Weidel Legacy Collection]

Although small, the show in Rochester seemed to have pretty good traffic for the 3 1/2 to 4 hours I was there. There was probably only 35-40 dealers but a wide range of stuff was available.

 

I was surprised that most of the coins displayed were raw as I remember a larger percentage of coins in slabs last year. Naturally, the most dominant thing with a lot of dealers was Morgan dollars - but it felt like there was something for everyone...commems, gold, currency, etc.

 

Regrettably, I didn't run into anyone from the boards there but I wouldn't have recognized them if I had, and they wouldn't have known me either.

 

As for what I managed to acquire - if there's any interest out there - a gorgeous 1955 proof set with beautfully toned cameo half, quarter, dime and a deep purple nickel for a steal ; a 1963 proof set with a nickel and cent that both have a very good shot at DCAM for another steal ; and a 1918 Illinois commem. Now I need to get some pictures taken so I can post them.

 

A fun find for me was a 1938 Hungarian crown-sized piece for my wife, who's parents emmigrated from Hungary to the US in the '50's. What was fun about it was, after talking with the dealer, he brought out a large collection of Hungarian currency from the late 30's to mid 40's - most of which was extremely high-grade with some pieces being uncirculated. I ended up buying one example from each denomination from 10 to 1 Billion pengo...the currency in use before the forint, which is used now. Talk about hyper-inflation! After showing them to my wife we're trying to figure out how we want to mount them for display as some are quite beautiful. So, 15 bank-notes cost a total of $30. While it might not be part of my 'normal' collection it will mean something to my family - especially after we get them mounted.

 

 

[TomB]

The proof sets sound cool and the Lincoln is one of my more favorite early commems. Those Hungarian notes will no doubt look terrific in your home. I have mounted two large size US notes that my grandparents had given to me when in the 1970s and they look very good on the wall.

[EVillageProwler]

I have framed stamps mounted on my wall, including one with that stained glass art by Chagall.

 

EVP

 

[Hoot]

Sounds like a great show RWW. Excellent acquisitions! Sounds like you're still workin' your wife from that darkside angle!

 

Hoot

[Weidel Legacy Collection]

Hoot -

You are absolutely 100% correct.

 

She can't wait to show the notes to her parents to see if they remember them in post-war Hungary.

[Weidel Legacy Collection]

Here are some images of the coins in the proof sets I acquired yesterday at the Rochester show. My apologies for the quality or lack thereof. I've screwed with this for a couple of hours and just can't get them to appear the way they really are. Trying to get the cameo devices while also capturing the toning is damn tough. Oh well, at least, with the images and description, you'll get the flavor of what these look like. Pardon me while I run at the mouth on these coins.

 

The Half dollar has a nice cameo on both the obverse and reverse. The colors on the obverse start on the rim and migrate into the fields almost to Ben's image. It starts as a deep electric blue that changes to orange about half-way into the motto then breaks into a mottled mottled orange throughout the fields. There is one tiny mark in the field above Ben's nose. The reverse also has a nice cameo but the toning is much more pronounced with the electric blue color covering all of the lettering at the top of the coin and about half-way through the lettering at the bottom. There are no marks or distractions on the reverse. Grade guess: Proof 68-Cameo

 

Of the silver coins, the quarter is probably the least desireable, but is still a beauty. Although not the best, the obverse does have cameo devices. Again, the same electric blue toning covers half the lettering on the obverse but is absent in the 3:00 and 9:00 areas of the rim. The toning changes to orange and slight specs of orange toning does cover some of Washington. There are no marks or distractions on the obverse. The reverse of the quarter is a deep cameo with no marks or spots. Toning on this side is pretty amazing as the electric blue that works its way around the coin has speckles that come into the eagle's wings. When I send this one in, I'm thinking of requesting the reverse be placed forward in the slab. Grade guess: Proof 68*

 

The dime is just stunning. Both the obverse and reverse are deep cameos, but the toning on the reverse has crept in so much, that it might be hard for it to get just the CAM designation! The obverse has a wonderful smooth transition from blue to sea-green to orange and light red that just brushes Rooesevelt's head and neck. The reverse has toning all around the rim with streaks that run through the torches. There are no distracting marks on the dime. Grade guess: Proof 68* to 69*, with an outside shot at cameo.

 

The nickel is a violet monster. There is a small mark in the field under Jefferson's nose, but none on the reverse. The obverse has a slight cameo, and the reverse has a distinct cameo. Grade guess: Proof 68*.

 

The Lincoln cent is the loser in the bunch . There are a number of carbon spots above the date and scattered on the reverse and the whole coin has a mottled orange-brown appearance. Whatever reacted so favorably with the silver and nickel coins wasn't so great for the copper. Grade guess: who cares...I'll give it to one of my nephews for their collection.

 

When I bought this set it was stored in a plastic capital holder, but whatever it was stored in before is what caused these coins to tone. Would you believe the dealer wanted $120, but took $110 for the set - no doubt, he made money on the sale. I was walking on air the rest of the day and still can't believe what I was able to get.

 

I've attached an image to this post, and have another one that's a composite of all coins obverse and reverse in the following post. Again, the images don't do these coins justice and I have a newfound appreciation for those of you who take such beautiful pictures. I guess that's something to aspire to.

[Weidel Legacy Collection]

Here's the second image of the proof set.

[Weidel Legacy Collection]

Continuing my verbal diarrhea, here's the description of the nickel and cent in the 1963 proof set. This is much briefer as there is no toning.

 

The nickel looks to be a true DCAM on both sides. There are no marks on the obverse but a couple of small specs on the reverse. Grade guess: Proof 68-DCAM

 

The cent is a truely stunning deep cameo. However,a spot in Lincoln's hair and a spot near the rim on the reverse will limit the grade. Grade guess: Proof 67-DCAM.

[Weidel Legacy Collection]

Here's the second image of the 1963 proof coins.

[Weidel Legacy Collection]

Finally...here's the image of the Hungarian 1938 5 Pengo. If anyone has any info about it I'd love to hear. Thanks and my blabbing has come to an end.

[JamminJ]

Hi RWW,

 

The Hungarian 5 pengo you've got there was made to commemorate the 900th anniversary of the death of St. Stephen. He is the guy on the coin and the patron saint of Hungary.

 

His crown is the national icon and currently under the rotunda in their parliment building. Intersesting history of the crown, it was plundered by the Nazis and fell into American hands at the end of the war. The US refused to return it until the Communist regime improved its treatment of the people. Jimmy Carter returned it in the late '70s as their human rights record improved (in his opinion) ushering in a general warming of US-Hungarian relations.

 

600,000 business strikes we're made in 1938 but an unknown quantity proofs were restruck sometime later. There is no identifing mark on the restrikes. My (couple of years out of date) Krause values these coins as:

F VF XF UNC PR

$4.50 7.50 12.50 25.00 28.50

 

Hope you and your wife enjoy it, I like it!

-JamminJ

 

[Weidel Legacy Collection]

Thanks JamminJ - greatly appreciated.

 

Its a pretty sharp looking coin and, although I'm not a darkside collector, I like it. Since my wife likes pretty much anything of a Hungarian origin, it has a new home.

[RobertB]

I think you got some sweet cameos there. It seems everytime I go to a show or dealer to pillage 60's proof sets for cam's there aren't any. Could there be another cameo raider out in dem hills here?

[michael]

all superlative coins rww you got some great coins and even greater buys!

 

congrats just shows you what you can find if you go look

 

michael

[chinook]

I went to the show on Sunday. Got there at about 10am left at 12. I thought the show was quiet. Not alot of traffic considering it was rainy.

 

There was alot of raw material but nothing I was interested in. I was looking for a nice 2-center (found only one in ngc 65rb) and a 3-cent nickel- (Also saw only one)in ngc pf64. Nothing special. I really didn't see any nice tones at all.

 

I did trade an 1877 IHC for a bunch of unopened proof sets. Can't wait to see whats inside.

 

On a sour note I had a dealer ask if I had anything to sell. I showed him an 1872 IHC NGC 65 RB, an 1860 IHC pointed bust NGC 64 and 2 better date proof Liberty nickels NGC pf 65. He then started to quote prices from the Greysheet type coin section. When I told him the coins were not your typical, generic coins, he abrupty closed his greysheet, pushed the coins back to me and quite rudely said " I'm not interested then."

 

I also showed another 1877 IHC ngc good to the dealer with the 2 cent piece. Greysheet bid on the 1877 is $390 and the 2-cent is $372. He wanted my coin plus $50. I understand that he has a right to make a profit, but I was offering a more liquid coin. I didn't trade.

 

My question is, Why must dealers feel they have to steal from you ? I could see the $$$$$ signs going off in the first dealers' head when I showed him the coins and he was obliously very dissapointed when I displayed my very limited knowledge. I might think differently if he had shown a little respect for what I had, but I think he was only there to steal little old ladies' late husbands' collection.

 

[Hoot]

I'm not a darkside collector

 

HA! But your wife is, so you are too!!!

 

Your coins look GREAT RWW!

 

chinook - so sorry to hear of your encounters. Some days (too many if you ask me) are simply made that way.

 

Hoot