Coin Show Report - White Plains, NY (edited)

[DaveG]

I just got back from the first day of the three-day White Plains, NY show. This show advertises that is has about 160 dealers, although there are about 40 or so stamp dealers.

 

The show used to charge $3 admission, but they've stopped doing that. As a result, perhaps, I thought that floor traffic was a little stronger than it has been at past Thanksgiving weekend shows. It wasn't as crowded as Parsippany usually is, but it was more lively than usual for White Plains.

 

I had a really great time, mostly because I sat down with njcoincrank and went through his inventory and talked to him for more than an hour! For those of you who don't know him, he's been in the business for close to 20 years and has a really wide inventory and body of knowledge! He carries a lot of exonumia as well as some killer coins! Unfortunately, he has a lot of material for "show and tell" that's not for sale, so sometimes he's a tease! For example, today he showed me a 1904 St. Louis Exposition medal, designed by A.A. Weinman, in its original box, that was of a shape I've never seen before!

 

He did, however, have a lot of things for sale, including a full double-row box of comtemporary counterfeit coins and a roll of contemporary counterfeit Bust halves! Wow! A whole bunch of conterfeit V nickels, Seated dimes, Barber and Walker halves, etc.! I snagged a really cool counterfeit 1861 quarter eagle! (for a modest sum) It appears to be made of brass and is a pretty decent copy.

 

He also showed off a lot of very historical and interesting material, including two different printing plates for miniature broken bank notes - salesman's samples?

 

As far as interesting coins, he had about 20 California fractional gold coins in PCGS slabs as well as some pretty high end items.

 

I also stopped by a dealer who had a big pile of broken bank notes. I picked up an 1854 $5 issued by the Farmers' and Merchants' Bank of Memphis, TN. The bill is dated, signed and numbered, so I infer it was actually issued and isn't just a 'remaindered' bill. What makes the bill interesting is the central vignette, which shows a 'Daniel Boone'-type pioneer with a Kentucky rifle, an Indian maiden (baring one breast!) and three cherubs, all posing with the images of five gold dollars (Type I)! (As many of you may know, there is a sub-set of broken banknote collectors who collect banknotes with pictures of coins on them.)

 

Next, I finally satisfied my desire for an older NGC slab! I'm now the proud owner of an MS-62 1888-O Morgan dollar in an NGC4 slab (used late 1989 to 1992) for $25! The coin is mostly white, with some rust-colored toning around the periphery. (When I was a kid, the 1888-O Morgan was one of my favorites, because it had three 8s in the date and was minted in New Orleans, at a mint which didn't exist anymore!) I did see some older NGC slabs with green labels so perhaps I missed an NGC3 slab in my haste. Well, maybe next time!

 

Then I talked to Tom Hyland, who was evaluating a circulated no-motto 1866-S eagle! With a mintage of 8,500, this is one coin you don't see often! The reverse looked like VF, and the obverse was F, but the reverse had a big 'ding' and a portion of the reeding was missing - perhaps worn away or perhaps shaved off. All-in-all, the coin wasn't too bad looking for a F-15 sort of coin, especially an eagle!

 

As far as other no-motto gold goes, I only saw one NGC-45 O-mint half eagle and no slabbed and only one raw eagle, compared to seven to ten C- and D-mint half eagles. (When I remarked on this to njcoincrank, he observed that O-mint coins, being less expensive, were easier to sell than the more expensive C- and D-mint coins.)

 

What a great show!

 

Edited to add: One of the killer coins that njcoincrank had was a 1652 Massachusetts silver two-pence! Now, I've seen the shillings in person, but never one of the smaller coins!

[truthteller]

Seems like the little east coast shows are neat.

 

 

 

TRUTH

[Wihlborg]

Dave,

 

I was at the show also, and agree with you that there did seem to be more people attending than is usual for the Friday opening. I have been going to all the White Plains Shows for years, and overall I think it is a pretty good show, especially when it is in the big room on the main floor. It’s too bad I did not know you would be there, we could have met face to face!

 

I had a great time at the show, even though I spent all the funds I had budgeted for the show in the first five mins. I always go directly to one dealer I know well first, as he has IMO some of the best inventory at the show. Well, when I got to his table today he had two better date Buffalo nickels that were just beautiful! One was a NGC MS-64 1917d and the other was a PCGS MS-64 1924d. I bought both coins immediately! Both coins have great strikes for the date, and both coins are nicely toned in pastel colors of pink, gold, purple, and blue.

 

I spent the rest of my time at the show checking out the coins and talking to dealers, who all still say that the market is red-hot and that they are having a hard time buying quality coins to replace what they sell.

 

Oh, and the reason I had a great time at the show was not because of the two Buffalo’s I bought, it was because I took my seven year old daughter to her first coin show and she said that she had a great time, and would like to go again!

 

Here are the two Buffalo’s I bought.

 

John

 

[DaveG]

John,

 

Those sure are purdy!

 

Perhaps we can meet at the January White Plains show. I expect to be there on Saturday.

[TomB]

Next, I finally satisfied my desire for an older NGC slab!

You plastic collectors make me sick! Seriously, though, it sounds like you had a very good show. Perhaps I can get there tomorrow.

[TomB]

Hey John, I almost forgot to post this; beautiful coins and way to go with your daughter!

[chinook]

John,

 

Great score. Those are some beautiful buffs.

 

I really have to make it to that show sometime.

[DaveG]

Tom,

 

Yer jist jelous! (Buwahahaha!)

 

By the way, I saw several coins that were tarnished in a way that some might call attractive, including a knock-your-eyes out NGC-slabbed Buffalo that was marked "Not for Sale" in BIG letters. (Actually, I think njcoincrank might have had that one.)

[mommam17]

I went to the show 3:00 Saturday afternoon. I hadn`t been to the show in 20 years! There was a good crowd and my dealer friend said there was much more earlier. Somewhat overwhemed with the amount of coins! I gave him a Pilgrim I had bought on Ebay and he was happy and said we would both make money. Of course I told him I didn`t want money but would buy a coin from him. I was surprised at the amount of stamp dealers there. I did a real quick walk through and saw some nice coins. The ones with big luster really stick out in the dealer`s cases. A 67 Roanoke and a 66 Gettysburg stand out in my mind. Also saw a dealer with lots of GSA and other rainbow Morgans. I will definatly go to the next show and be at my dealers friend`s table.