HT's FUN Show Report - Alert new HTT found!

[Hard Times]

I am going to do this in bullet fashion. It was an intense 3 days meeting people, searching out NEWPs and learning about coins. There is just too much going on at a show and y'all would be very bored if I wrote down a complete blow by blow. Bottom line, go to a show to meet people and talk about coins and to see coins. Always results in strong increases in numismatic knowledge.

 

Some NEWP images will follow below the bullets.

 

 

Tampa - the Convention Center was great, right on the water, clean and roomy. Nice restaurants nearby. Two convention hotels right there and a relaxing 3 minute walk to the bourse. They have a Riverwalk that goes right by the venue. Lots of folks walking, cycling, jogging, sitting, segwaying along the walkway. The RW goes into the city center, to the Amalie Center just a couple blocks away, and to the aquarium. I was able to walk along it from the hotel. Gave an air of active vibrance to the area.

 

 

Interactions with great people highlights:

 

1. Shared a cab from the airport with Andy Lustig. He handed me a token promoting his buisness. I was going to image and post it here, but I unknowingly handed it to the parking lot shuttle driver along with several quarters as part of a tip when dropped off at my car upon return yesterday.

 

2. Shared an elevator ride with Cliff Mishler. We discussed his famous early morning walks at coin shows. There is a sense of calm about Cliff that leaves one feeling in a great mood after being in his presence. Great way to start a morning off before entering the bourse, share a moment with Cliff.

 

3. At one of my visits to the PCGS table, I was nicely greeted by Don Willis and asked if he could help me. Well, I explained I had come back to retrieve the paper work for one of my submissions - in my panic of filling out the submission form earlier in the day I had listed my Collectors Society member number instead of my PCGS member number and wanted to correct it. Don burst out in laughter when he heard that. It was all rectified. Thanks PCGS!

 

4. Many knowledgeable dealers. In between wheeling and dealing, I was able to have alot of face time with many great dealers on alot of different numismatic topics. Everything from value, to grading, to collecting was discussed.

 

5. Many knowledgeable collectors. In combination with talking to dealers and collectors, about half my time in an 8 hour bourse day was discussing numismatics. This is a key reason to come to coin shows to interact with people in the buisness and learn.

 

6. Going to restaurants with folks at the show in the evenings. Had some great times in the evenings. Thanks go out to the folks I hung out with those evenings.

 

7. I got to meet an NGC grader on the bourse at a dealers table!! I asked alot of questions about grading procedures and she was very helpful. How cool was that?

 

8. Missed the NGC luncheon because it conflicted with my flight yesterday. But got to briefly talk to David Lange when I submitted some tokens at their table, and folks at the NGC table were helpful as always. Thanks NGC!

 

Searching out coins. I listed abound 10 dealer tables on the front of my FUN Show program guide so I would not have to thumb through to find their tables (guide was many many pages). They became the beacons on the bourse and many I went back to again and again to see if anything new came up. I had a plan the first morning. I was able to view some coins I had seen online, and sell the 7 or so I had brought for that purpose, including a 6 for 1 trade to one dealer (and some added cash by me). The search for coins started Thursday am and ended around 10 am Saturday morning. I found some nice examples, some shown below. There is nothing better than viewing in hand and the FUN show is one of my few (if only) opportunities to do so each year.

 

Ringling Brothers circus at the Amalie Center. My hotel room window faced the Amalie center and was just above where they were housing the animals. Each morning and evening I got to see the 6 elephants hanging out and a wide range of circus animals being moved back and forth from the pens into the center. Couldn't ask for a better view!

 

Best of show for exhibitions. Bill Jones had an exhibit with his Dahlonega gold type set. One word. Wow! All of the coins were high end for the grade and drop dead eye appealing. Bill had a very well thought out exhibit surrounding the type set with alot of historical information in the exhibit. Was a must see and I spent as much time as possible as breaks from the bourse inspecting his exhibit. :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause:

 

Club meetings. Went to several. In addition to discussing club buisness, each had a numismatic presentation where I was able to learn alot.

 

Heritage auction. Was able to spend many hours lot viewing. Truly beneficial. Bid on alot of coins. Was outbid on alot of coins. Might win something today....... Thanks Heritage!

 

 

On to some NEWPs

 

Here is my first HTT token in a couple years. I have been searching for this token, the HT-24 since I lost a gorgeous one in a HA auction on Feb. 14, 2008. To this day, when I log in at HA and go to the auction archives and select this HT-24 that was auctioned, it says:

 

Winning bid: $700 ($805.00 w/Buyer's Premium (BP) ).

 

Then: Your bid of $700 ($805.00 w/Buyer's Premium (BP) ) on this lot was outbid.

 

I remember on HA live when I hit the red button when that lot came up I got the green lettered 'You are Winning the lot' and then it closed so I was happy to have won it. Yet, following the auction it said I did not win despite my bid being the highest. So something happened in their system back then, alas. I called Heritage but there was no real explanation except for a glitch in the system so not much anyone could do. I don't think it happens now as their online auction system is excellent. It was a great HT-24 which are hard to get great and I have been searching ever since. My second stop on Thursday morning was to the very same dealer that had won that lot. He knew I collected HTT's and he said he had one to show me. AND. THERE. IT. WAS. Finally after 8 YEARS - A gorgeous HT-24. I simply told him 'that one is mine!!' and immediately bought it. This one, pictured below is a great example. The last time it was at auction that I am aware of was as a lot in the John J. Ford collection of HTT's offered by Stack's June 23, 2004. I have managed to acquire a handful of the Ford HTTs since that auction. Ford had 3 HT-24's, this one was easily the best one and closed at multiples of the other two in the Stacks auction. It has the typical baggy surfaces that all HT-24's have, some strike weakness if different areas, but hey, one is not going to find a better piece. Lots of red poking through, nice cartwheels under the light on each side - rich luster. There are 21 certified by NGC, none higher than AU58. Out of those 9 are AU58 and these are probably in part resubmissions. There are two certified by PCGS, this one and a 58. Here is the write up in the Stacks catalog for this one:

 

NEARLY CHOICE LOW 66

 

132 L.66, HT.24, DeW.CE 1838-18. Uncirculated, near Choice, with about 40% mint red still showing. Nice, light brown in color, the fields clear and the piece largely showing no signs of handling at all. The FRIEND TO THE CONSTITUTION issue with a cow on the reverse whose significance is unknown today. Rarely found so nice.

 

Ex Dr. A.C. Black on July 20, l959.

 

The above auction description sums it up. I agree with the uncirculated part given how the luster rotates through, and I would have graded it 61 or 62 when comparing grading of HTTs I have seen. Nevertheless a stunning token I am happy, estatic even, to finally own:

 

 

 

Here are some other newps I managed to acquire on the bourse:

 

 

The only NGC star Draped Bust Quarter in F15 and one of 8 total for that series:

 

 

Eye appeal is not done justice in this image:

 

 

Thanks for your patience and reading this!

 

Best, SH

 

[MJ]

Great report HT! Excellent actually ; )

 

FYI you have the 1805 quarter listed as 1807 in your picture. You must have stopped by Dave Wnuck's table as I had that coin on consignment with him. I always had a tough time imaging that coin. It always looks better in hand. I think I owned it for about 6 years. I miss you already. I know you will take good care of her.

 

Congrats

 

mark

[Hard Times]

Great report HT! Excellent actually ; )

 

FYI you have the 1805 quarter listed as 1807 in your picture. You must have stopped by Dave Wnuck's table as I had that coin on consignment with him. I always had a tough time imaging that coin. It always looks better in hand. I think I owned it for about 6 years. I miss you already. I know you will take good care of her.

 

Congrats

 

mark

 

Thanks Mark for:

 

1. Catching that, corrected.

 

2. Consigning with Dave. I did not have that die marriage and I love worn coins with that much character. It sent me on a search for its auction pedigree that evening that was duly reported to Dave the next day.

 

Best, HT

[USAuPzlBxBob]

HT, I saw your post ATS, and a few things became very clear to me:

 

Here at NGC the font and type size are so much easier to follow. And I also like the emoticons here, which I have yet to see bettered anywhere else.

 

Great report. Contributions like yours help improve the enthusiasm for the hobby all around.

 

Thank you so much.

[jom]

Nice 1825 quarter. I've seen that somewhere....I like the 21 dime as well. Nice work!

 

jom

[physics-fan3.14]

Hey there HT! Dinner Friday was excellent, great to see you again. Sorry you missed the NGC luncheon.

 

That HT is sweet. In hand, the eye appeal is excellent - although I know nothing about HTs, I can appreciate an attractive token when I see it.

 

For those of you who only see the 1825 on these pictures, let me tell you - HT's pictures are great. The coin, in hand, is even better. HT's entire collection is spectacular. Every time he pulled out a new Bust quarter, my jaw hit the floor again. This guy has a great eye for spectacular coins, and I am glad I got to see a few of them in person.

[jpcienkus]

Great write up HT. It sounds as if you had a great time. Beautiful new additions. Glad you were able to get a HT-24. It was interesting reading about your previous auction issue.

[mumu]

Great circulated toners.

[rrantique]

Great circulated toners.

+1 Thanks for the report.

[Hard Times]

Thanks folks. Not only is my new HT-24 the best Ford piece, but I forgot to mention it also is the plate token for the HT-24 on page 118 of David Bowers new HTT Book published by Whitman. He mentions in his description that it is available in F-XF, but very rare in AU and non-existent in MS.

 

Best, HT