Coin Show Report - Parsippany, NJ

[DaveG]

I went to the monthly 80-dealer show in Parsippany, NJ today. This is usually a very busy show, so crowded that it's hard to get down the aisles. The Parsippany show is usually pretty good for "regular stuff" that costs $50 and up - Morgan and Peace dollars, Classic Commems, with-motto Coronet gold, etc.

 

Today, however, I thought that the show was a little less crowded than it has been. It was possible to get down the aisles most of the morning, with only occasional gridlock. There was even an empty table. I also thought there was a bit less "buzz" than there was in the spring, too. Not only that, but it seemed to me that many dealers had a bit less inventory than they usually have. I didn't really look at the many Morgan and Peace dollars, but I did notice a decent selection of Classic Commems, many of them in older slabs (PCGS rattlers and Green Labels and NGC no-line Fat Boys). I noticed many fewer Bust halves than I used to see a year or so ago. I didn't see any PCGS, NGC or ANACS-slabbed 1921 (Plain or mintmarked) Mercuries or Walkers.

 

I saw a lot of gold, including some interesting foreign gold - a restrike (1976) Soviet Chernovetz, a roll of Victoria Young Head sovereigns, several European quarter ounce-sized coins in NGC no-line Fat Boy slabs, etc. As for US gold, I saw an 1846-D quarter eagle in VF-30 (or 35) in a PCGS Green Label slab (the same dealer has owned it for four or more months), along with another C- or D-mint quarter eagle in a VF-20 NGC slab. I don't recall seeing any Type I double eagles, however. I did see one dealer who had three raw chop-marked Trade dollars ($75 each) - I don't recall seeing those before.

 

Overall, there seemed to be a lot of business getting done (no doubt that explains the smaller inventories on display). I saw the usual wholesalers, along with Jules Karp, Kleinman of I. Kleinman and Bill Dominick of Westwood Rare Coin (all of whom seemed to be buying).

 

I had a nice chat with Jon Lerner of Scarsdale Rare Coins. His associate had a nice box of odds and ends, including some So-Called Half Dollars.

 

Finally, on my way out, I saw njcoincrank, who has let his hair grow(!) He had a box of really cool mint medals and his son was selling NGC boxes for $3 (so I grabbed one).

 

In some ways, the October Parsippany show is a bit difficult for me, as I know I'll see many of the same dealers on Saturday at White Plains; so I kept my powder dry today in anticipation of next Saturday.