Coin Show Report - Baltimore, MD

[DaveG]

Since there haven't been many (any?) show reports over here yet, I thought I'd repost this (sorry about all the references to people from across the street, but a lot of them were there.)

 

The now 50%-larger Baltimore show is HUGE! It's almost impossible to cover every table in less than four or five hours. It's an endurance contest! For those of you who went to the 2003 Baltimore ANA, the show now occupies the same amount of floor space, and while about 1/6th of the ANA floor space was educational exhibits, 100% of the same floor space is devoted to dealers. (I overheard three or four dealers favorably comparing Baltimore to Long Beach.)

 

I got there before it opened on Friday and there was a big crowd waiting to get in. I hit the floor and started looking for some southern gold. C- and D-mint gold was all over the place, but most of it had been dipped or otherwise processed (although I did see one coin in a PCGS rattler slab - didn't look at it closely, though). O-mint gold was less common (and less common than it had been in 12/05, when it was less common than in 3/05, which was less common than in 12/04, etc.)

 

Just before lunch, CharlotteDude found me and showed me his 1798 half eagle. Wow! nicer than the picture in his thread across the street and a circa-late 1989 PCGS slab! Very, very nice! TomB and I encouraged him not to resubmit, as he'd lose the old slab. We said that the coin would sell on its own merits, regardless of the grade on the slab!

 

I also ran into and had nice chats with TomB and EVP (who hasn't been on the boards much recently) and was briefly introduced to michael.

 

Next, I had lunch with Longacre, who managed (I don't know how) to get to the show without being assaulted, robbed or raped. (I think he got home alive, too.)

 

I also met Tassa and Cameron Keifer (who very kindly gave me an ICG sample - 2006 "return to Monticello" nickel). A really banged up coin, by the way. Now I know why the folks who ordered them from the Mint were complaining about the quality of the coins.

 

I also had a nice chat with njcoincrank, who had his usual "killer" material with him!

 

I was suffering a bit from information overload, so I forgot to go back to get a Seated Dollar from Osburn, but, since I didn't like any of the gold that I could afford, I did manage to pick up two English shillings (1723 and 1739) and an 1883-O Morgan in MS-63 (in a late-1989 slab - PCGS 2.5, I think) and, my big purchase of the day: a very, very nice dark gray, 1806 pointed 6, no stem, half dollar in NGC-40. Its reverse is rotated about 15 degrees, and aside from a bit of a light strike on the reverse, is really nice. It's my first Draped Bust coin!

 

To sum up: it was a crowded - and really huge - show, nice material was hard to find, I talked to a lot of people and had a lot of fun!

[Morgannut]

Very accurate report--I went his morning and found a dealer paying crazy money for junk Morgans--plus nuts money for any better date. Came away feeling much lighter minus the 3 rolls-- and took the money plus two GSA Morgans to trade for an original crusty 1894P key date Morgan--Two common coins + junk silver = nice coin I've been looking for.

 

I thought there was so nice material- but all the buzz was gone that was there at the ANA Auctions on Tuesday/Wednesday nites. The toned 1940S PCGS 64 Standing Liberty half ($5,500), the $23,000 toned rainbow MS68 1880S Morgan, and a monster 1824 Busty (MS-64, looked 66) half (with so much golden tone and luster it looked like GOLD) were at Legends Table--- Also enjoyed looking at the Brascher Gold $16 piece that RCW had in a rotating case, it was really pretty

[IGWT]

Great reports. Thanks Dave & Morgannut.

[toyonakataro]

Thanks for the great report.

Would like to see an image of your 1806 half

[TomB]

It was good to see you again, Dave, even if you were trying to stir up trouble between me and njcoincrank!

[G4-migration]

Hi,

I attended the B-More show on Saturday. It was a bit overwhelming for me. My uncle gave me a 1861 3 cent silver star coin. It has a 180 degree reverse. I have been researching mis-struck errors. Do you or anyone know how rare or even if this coin is real. It is in very good condition. A guy at the show offered me 200. for it. I didn't sell it because it was a gift.

[DaveG]

Tom,

 

Ha! (double Ha!, in fact)

 

[RGT]

Hi,

I attended the B-More show on Saturday. It was a bit overwhelming for me. My uncle gave me a 1861 3 cent silver star coin. It has a 180 degree reverse. I have been researching mis-struck errors. Do you or anyone know how rare or even if this coin is real. It is in very good condition. A guy at the show offered me 200. for it. I didn't sell it because it was a gift.

 

I have an 1861 in NGC MS64 that also has 180 degree rotation. It seems to be fairly common for 1861 three cent silvers. I don't think the rotation adds a lot to this date because I've seen several of them.