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My Baltimore experience...really long.
Just got back from the show a little while ago, and here's how it was for
me... I went in with the intention of seeking out one of a few selected classic commems, carefully chosen with design and budget in mind. My main goal on this score was to get a Texas in 66, and nothing else, really. I got two books (I was shocked they had them) from the library the other day to study up...Taxay and Swaitek. I went to Baltimore for the regular show last fall, and that time I got lost going home because I got forced off I-95. This time I got lost on the way there...missed the exit, and had to get off on the next one and try to get back on the freeway, which is easier said than done. Over the river and through the hood, I managed to get back on, but the on ramp was so long that I was past the correct exit before getting back on the freeway, and had to repeat process the other direction! Finally got there around 11:30 and parked (for a mere $18). By then, I was ready for some lunch, so hubby and I went to the place I went to with some RCCers before. Very good crab cakes, I am told, though I am not a seafood person myself. What? Ow! Alan, don't tweak me like that! Oh, yeah, the coin show! Got into the coin show, and whizzed right by the long line at registration since I preregistered online. I certainly recommend this to anyone going to an ANA show. I wanted to check out the exhibits right away, but there was a huge line to get in there, so I bypassed them for the time being to walk around the bourse. Huge, huge, huge. I have been to three of these now, and am never prepared for the hugeness. One of the first table I came to was Anaconda Rare Coins, so I drooled a bit. Adrian and his son were around somewhere, but not at the table; I saw them a little later on. I got a kick out of this, though...next to all Adrian's beauties was a case of $1-$5 Lincolns and such that I can only imagine were his son's offerings for sale. I thought this was too cute. Anyway, I took a look at the offerings of some world mints, and saw in person many of the coins I wrote about in my article on color and hologram coins at the Singapore mint table. I didn't buy anything, and will probably regret this later. I know a lot of those coins are listed on their site as sold out and are selling for absurd prices aftermarket, but seems like every time I go to a show I don't buy something that I probably should have and get to repent in leisure. But really, I had just got there and had limited funds! I didn't want to stray from my plan so early. This didn't last long. I was accosted by a man with a big grey beard and a pointy hat...Gandalf. The new LOTR coin much, much nicer than I would have imagined, so I pre-ordered one. Here is a link to the gold. I bought a silver one, which has the ring in gold. Very nice. http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/BU0307/S00174.htm Went to the U.S. Mint, because I had some business to take care of there. My grandfather turned 80 a couple of days ago, and is a Statehood Quarter collector, so I wanted to get him a silver proof set. No go. No silver proof sets. No clad proof sets. No mint sets. Just the quarters. I grumblingly bought it. No new commems, either. I got the last two SAEs they had. Then the credit card machine wasn't working. What a joke! While I waited to pay, something like 8 people were turned away trying to buy quantities of silver proof sets. Let's hear it for planning ahead, US Mint! I checked out a couple of booksellers looking for the Bowers commem encyclopedia, but no one had it. Most of the slabs, I noticed were PCGS, NCG and ANACS. A few ACGs scattered about, and some PCI. I didn't see any NTCs. By this time, I was ready for a break. Tried to go back to the exhibits, still a huge line. Ok, later. Started my quest for a Texas in earnest. Not happening. None of the 66s I saw looked at all impressive in terms of eye-appeal. I went from place to place, looking for the elusive 66 that would make me happy. I ended up checking out a Lincoln at a dealer with the very non-descript name "U.S. Coins." A 64, with gorgeous luster and just a tiny little bit of rim toning. He was holding it for someone, but said if I wanted it to stop back in a couple of hours. I said I would if my Texas did not present itself. At someone's table (can't remember who) I saw the most amazing toned Pan Pac half...it had beautiful multicolored rim toning with blast white centers, but as this was either a 67 or a 68 (can't remember that either) it was a bit out of my range. Wandering along, I came to the table of Anthony Swaitek. I thought "I was studying this guy's book last night, so he would probably be a good classic commem source." He sure was. He was helping someone who was trying to sell coins, so I took a seat and waited. When he was through, I told him what I was looking for. He took out 4 Texas 66's, a couple of 65's, and a 64. I then got a lesson about the luster characteristics of the various years of this issue, as well as the Oregon (I mentioned that I had one of these). Three of the four 66's had toning that I found unattractive, and the fourth had a *lot* of die polish on it. I could tell they weren't hairlines, but I wasn't real thrilled with the fact that they were obvious to the naked eye. The 64 and 65 though, were gorgeous! He told me that the 64 was dipped, and that's why it didn't slab higher. I bought the 65, and was and am quite happy with it, previous resolutions to get a 66 or nothing be damned. It's a 36D, btw. I wandered around some more, knowing that I now had the money to buy the Lincoln too (isn't it nice how these things work out?). Saw plenty of cool stuff. Tried the exhibits again, and again, a huge, huge line. Saw the new 20 dollar bills. Was something less than impressed, but tried to act more impressed than I was when a BEP guy asked how we liked them. Wandered about even more, and picked through some bargain bins, but nothing struck my fancy. It was almost like I was blind to anything not a classic commem. I would like to go on record as blaming Bob Rudd for doing this to me. Looking at and hearing about his coins is the reason I am in this predicament now! Mr. Lincoln awaited, so I went back to the table, and the man it was being held for was looking at it right then. I hung around at a decent distance, and he bought something else, so I got my Lincoln too! By then, my feet were killing me, and I knew I had a long ride home, so we decided to check out the exhibits and leave. It was 4:30 by this time, and traffic had thinned considerably on the bourse. Not so at the exhibits. The perennial line remained. I was tempted to think it hadn't moved at all, and it was all the same people there! So we left without seeing the exhibits, which is generally one of my favorite parts of the show. If I'd had two days there, I would have waited, but there was too much to see to waste a long time in lines. Dying of thirst on the way out, and knowing the air would be like breathing wet cotton outside, I bought a $3 bottle of soda. Totally warm. ( All in all, warm beverages aside, a great time was had! My feet were tired then, and my fingers were tired now. Chrysta |
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What was the Lincoln that you purchased? Nice report, felt like I was walking
the bourse with you. Dan |
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Thanks for the recap Crysta. I would love to visit one of these shows,
having only been to local (Cincinnati) shows which are decent in size but nothing compared to ANA. The thing I hate about shows like these (and not just for coins but boats, RV's, home and garden shows), is the price. They should pay US to be there. We're customers. $18 to park and $3 sodas? C'mon, who do they think they are?? Disney? Which Lincoln did you get? |
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I said her report was like walking the floor with her, I must have been
distracted by a few CC halves when she said that. Lincoln looks like he just tried some of that pineapple pizza everyones talking about. Dan |
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"Chrysta Wilson" wrote in message ... In article , says... What was the Lincoln that you purchased? Nice report, felt like I was walking the bourse with you. Dan Thanks! It was a 1918 Lincoln commemorative half. Is it me, or does anyone else think Lincoln has a kind of Eeyore-like expression on this coin? Chrysta Well, I thought Eeyore was a donkey, but I wasn't sure so I checked with my supervisor and was told Eeyore had this and that to do with Winnie the Pooh. I handed my Lincoln-Illinois to him and asked about any resemblances and he nodded and said Eeyore always had a "down turned frown or expression". I personally had always thought the look was a serious and weary look, fitting, I suppose. Now, looking at the facial expressions through a 16X loupe, I am convinced Lincoln is concentrating intently on a video game. Bill |
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Thanks! It was a 1918 Lincoln commemorative half. Is it me, or does
anyone else think Lincoln has a kind of Eeyore-like expression on this coin? It's fairly well known and documented Lincoln suffered most of his adult life from clinical depression. Many commem folks believe the original designer tried to portray this on the commem as well. IMO, the reverse of this coin is very underrated...what an eagle! "Chrysta Wilson" wrote in message ... In article , says... What was the Lincoln that you purchased? Nice report, felt like I was walking the bourse with you. Dan Thanks! It was a 1918 Lincoln commemorative half. Is it me, or does anyone else think Lincoln has a kind of Eeyore-like expression on this coin? Chrysta |
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