Coin Show - Monthly Coin Show Notes from 2010

The comments below summarize each of the earlier 2010 coin shows. Scroll down to view the notes with the most recent coin show's notes at the bottom. Or, click on the month you want to view: February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December.

Monthly Coin Show - January 2010

The new year of monthly shows started with a packed bourse, "packed" I tell you. Dealers and guests filled the ballroom with wall-to-wall fun of buying, selling and trading coins, currencies and precious metals.

The rainy and 48° weather did not deter people from the show. Many people commented, "It's good the show wasn't last weekend." Bob says, "If I had a nickel for every time someone said that, I would have a lot of money." So, yes, we are thankful the show wasn't last weekend when it was icy cold, and we're thankful the weather warmed before the show this weekend. Coin shows and icy conditions in the south just don't mix well.

Though not really warm, the morning temperature didn't stop the musician from playing his trumpet on the bus parked in back of the hotel. The dealers enjoyed his efforts when they arrived and during setup. Hopefully, people staying in the hotel appreciated his performance and didn't mind the early morning wake-up serenade.

As for the bourse, once again, we saw many new faces at the show. We welcome you, and we're glad you came. From the webmaster, here's a thank you and welcome to the gentleman who has been reading the show notes for a year and who visited the show for the first time this weekend.

Many of you enjoy variety in your collections. Being on the same Sunday, the coin show and the North Atlanta Sports Collectibles show benefited from cross traffic to each show. Though serendipitous, we hope you have fun browsing the diversity of collectibles found among the dealers at both shows.

The bourse layout allows for the dealers' tables along with aisles wide enough for the guests to move easily throughout the show. Many guests visit the show not only to see the dealers and what they offer each month, but they also find it worthwhile to socialize with other guests in the middle of the wider aisles. Some are old friends, some are new friends, but all are enjoying their like-minded interests.

As in recent months, people continue to deal in gold and silver. Some people come to buy whereas others bring their gold, silver and other precious metals (e.g., platinum) to sell or trade. They may want to cash out or they may want to trade up. Some people's interests change, and they want to enjoy owning a different collectible for awhile.

As for dealers, have you ever noticed? They prefer to tell you what they've bought rather than what they've sold. Numismatics may be their business; however they're just collectors at heart. And for some, the treasure hunting - and finding - is the most fun of all.

This month guests offered dealers some nice gold coins. A few of the coins included a certified MS65 $3 gold piece, two MS66 graded St. Gaudens, a $10 Indian graded MS65 and a $10 Liberty graded MS65. Of course, many other coins and opportunities traded ownership to mutual benefit as well.

Whether an experienced collector, informed investor or someone new to the skill of numismatics, you are invited and welcome to join the fun at the Greater Atlanta Coin Show.

Now, in the spirit of these economic and political times, let's have this month's quotes:

Mortimer Smith: "The individual who is best prepared for any occupation is the one ... able to adapt himself to any situation."

Martin Luther King, Jr.: "We must accept finite disappointment, but we must never lose infinite hope."

Erich Fromm: "Free man is by necessity insecure, thinking man by necessity uncertain."

Dave E. Smalley: "The survival of the fittest is the ageless law of nature, but the fittest are rarely the strong. The fittest are those endowed with the qualifications for adaptation, the ability to accept the inevitable and conform to the unavoidable, to harmonize with existing or changing conditions."

Aristotle: "The ideal man bears the accidents of life with dignity and grace, making the best of circumstances."

Reinhold Niebuhr: "God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference."

In closing, boldly make changes where you can and gracefully adapt when you can't. We hope to see you at our next show on February 14. (Back to top)

Monthly Coin Show - February 2010

What a show. Four inches of snow fell in the metro area on Friday evening into Saturday morning then 50+ degrees for the show on Sunday.

Wasn't the snow beautiful? Instead of the dangerous ice storms metro Atlanta normally experiences, the heavy, wet snow blanketed the area late on a Friday and began melting by midday Saturday.

Take a look at the "cotton balls" in the trees and the white blanket on the ground in these pictures:

That last picture almost looks like an apple tree in full, springtime bloom. In reality, it's a dogwood with the snow "cotton balls" in all of its branches.

For the coin show, Sunday's weather included an overcast day with temperatures reaching the low 50s and a few intermittent blue skies throughout the day.

Neither the weather nor the sweetheart day kept people away. Once again, lots of people browsed the bourse and enjoyed the deals being offered. Welcome to all and thank you for coming!

New faces joined us this month. Some became awestruck as they entered and saw the size of the bourse, the number of dealers and the quantity of guests. All were welcome.

Once again this month, the coin show and North Atlanta Sports Collectibles Show shared their Sunday date at the Holiday Inn Select. People easily moved back and forth between the two shows. Plus, people from the coin show walked over to get a glimpse of and meet Otis Nixon, the former Atlanta Brave, who was autographing his new book, Keeping It Real.

Also this month, several of our regular dealers had conflicts - some personal and some business. As a result, the coin show invited a couple of new dealers to join the bourse. Welcome to you, and we hope you had a good show.

As for coins, many interesting coins occupied the dealers' tables with a few out-of-the-ordinary.

For example, one dealer offered a slabbed, 50-piece set of classic, silver commemoratives. From the PCGS site, they describe this type of set as, "The 50-piece silver commemorative set includes one coin of each type of commemorative issued from 1892 through 1954. This highly collected series is often put together in gem condition (MS65/better) and many collectors seek out coins with attractive toning to build their set around. The set includes 48 half dollars, one quarter, and one dollar. Key issues are the Lafayette dollar, Isabella quarter, Hawaii, Sesqui, Monroe, and other coins, depending on condition and mintage."

In slabbed condition, this 50-piece set gleamed with beautiful coins.

Another, not-so-common-to-the-bourse coin was the 1942 over 1941 Mercury Dime. To save money, engraving and metal, the mint chose to reuse the 1941 die. You can see the faint "nubs" in this picture of a 1942 over 41 dime.

Not to be outdone by a dime, a 1909s Indian Cent graced the bourse as well. Per PCGS Coinfacts, "The 1909-S Indian Head Cent has THE lowest mintage of the entire series (at 309,000 pieces, the mintage is less than half that of the revered 1877 Indian Head Cent). Collectors love this date not only for its rarity but because it is one of only two dates struck at the San Francisco Mint (the other being the 1908-S). 1909 was the last year of production for the Indian Head Cent and fore-sighted collectors saved many nice examples, thus keeping the price of Uncirculated examples reasonable relative to their rarity. Many counterfeit examples of this date exist, so certification is a must."

Of course, people also browsed the bourse for gold. In particular, they searched for American Gold Eagles and Canadian Gold Maple Leafs. For an interesting exercise, take a look at this site to see the gold (and silver) prices side-by-side: Monex Liveprices.

Now, let's look at some quotes for this month:

Virgil: "They can because they think they can."

Norman Vincent Peale: "Change your thoughts and you change your world."

Ayn Rand: "Every man is free to rise as far as he's able or willing, but the degree to which he thinks determines the degree to which he'll rise."

L.P. Jacks: "The pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; the optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."

Buddha: "All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think, we become."

Henry David Thoreau: "If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours."

We hope you visited and got to see the many different coins and collectibles offered at the coin show this month. If not, plan to come to the next show on March 14. (Back to top)

Monthly Coin Show - March 2010

No, we didn't have the show this month. We are just as disappointed as you that we had to cancel.

Due to construction delays at the Holiday Inn Select, their ballroom renovation project could not be finished by our show date, Sunday, March 14, 2010. Neither dealers nor guests are picky about a coin show's space. However, the show does require lighting, tables and space to browse.

Here's a glimpse of the space as of Sunday evening around 6 pm.

In the back parking area near the entrance to the ballrooms, their construction dumpster sat almost full.

Just inside the left, light-colored outside doorway to the ballroom, this picture shows the scissor lifts and some of the work crew. (Note: only one light was operational in the ballroom area. The open doorways and the camera's flash make the area seem much lighter than it was.)

The next picture views the room from near where the bourse entrance is normally located with the camera facing slightly left.

From the left end of the ballroom facing toward where the bourse is normally located, you can see the construction detritus along with a few workmen. (Reminder, the room was very dim; the light comes from the open doors and the camera's flash.)

This view is similar but shows more toward the back of the ballroom.

This last picture illustrates the hallway from the guest entrance doors. The door you can see on the right is the where the bourse entry would normally be. The raw studs on the left highlight the temporary wall separating the construction zone from the atrium area of the hotel lobby. On the floor, several light fixtures wait to be installed.

Think about when you start a project at home that requires taking something apart, cleaning or repairing it, then putting it back together. How many times do you find hidden aspects to the project when you get part way through it? And, how many times does it take more time and more money than you initially planned to finish the job?

That's what happened to the Holiday Inn Select's renovation project. Other issues were found needing repair after the contractors began the tear out prior to the renovation. Those issues took additional time to address.

We hope many of you found the news that the show was cancelled - through the dealers, the web site or the telephone line. However, we know several of you made the trip to the location. We apologize for the inconvenience and for the disappointment.

Yes, we were all disappointed too.

Let's take a look at some apropos quotes for this month:

Joe Calloway: "In life, problems and setbacks are mandatory. Misery is optional."

Zig Ziglar: "It's not what happens to you but how you handle what happens that makes the difference."

H.G. Wells: "The crisis of today is the joke of tomorrow."

Aeschylus: "Time brings all things to pass."

Song 2:11-12: "For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; the flowers appear on the earth."

Enjoy the beginning of spring, the flowers, the warmer weather, the buds on the trees, the greening of the plant life and the clear blue skies.

We look forward to the next show on April 11, 2010. (Back to top)

Monthly Coin Show - April 2010

Springtime in Atlanta...what a gorgeous day and what a great coin show!

The sun shone brightly on the dogwoods and azaleas in bloom, the young, spring-green leaves on trees and the many spring flowers around every corner. Pleasant temperatures in the 70s, maybe even 80s, welcomed people outside. Many people visited with us at the coin show as they enjoyed the beautiful day.

And, a big welcome and thank you to the many people who visited us in the Holiday Inn Select's newly remodeled ballroom. People commented on how the new wallpaper and new carpet made the room seem brighter.

With the coin show in the ballroom and the North Atlanta Sports Collectibles show in the atrium, guests enjoyed browsing among the dealers' tables at both shows.

In addition to sports memorabilia, the sports collectibles dealers have celebrity pictures and autographs. Do you remember Deputy Barney Fife of Mayberry on The Andy Griffith Show? Jim Sherrill, who provides the coin show's security, found a wonderful autographed picture of Don Knotts as Deputy Barney Fife. The picture was framed along with the patch Barney wore on his Mayberry uniform. The framed treasure also included another picture of the autograph session with Mr. Knotts, a certificate of authenticity and the sequence number of that particular picture during the session.

Interestingly, Jim got to meet Mr. Knotts when he visited Atlanta several years ago. In addition to being a wonderful comedic actor, Mr. Knotts was a good person to meet in the day-to-day world. Unfortunately, the meeting was prior to the ubiquitous camera phone, thus Jim did not have a camera handy to get his picture taken with Mr. Knotts. With Jim on duty and in uniform, the picture would have been a great one. But, now Jim can revisit the memory with his framed picture of an autographed Deputy Barney Fife.

As for coins, the coin show bourse was very busy not only with the many visitors but also with the new and different numismatics on display.

Of course, gold continues to be very active. One dealer proudly showed off his small hoard of certified proof gold Buffalos. American Buffalo gold coins are prized for their .9999 fine (24-karat) gold and are difficult to find. These, in their certified holders, were MS 69s and 70s. For the right amount, one or more could be yours.

Another dealer also had a rare buffalo but of a different type. He had a gorgeous 1915 matte proof Buffalo nickel. Matte proof coins, unlike today's mirror-like proof coins, have a grainy appearance and were produced by the US Mint from 1913-1916. Per population numbers, the Mint struck only 1050 of the 1915 matte proof Buffalo nickel coins. Of that 1050 population number, some may have been lost, some may have moved into circulation (i.e., spent) and some may have been destroyed in the last 95 years. Regardless, the 1915 matte proof Buffalo nickel is a rare and beautiful piece of numismatic history.

Now back to the future, the new 2010 shield pennies were available on the bourse. It's fun to see the new designs in reality rather than just an image on a computer screen.

In the gold arena again, dealers displayed a number of certified Dahlonega gold coins in their cases.

Not to be dismissed, silver remains a popular precious metal as well. In fact, in certain discussions, silver is said to be undervalued and is expected to increase more and more with the economy in chaos as it is, in general, today. In that vein, dealers offered a number of 100 ounce silver bars along with the many numismatic silver coins on display.

Several of our dealers also offer foreign currency and coins for their beauty and collectible qualities. Many new specimens were available to peak guests' interest.

With the new 2011 Red Book hot off the printing presses, our supplies dealer was busy selling red books and other numismatic supplies.

Whew, a beautiful and busy day at the Greater Atlanta Coin Show!

Now, for some quotes of the month:

Carl Sagan: "The brain is like a muscle. When we think well, we feel good."

Bruce Barton: "Sometimes when I consider what tremendous consequences come from little things. I am tempted to think there are no little things."

Lou Holtz: "Show me someone who has done something worthwhile, and I'll show you someone who has overcome adversity."

Peter Marshal: "When we long for life without difficulties, remind us that oaks grow strong in contrary winds and diamonds are made under pressure."

Nido Qubein: "Whether you are a success or failure in life has little to do with your circumstances; it has much more to do with your choices!"

Sir Winston Churchill: "Never give in! Never give in! Never, never, never. Never…in anything great or small, large or petty -- never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense."

Thomas Jefferson: "Nothing gives one person so much advantage over another as to remain cool and unruffled under all circumstances."

Until next time, we look forward to seeing you at our next show, Sunday, May 23, 2010! (Back to top)

Monthly Coin Show - May 2010

What an absolutely gorgeous spring day. In the early morning, the sunlight filtered through the trees and shimmered on the plants on the forest floor. The day's temperature began slightly cool, but pleasant, and later heated to a warm spring day. Above, the blue sky formed a beautiful clear bowl over the area with none of the heat, humidity and pollution haze that has yet to arrive with the oncoming summer months.

As for the coin show, people packed the bourse. They came out to enjoy the day and to buy, sell and trade with the variety of dealers and numismatics available on the floor.

Again this month, the Greater Atlanta Coin Show shared the date and the venue with the North Atlanta Sports Collectibles Show. Some people enjoyed visiting both shows to search for that perfect discovery to add to their collection.

Several dealers made a point of commenting about how good the coin show was this month. Following two shows in Tennessee this past week, we were concerned that this show might be less busy. But, everyone – dealers and guests – made this an outstanding show.

On a slightly different note, Sunday was Jim Sherrill's birthday. He turned 24 again, but we won't ask how many times he's turned 24. Jim, of course, provides security for the show each month. Kudos and Happy Birthday, Jim!

Here's a welcome and a thanks for visiting the show to the gentleman who drove his brand new, first and only version in the US at this time, gullwing Mercedes. On their web site, Mercedes claims, "Breathtaking performance and craftsmanship take flight in a gullwing coupe that nods to the past while rocketing into the future." And yes, he shared that he had driven the car up to 145 miles per hour already, but before you get too concerned about reckless driving, he is a race car driver.

Many people at the show enjoyed the thrill of just looking at his performance car sitting in the parking lot while imagining their hands on the wheel and the vibration of the engine as they drove the car on the open road. Imagination is a wonderful thing.

At the show once again, several people looked for gold. Some dealers had gold, but it was in limited supply. Both dealers and guests commented that gold continues to be difficult to find. One dealer offered a beautiful and relatively scarce, 2008, four-piece proof Buffalo gold set. In contrast, a guest brought a five ounce gold replica coin to determine its value and to decide if he wanted to sell it.

But, there is another precious metal associated with coins that many think is underrated and undervalued – that's silver. A bullion dealer offered varieties of silver rounds and rectangles, one to ten ounce versions, in his showcases.

Another gentleman guest arrived with a full run of mint sets from 1947 to date. Wow, that's over 60 years of mint sets. Remember, many of those uncirculated year sets contain both "P" and "D" mintmark versions of all the coins minted for circulation that year. Hmmm, wonder if there were over 1000 coins in all of those sets? What a fun statistic to determine for a later post on the blog.

Here's another welcome and thank-you-for-coming to the novices who visited the coin show for the first time. We had some people researching values for inherited collections while others looked for specific commemorative coins. The coin show's bourse with the various dealers offered many opportunities to learn and to see the many alternatives available.

Now, for this month's quotes:

Maxwell Maltz: "Often the difference between a successful man and a failure is not one's better abilities or ideas, but the courage that one has to bet on his ideas, to take a calculated risk, and to act."

Buddha: "There are only two mistakes one can make along the road to truth; not going all the way, and not starting."

Anthony J. D'Angelo: "Focus 90 percent of your time on solutions and only 10 percent of your time on problems."

Charles Schwab: "A man can succeed at almost anything for which he has unlimited enthusiasm."

Mark Twain: "Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear."

Walt Disney: "Do what you do so well that they will want to see it again and bring their friends."

Interesting and successful people provide many insights into their approach to life, living and achievement.

Enjoy the warmth and not yet hot time until we see you at the next show on June 13, 2010. (Back to top)

Monthly Coin Show - June 2010

What a glorious day! The sun shone brightly all day with a beautiful blue sky overhead. Yes, the temperatures got into the 90s, but that's OK. We are in the south.

Here's a hearty welcome and thank you for coming to both the returning guests and to the many new faces we saw at the show. And, a welcome and thank you goes to the gentleman from Indiana who found us again and returned to the show while visiting family in the area. All of you and our dealers made this another very busy and very active show. Thank you.

As for the hotel renovations, our ballroom space has been complete for a couple of months now. The hotel's construction crews continue work on the atrium and other shared spaces and should be completed soon. Already, new windows added for the atrium have made the area just outside our ballroom space much brighter.

At the shows earlier this year, many guests looked to buy gold and silver, but others brought silver and gold to sell. This month, guests just looked to buy gold and silver. For example, our new bullion dealer brought several silver eagle rolls and sold out with his first three customers of the day. Similarly, knowing the desire for gold, many of our dealers brought gold, and that went quickly as well.

But, interestingly, platinum, the beautiful white precious metal, has not been very prominent at the shows lately - either buying or selling as either bullion or coins. Perhaps its low profile is due to fewer coins minted in platinum along with it not being mentioned quite as frequently as gold and silver in the investment media.

Of course, there were other numismatic interests on the bourse. Dealers displayed complete Lincoln sets that included the rare and valuable 1909-S VDB cent. Plus, there were slabbed 1916-D Mercury dimes available for those interested in coinage that circulated in the early 20th century.

For those of you more interested in the new coins, especially the recently introduced National Park quarters, our supplies dealer offered the new collectible albums. He also brought and sold several copies of the new 2011 Red Book and a new kit for "How to Sell Gold."

Our dealers have wide interests and many other numismatic collectibles, including currency, were presented for guests to browse and find a treasure to fit into their collections.

Now, for this month's quotes from some of our past Presidents:

"I hope I shall always possess firmness and virtue enough to maintain what I consider the most enviable of all titles, the character of an honest man." -- George Washington, 1st

"If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader." -- John Quincy Adams, 6th

"None are so empty as those who are full of themselves." -- Andrew Jackson, 7th

"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power." -- Abraham Lincoln, 16th

"If there is one thing upon this earth that mankind love and admire better than another, it is a brave man, -- it is the man who dares to look the devil in the face and tell him he is a devil." -- James A. Garfield, 20th

"Whenever you are asked if you can do a job, tell 'em, 'certainly I can!' - and get busy and find out how to do it." -- Theodore Roosevelt, 26th

"I not only use all the brains that I have, but all that I can borrow." -- Woodrow Wilson, 28th

"The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today; Let us move forward with strong and active faith." -- Franklin D. Roosevelt, 32nd

"You can accomplish anything in life, provided that you do not mind who gets the credit." -- Harry S. Truman, 33rd

"The history of free men is written not by chance, but by choice - their choice." -- Dwight D. Eisenhower, 34th

"There are risks and costs to a program of action. But they are far less than the long-range risks and costs of comfortable inaction." -- John F. Kennedy, 35th

"Indecision is often worse than wrong action." -- Gerald Ford, 38th

We've had many smart and wise leaders over the years. Perhaps this one, who was a very prolific writer, said it best:

"Above all things, and at all times, practice yourself in good humor." -- Thomas Jefferson, 3rd

And though not a president, this gentleman gained the respect of many people not only for the laughter he provided, but also for his views on life and patriotism:

"I live by this credo: Have a little laugh at life and look around you for happiness instead of sadness. Laughter has always brought me out of unhappy situations. Even in your darkest moment, you usually can find something to laugh about if you try hard enough." -- Red Skelton 

Using the wisdom of these historical gentlemen, be decisive, take action, move forward and find something to laugh about each day. We hope you'll join us at our next show on Sunday, July 11, 2010. (Back to top)

Monthly Coin Show - July 2010

Sunday was a beautiful, sunny and hot day for the Atlanta area. The early daylight hours started at 73 degrees with a humidity of 88%. At the end of the show, the temperature had climbed to 95 degrees, but with the help of some light winds, the humidity dropped to 40%.

Neither the heat nor the humidity kept the dealers and guests away. We had a great crowd during the day. People on the bourse looked, bought, sold and traded in their specific interests of coins, currency or bullion.

Once again, many guests looked for gold and silver. One dealer brought twelve ounces of gold along with his other coin interests. His first customer of the day bought all twelve pieces. The dealer went to another dealer on the bourse and bought four more pieces of gold. He sold those too before he returned to his table.

Many of our dealers buy and sell coins and currency along with some bullion. This month the bourse had two dealers who primarily buy and sell bullion - gold and silver. Both were very busy entertaining buyers and sellers throughout the day.

People brought bullion to sell. In particular, some large foreign bullion in five ounces, ten ounces and kilogram sizes arrived on the bourse. Since we normally think in the ounces on our bathroom or kitchen scales, that kilogram weighed over 35 avoirdupois ounces. But, precious metals' are weighed in troy ounces which this kilogram would be just over 32 troy ounces.

On a different note, here's a "Happy Birthday" to Alex who spent part of her 18th birthday at the coin show on Sunday. For those of you in the metro Atlanta area, she will be sharing information at the next Metro Coin Club of Atlanta meeting on July 18 about plaster casting. She attended the most recent ANA where Mint designers presented seminars about using clay and plaster casting in developing coin designs. Click here: Metro Coin Club of Atlanta to go to their web site to learn more about the club and their meeting location.

Back to coins, a very nice, key date, 1901s Barber quarter was on display on the bourse. In addition to the grading company's certified holder and information, a green CAC sticker showed on the coin's holder. From the CAC web site, "The CAC GREEN Label signifies that a coin has met Certified Acceptance Corporation's stringent grading standards."

In other words, the 1901s Barber quarter was a very nice example of the year and type. By the way, the 2011 Red Book's range of values shows $5,600 for that coin in a Good condition and $46,000 for a MS-63. In addition, they note a coin graded MS-68 sold at auction in 1990 for $550,000. That coin is definitely a key date coin!

As for the hotel's renovation project, the crews are working on the front desk area in addition to the restrooms near the pool. Will they be finished before the next show? We're not sure, but the ballroom hosting the coin show's bourse is easily accessible with a few minor inconveniences if you enter via the front.

For this month's quotes, some random thoughts:

"The key is not to prioritize what's on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities." -- Stephen Covey

"An ounce of action is worth a ton of theory." -- Friedrich Engels

"It is better to know some of the questions than all of the answers." -- James Thurber

"Sow a thought and you reap an act; Sow an act and you reap a habit; Sow a habit and you reap a character; Sow a character and you reap a destiny." -- Samuel Smiles

"Remember that there is nothing stable in human affairs; therefore avoid undue elation in prosperity, or undue depression in adversity." -- Socrates

"I know the price of success: dedication, hard work and an unremitting devotion to the things you want to see happen." -- Frank Lloyd Wright 

You do what you can for as long as you can, and when you finally can't, you do the next best thing. You back up but you don't give up." -- General Chuck Yeager

"Nothing is as real as a dream. The world can change around you, but your dream will not. Responsibilities need not erase it. Duties need not obscure it. Because the dream is within you, no one can take it away." -- Tom Clancy

"How far you go in life depends on you being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and the strong. Because someday in life you will have been all of these." -- George Washington Carver 

Read those again, think about them and determine how you can benefit from their insights in your day to day life.

Mark your calendar and join us at the next monthly Greater Atlanta Coin Show on Sunday, August 8, 2010. (Back to top)

Monthly Coin Show - August 2010

A hot, hot Atlanta summer day, but neither dealers nor guests let the heat and broiling sun keep them from enjoying the coin show. The dealers rolled in early to get set up for the opening of the show. Guests arrived early to make the start of the show very busy and kept the bourse jam packed for much of the morning and early afternoon.

Welcome to the many new faces who attended the show for the first time, and welcome back to those who we frequently see attending the show. Welcome, also, to the people who haven't collected for a number of years and are regaining their interest in numismatics. All of you are appreciated. We are glad you came.

Between the construction trucks associated with the hotel's continuing renovation project and a reunion being held at the hotel, parking was more of a challenge this month. Based on a packed bourse, coin show guests did not let a small parking challenge deter them from visiting the show.

People had a variety of interests this month. With the economic turmoil, people remain interested in silver and gold. But, with the not too distant history of the government confiscating gold, their interest focuses more toward silver and gold coins rather than pure bullion.

Additionally, being a coin show, dealers had a variety of coins on display to peak guests' interests. Collector coins appealed to many people who were looking to add to their collections. Collector coins are those coins with a historical past either in circulation or as commemorative coins. They contain an intrinsic beauty in their design and longevity along with their historical significance.

On a disconcerting note, one of the dealers had a counterfeit $20 Liberty coin for display and discussion. In addition to the collectors' concerns, dealers (who are really collectors too) are increasingly perturbed by how good the counterfeiters are getting with their reprehensible processes. Rumor has it that a few counterfeit coins have slipped by the top-end grading services. This just means that everyone - collectors and dealers alike - need to be more educated and more vigilant about the counterfeits.

Of course, with the American Numismatic Association's World's Fair of Money being held in Boston this week, several people were discussing their plans to attend. Or, if not attending, they speculated on what would be on display and what would be the attractions for the dealers and guests who would be attending.

Some people visited the Sunday show to sell their coins and scrap gold or silver. A few just wanted the cash. Others wanted to "trade up" some of their collectibles. They found the best buyer on the bourse for their collection, retrieved the cash and shopped with the dealers to find a few new treasures to collect.

The Sunday show was wonderfully jam packed with dealers and guests. Thank you all for making the show a great success.

Now, some quotes for this month:

"Cherish your visions and your dreams. They are the children of your soul, the blueprints of your ultimate achievements." - Napoleon Hill

"Nurture your mind with great thoughts, for you will never go any higher than you think." - Benjamin Disraeli

"Four steps to achievement: Plan purposefully. Prepare prayerfully. Proceed positively. Pursue persistently." - William Arthur Ward

"The great breakthrough in your life comes when you realize that you can learn anything you need to learn to accomplish any goal that you set for yourself. This means there are no limits on what you can be, have, or do." - Brian Tracy

"Three grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love, and something to hope for." -Joseph Addison

"A man with passion rides a horse that runs away with him." - Thomas Fuller

"To become financially independent you must turn part of your income into capital; turn capital into enterprise; turn enterprise into profit; turn profit into investment; and turn investment into financial independence." - Jim Rohn

Next month's coin show is Sunday, September 12, 2010. We hope to see you there! (Back to top)

Monthly Coin Show - September 2010

The heavy rains on Saturday evening washed the air and cooled the late summer temperatures. The show Sunday started with clouds, but later the sun beamed out of a beautiful clear blue sky. Though still warm, a touch of fall could be seen. The poplars with their yellow kissed leaves reflected the bright sunlight while the dogwoods showed off their red berries amid their red and orange leaves.

This month, the hotel's event staff presented the coin show with another last minute challenge by reducing our contracted space dramatically. After much finagling with the smaller footprint, we developed a workable, albeit smaller, bourse layout.

We appreciate the flexibility of our dealers and our guests, all of whom adjusted to the tighter space. The show was jammed for much of the day with the bourse staying busy later into the afternoon. Generally, several of our dealers, who have long drives, leave by mid-afternoon. Not this time, they stayed later too.

Thank you one and all - guests and dealers alike - for making this a busy and successful show. An especial thank you goes to the gentleman who exclaimed, "I've got to leave, I've spent too much!" as he exited the show. A big thank you goes out to the others, who like him, came to buy, sell and trade numismatics.

On a sad note, thank you to all of the dealers and guests who signed the card for Mr. Harold Bowles's family. He passed away just before Labor Day. As one person noted in the card, "He was a fine gentleman." We know that to be true as Mr. Bowles spent many years as a dealer with us at the monthly show. The card will be sent to his family to show that he is fondly remembered and that he will be missed.

Once again, this month's bourse had a lot of people buying and selling the precious metals, mostly gold and silver but some platinum as well. Of course, at a coin show, most of the metals are in some form of coinage though some dealers offer ingots as well.

Some dealers offered fractional Buffalo gold coins at 1/10, 1/4, and 1/2 ounce weights. Plus, dealers offered gold year sets which included the 1/10, 1/4, 1/2 and one ounce gold coins for a particular year. In addition, foreign gold changed hands for the right price. In particular, one gentleman brought a 4 ducat coin from Austria to be appraised. Another person brought three gold coins, inherited from her mother, to determine their worth on the current market by asking the various dealers at the show.

On a different note, a visiting dealer shared a few coins for viewing only. One was a seated dollar in a PCGS holder. Unfortunately, he noted that both the coin and the holder were counterfeit. Similarly, he had a raw flying eagle cent that was also a very nice copy. As part of his educational tale, he alerted the dealers that common bullion coins are also being copied, but some of them can easily be determined as counterfeit due to their insufficient weight.

Before leaving the show, one of our dealers, Al Adams, provided a copy of his new book, GOLD! At Pigeon Roost. The book, which is described as "The Story of America's First Gold Mining Scrip," was a collaboration between Al Adams and Fred N. Holabird.

The book also taps into Al's extensive knowledge about Dahlonega gold and provides interesting information about the gold and the mining efforts in the North Georgia mountains, America's first Gold Rush. For more information about the book, contact Al via email: info@goldrushgallery.com.

Now, for this month's quotes:

"When you can't solve the problem, manage it." Dr. Robert H. Schuller

"Every problem contains the seeds of its own solution." Stanley Arnold

"No man will succeed unless he is ready to face and overcome difficulties and is prepared to assume responsibilities." William J. H. Boetcher

"A man may fall many times, but he won't be a failure until he says that someone pushed him." Elmer G. Letterman

"Fire is the test of gold, adversity of strong men." Marcus Annaeus Seneca

"When things go wrong, don't go with them." Anonymous

"To a brave man, good and bad luck are like his right and left hand. He uses both." Saint Catherine of Siena

"Experience is not what happens to you, it is what you do with what happens to you." Aldous Huxley

"When fate hands you a lemon, make lemonade." Dale Carnegie

Mark your calendars for next month's show on Sunday, October 10, 2010. We hope to see you there! (Back to top)

Monthly Coin Show - October 2010

What an absolutely gorgeous early fall day in Atlanta! The morning opened to cool temperatures, and the afternoon warmed to shirt sleeve weather. The sun shone brightly all day in a clear blue bowl of sky.

Being in the south, our trees still have a lot of their leaves. But the trees' green colors are turning into golden yellows, rusty reds and bright oranges as the temperatures get cooler and the trees begin to shed for winter.

As for the coin show, it was jam-packed with people elbow to elbow for most of the day. This was due in part to being in a smaller room again this month, but it was also due to lots of guests visiting the show.

Visitors to the show walked through the newly renovated lobby area. While the hotel completed their construction visible in the lobby and ballroom area, a few construction trailers remain near the back fence. In the afternoon, someone alerted that the back parking lot was full.

Yep, we were busy. So much so that one of our dealers exclaimed, "Best show I've ever had!"

Many of our guests looked for those perfect numismatic specimens to add to their collection. But, once again, a lot of people looked for gold and silver too. People bought and sold twenty dollar gold pieces, mostly Liberty and St. Gaudens. They also bought and sold 100 ounce silver bars.

At just under seven avoirdupois pounds (our regular measure), buying several of those 100 troy ounce bars could be heavy. Plus, at just under $25 per ounce, several of those silver bars could also equal some heavy money!

In addition to buying and selling, people discussed the merits of gold versus silver. Several commented that silver needed to increase significantly to catch up to gold in value. However, silver's value and gold's value are not tied to each other. Interestingly, sometimes their market patterns - that is, growth and pull back - match and sometimes they don't.

If you have old silver coins, you may want to take a closer look at them. In some cases, their silver value surpasses their numismatic value. For example, a silver quarter (that's not slick) contains over four dollars of silver. Likewise, a silver half dollar contains more than eight dollars of silver. (Important note: these numbers are only valid for today's market. Silver prices fluctuate both upward and downward changing these values frequently.)

Please don't do like a nice, but un-informed, elderly lady did recently. She took a bag of silver (remember, a bag equals $1000 face value) to her local bank and asked if they would take them for cash. The bank teller refused and claimed the coins had to be rolled. Luckily, she then took the coins to a coin dealer for cash.

Let's see, if the silver coins were quarters, a bag contains 4000 quarters. At $4 per quarter that's $16,000 versus the $1000 face value. Now, a coin dealer does pay the full bullion amount since he has costs associated with shipping and handling to the bulk silver buyer plus he needs profit for the costs of his business and his livelihood. In this case, he wouldn't share how much he paid - some business transactions are private. Regardless, the lady received more than the face value.

In both the numismatic circles and the investment realm, the next few weeks should prove to be interesting with both gold and silver.

Let's look at some quotes for this month:

"You are today where your thoughts have brought you; you will be tomorrow where your thoughts take you." -- James Allen

"There are two primary choices in life: to accept conditions as they exist, or accept the responsibility for changing them." -- Denis Waitley

"The strongest principle of growth lies in human choice." -- George Eliot

"A man can get discouraged many times but he is not a failure until he begins to blame somebody else and stops trying." -- John Burroughs

"Effort only fully releases its reward after a person refuses to quit." -- Napoleon Hill

"Luck is the by-product of busting your fanny." -- Don Sutton

"Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time." -- Thomas Edison

"What we think, or what we know, or what we believe is, in the end, of little consequence. The only consequence is what we do." -- John Ruskin

"There is only one time that is important - NOW! It is the most important time because it is the only time we have any power over." -- Leo Tolstoy

Next month's show is Sunday, November 14, 2010. We'll see you there! (Back to top)

Monthly Coin Show - November 2010

The early morning was cool yet warm for this time of year with the day's temperatures reaching into the mid-60s. Overcast skies allowed thin sunlight to shine a few times, but in the afternoon and early evening hours, they brought rain.

Even with the lack of sunlight, people driving to the show enjoyed the fall colors. Though some trees have lost almost all of their leaves, still others brightened the day with their bold reds, bright oranges and almost-hurt-your-eyes yellows.

For some reason, a couple of our regular dealers expected this show to be less active than our recent shows which have been so busy. They were wrong. The show was packed with a full parking lot in the early afternoon.

We even had a few out of town dealers come to the show to see what their friends on the bourse had to offer in their areas of interest. In some cases, the out-of-towners brought some pieces to offer for sale to the bourse's dealers.

With the spikes in the prices for silver and gold, several guests brought jewelry, gold and coins to sell. After all, Morgan silver dollars, provided they are not slick, contain 0.7734 troy ounces of pure silver. Lesser grade silver dollars from the early years can be worth more as pure silver than as a dollar.

One dealer commented, "It sure is easy to sell gold." People continue to come to the show looking for gold and silver bullion. Dealers offered a lot of early US gold such as $20 St. Gaudens, $20 Liberty, $5 Liberty and $10 Indian gold coins.

Then there were these $50 gold coins containing one ounce of gold as well.

First, there's the American Gold Eagle with the modified design by Augustus St. Gaudens on the obverse.

The reverse design by Miley Busiek shows a family of eagles.

This gold eagle happens to be a Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC) Proof 69 Ultra Cameo. Isn't it beautiful?

The American Gold Eagle is beautiful and contains a troy ounce of pure gold, but it also includes roughly 3% silver and 5% copper in its composition.

In 2006, the US Mint introduced another gold coin, the American Buffalo, that is 0.9999 pure gold. The coin below comes from the Mint's first year of making a 24-karat gold coin.

Both the obverse and reverse designs are based on sculptor James Earle Fraser's nickel that circulated from 1913 to 1938 known as the Indian Head or Buffalo nickel.

Per the US Mint, they sold 246,267 of the one ounce Gold American Buffalo coins. The price varied throughout the sales period, but the Mint estimates the price, on average, was $800 per coin. Just think, last week, gold peaked at over $1420 per ounce. This week, gold has pulled back, but it's still much higher than that initial $800 rate.

Plus, this coin, graded as a Proof 70 Cameo by NGC, could be more valuable than the pure gold to the right buyer especially since its the first year of issue. Regardless, the coin is very handsome and would make a beautiful addition to a collection or to an investment portfolio.

Putting coins aside for a moment, here's a BIG thank you to our dealers and to our guests for making this month's show a busy, fun and jam-packed day. We hope you enjoyed browsing, buying, selling and trading among the variety of numismatics and silver and gold bullion on the bourse.

Now, let's look at some quotes for this month:

"We are selling dreams. We are merchants of happiness." Bernard Loiseau

"Often the difference between a successful man and a failure is not one's better abilities or ideas, but the courage that one has to bet on his ideas, to take a calculated risk, and to act." Maxwell Maltz

"Choose beliefs that serve your soul -- choose beliefs that serve the grander dream of who you choose to be." Joy Page

"A man can succeed at almost anything for which he has unlimited enthusiasm." Charles Schwab

"Millions long for immortality who do not know what to do with themselves on a rainy Sunday afternoon." Susan Ertz

"The saving grace of America lies in the fact that the overwhelming majority of Americans are possessed of two great qualities--a sense of humor and a sense of proportion." Franklin Delano Roosevelt 

Mark your calendars for our next show on Sunday, December 12, 2010. (Back to top)

Monthly Coin Show - December 2010

Brrrrr! Snow in December in Atlanta? Normally, snow storms occur in January, February or March - not December! A little snow and a little cold didn't hurt the show.

As for the weather, the morning temperatures started in the low to mid 40s, and by noon, the temperature was down to 32. The snow started in the morning and kept falling on and off all day.

As for guests, the morning started slow then increased throughout the morning. By midday, the bourse was packed, and the dealers were busy. Some people shopped for holiday gifts while others bought and sold silver and gold.

Some people looked for the 2010 Proof Sets and Silver Proof Sets. Those sets continue to be scarce and very few could be found at the show. It's too early to determine, but that could be an indicator of more valuable collectible sets as time goes by.

After a hiatus on Proof Silver Eagles in 2009, the US Mint just released the 2010 Proof Silver Eagles in late November. Several dealers brought the beautiful eagles to the show.

Other items on the bourse included early cents in the teens and 20s in PCGS slabs, bullion silver ingots and bars, a 32-piece Olympic set and slabbed gold to name a few. Both dealers and guests kept busy with collectible numismatics along with bullion gold and silver.

Other news of the day included the announced date for the next show in January on Sunday, the 16th. But, the location has not been finalized yet. We've been very happy with the Holiday Inn Select for the last three years, but circumstances prevent us from returning for a fourth year.

We will have the new location finalized and posted on the web site (Location & Directions) along with the twelve show dates soon, but no later than the first week in January. The coin show's telephone number supplies a recorded message for the next show. The phone message will be updated as soon as the location details are final.

In the meantime, let's look at some quotes for this month:

"Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men's blood and probably will themselves not be realized." -- Daniel H. Burnham

"Life's not a matter of holding good cards, but sometimes playing a poor hand well." -- Jack London

"The first step toward success is taken when you refuse to be a captive of the environment in which you first find yourself." -- Mark Caine

"The abundant life does not come to those who have had a lot of obstacles removed from their path by others. It develops from within and is rooted in strong mental and moral fiber." -- William Mather Lewis

"Life is a great big canvas, and you should throw all the paint on it you can." -- Danny Kaye

"You cannot change anything in your life with intention alone, which can become a watered-down, occasional hope that you'll get to tomorrow. Intention without action is useless." -- Caroline Myss

"The person who goes farthest is generally the one who is willing to do and dare. The sure thing boat never gets far from shore." -- Dale Carnegie

“People don't fail because they aim too high and miss, but because they aim too low and hit." -- Les Brown

Mark your calendars for the next show on Sunday, January 16, 2011. Check back on the web site for the new location or call the show number (770-772-4359) for the message about the new location. We should have information posted no later than the first week of January.

In the meantime, happy holidays to you and yours. We'll see you in the new year. (Back to top)