The “Red Copper Collection” of mint state and proof half cents and cents will be publicly displayed for the first time by Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) at the American Numismatic Association World’s Fair of Money® convention in Baltimore, July 30 – August 2, 2008. Assembled over a period of more than 20 years by Stewart Blay of New York, the collection contains some of the finest known copper coins and has won awards from the PCGS Set Registry annually for each of the past six years.

Among the highlights are a 1796 half cent graded MS-66 RB, the finest known early American copper coin; an 1877 Indian Head cent MS-66 RD (nicknamed “the Golden Princess”); and a 1909-S V.D.B. Lincoln cent MS-67 RD.

“It’s the finest collection of high-grade copper coins ever assembled, and some of these coins have never been publicly exhibited before. There were many excited comments posted on the PCGS Message Board when the word started to spread that this legendary collection would be shown for the first time,” said BJ Searls, Manager of the PCGS Set RegistrySM.

Blay is a sculptor who works in Colorado, Indiana and Italy, and also has acted in television commercials and soap operas. He began collecting at the age of eight.

“I had a neighbor whose uncle worked for the (New York) Transit Authority. He used to bring change home and we’d sort through it. I started with Lincoln pennies and began to fill up an old Whitman folder,” Blay explained.

In addition to the three coins mentioned above, the Red Copper Collection items to be displayed by PCGS at the ANA convention in Baltimore include:

Half cents, 1793 to 1857, all in Mint State including a 1793 half cent MS-65 BN and an 1828 half cent 13 stars MS-65 RD, the finest known. (more…)

By Doug Winter  – www.RareGoldCoins.com 

How are soaring energy prices going to affect the coin market? I got my first taste of the New Reality today when I decided not to attend a coin show because of what I thought was an exceptionally high price for an airline ticket.

The other day I received an email from Whitman Expos regarding their August Atlanta show. I believe that this show is in its third year and I have attended the previous conventions. Even though it is a brutal flight for me to get to Atlanta from the Northwest, I’ve always looked forward to the show. I love Atlanta, I like the Whitman people and want to support their shows and I have some good clients in the Atlanta metropolitan area. So even though this had never been a “major” event on the coin circuit, I was still happy to attend it.

That is, until I went on my airlines’ website yesterday and looked up the price of a round trip ticket to Atlanta. Even booking the ticket more than two months in advance, the best fare I could find was close to $800 and that was with a lovely three hour layover on the way home in Dallas. To get a convenient round trip ticket was nearly $1,000.

Now I know that the airlines are hurting and that Americans have had the luxury of really cheap airfare for the past decade. But when I figure a $1,000 plane ticket on top of a $200 per night hotel (I don’t like to share rooms when I travel and I’d rather camp out under a bridge than stay at a cheap hotel), the price of a table at a show, meals, etc., a show like the Atlanta Expo suddenly gets expunged from my schedule.

I wonder how many other dealers are feeling the same way about non-essential shows. No matter how expensive airfare gets, I’m still going to attend the ANA and FUN shows and I will continue to attend West Coast shows because of the convenience factor. But instead of going to three Baltimore shows per year, I’ll probably cut back to two to reduce expenses. (more…)

by Joseph Bakes/The Star-Ledger

The breadth of the offerings and exhibits at the 33rd Garden State Numismatic Association convention last month in Somerset gave testimony to the broad appeal of coin collecting.

And the efforts of the organizers to involve young collectors was testimony to their enthusiasm for the hobby.

“Coin collecting, even paper money, has to do with the history of our country,” said Bill Horton of Keyport, a past president of both the GSNA and the American Numismatic Association.

And with geography and language, said Dave Bailey of Staten Island, the new president of the GSNA.

“The expression ‘Hold history in your hands’ is certainly true” about coin collecting, said Bailey, a retired history teacher.

While most young collectors start out putting pennies and nickels of various years into slots on cardboard folders, he said that for as little as $3 they could own a coin minted during the Roman Empire. He pointed out a beautiful 1 denarius Roman coin graced by Faustina, the wife of Emperor Marcus Aurelius. Dating to the second century A.D., the coin was on sale at the convention for $60.

“I like old,” Bailey said, recalling that he was able to collect pre-Revolutionary War coins as a child “for pennies.” (more…)