By Kathleen Duncan – Pinnacle Rarities ………
The Central States Numismatic Society’s convention is perennially a great show. No matter the location (and Schaumburg’s just about the worst), every major dealer turns up to do business and this year was no exception. It is routinely our third best show of the year, after FUN and the summer ANA. Obviously, others agree, as the CSNS auctions tend to be overflowing with coins. This year, there was not only quantity, but also quality, both on the floor and in the auction. Besides the Walton 1913 Liberty nickel, which sold for $3,172,500, two other coins as well as a pattern brought more than a million dollars apiece in Heritage’s sale. While we didn’t obtain any of the seven-figure items, we were phenomenally busy from the Tuesday before the show started until Saturday, both buying and selling.
We were surprised at how much of our inventory sold by the end of Wednesday to fellow dealers before the general public was allowed on the bourse. One dealer commented that we had the nicest and freshest coins on the floor, which we can attribute to the continued acquisitions we make from clients with whom we’ve placed coins over the past two decades. It’s gratifying to know that we are many collectors’ first choice when it comes time to sell. We’ve said it before, but we can’t stress often enough that our success has to do with the valued relationships we’ve established with our clients. It still surprises us how few dealers are willing to buy back (not simply take on consignment) every single coin they’ve ever sold. We have always done so and always will. And as we make sure we like what we sell, we are always happy to do so.
While our show purchases are usually posted to the web the week immediately following the show, we have about 150 new coins this time, so we are going to hold off on mentioning an interesting collection we acquired. Look for another email from us after next week’s New Orleans ANA when we’ll be able to give it the time it deserves. In the meantime, enjoy the interesting selection of new purchases that will continue to post until late Friday afternoon. By tomorrow, we should have nearly 100 new purchases for your perusal. Our new acquisitions include quite a few lovely Silver Commems, some great Buffalo nickels, Mercury dimes and Walkers, along with some stunning Barber and Seated type material. We also picked up a handful of highly pleasing Capped Bust material, and a few interesting gold coins, including a spectacular 1905 $10 Liberty in PCGS MS67. While we think we may indeed have something for everyone, if you don’t see what you are looking for, please let us know. Dan and Matt are off to the New Orleans ANA next week for more numismatic excitement. We look forward to hearing from you.
