Another Summer Seminar is in the books and next stop is the Great American Coin Convention in Rosemont, Illinois.  The show will be open to the public from September 25 through Saturday the 27th.  I will be set up at table #1634 and this show will be mammoth in size and scope.  If you're attending, be sure to stop by the table. 
     Overall, the Summer has been filled with activity, and I've been helping several veteran collectors and even a couple of retiring dealers dispose of their inventory.  I still enjoy handling nice coins and strategizing the grading and selling and all its nuances.  The bullion prices have skyrocketed, and more and more coins have lost their numismatic premiums and have become intrinsically valued.  At this writing gold is $3,646 per ounce and silver is pegged at $42.22.   Many believe we are in a genuine "run" and time will tell.  Standby!!

     In a little over a month, I will be returning to Colorado Springs to again co-instruct our Advanced Grading and Problem Coins at the ANA Summer Seminar, something I've been doing annually since 2011.  Along with Jeff Garrett and Ken Park, the class is one of my highlights every year and something to which I greatly look forward. 
     In July, we have a local show here in Reno which is growing each year and promises to become a not-to-be-missed venue on the show circuit.  Show dates are July 17-19, 2025 at the J Resort in downtown Reno, NV. 
     Finally, I have been busy on the board of the Anti-Counterfeiting Educational Foundation, (ACEF), where we are engaged in the battle against counterfeiting, which threatens the entire hobby-industry, collectors and dealers alike.  It's a tough battle and we're making inroads, but there is still a long way to go in tackling the relentless criminals.  I am one of many trusted experts in the field and am available for advice and opinions on authenticity of numismatic and bullion items.  Check our website at Anti-Counterfeiting Educational Foundation ​(https://ACEFonline.org)

     As a one-man operation, I'm always busy and forget to update my activities.  Most of my time is spent doing professional appraisals for collectors, estates, attorneys and others.  Of those, about 50% are either sold or consigned to me for sale.  I have learned that the best service I can provide is to have a low overhead which allows me to meet or beat any other offers.  So please forgive me for falling behind!
     Last week I returned from a VERY active and crowded show in Orlando.  The "FUN" show (Florida United Numismatists--of which I'm Life Member #597), is perhaps the largest show in America and always kicks off the New Year.  Also, the National Silver Dollar Roundtable, (NSDR) held their annual awards banquet at Morton's Steakhouse.  Having been treasurer since 2013, it's a must-attend for many dealer and collector members.  This year I was surprised by being awarded "Man of the Year, 2024" and am grateful for the recognition!  As a non-profit educational organization, we award scholarships to the ANA Summer Seminar each year and will be sending two or three folks to Colorado Springs this Summer.  For more information, check the NSDR website at www.NSDR.org or contact the ANA directly for more information:  719-482-9839.  

     I remain quite busy after a terrific ANA show in Rosemont and now prepping for the brand new Great American Coin & Collectibles (GACC) in Tampa next week, September 10-14.  This innovative show, spearheaded by Larry Shepherd, promises to be one of the premier shows in America and I'll be at TABLE 1015.  Stop by and say hello if you're attending.  

     This year's Advanced Grading class at the ANA Summer Seminar was the best yet and gave we instructors a huge boost due to the skills of the students.  What's more encouraging is that the "sharpies" in the class were the youngest and all in their teens or early twenties!  Speaking for myself, passing on my knowledge of over a half-century in numismatics is why I've taught 12 years now and seeing the enthusiasm of an entire new generation is really fun and especially rewarding.
     At the closing banquet, I was totally surprised with a particularly distinguished award from the ANA.  To say I was speechless is only semi-accurate; I was shocked!  In addition, my instructor-partner, Jeff Garrett also received the same award!  These are not given out too often, and I am honored and humbled to have received it.  
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     After a very active and successful Central States show, I'm off to Colorado Springs to instruct the Advanced Grading and Problem Coins class, along with fellow instructors, Jeff Garrett and Ken Park.  Class begins on Father's Day and is 4 days of intensive coin-grading activities.  We have a full class of 24 students and the three of us are looking forward to yet another fun-filled grading challenge!  
     This Summer promises to be busier than usual and am looking forward to a local show here in Reno in July and the ANA World's Fair of Money in August at the Rosemont Convention Center, adjacent to O'Hare Airport in Chicago.  

     Despite a considerable snowstorm, the Colorado Springs ANA show was a success by most accounts.  Wholesale trading between dealers was particularly brisk, indicating a strong market to come. 
     Our next stop is the CSNS show in Schaumburg, Illinois May 1-4, 2024.  With the recent bump in the precious metals prices, I suspect the show to be quite active.  If you plan to attend, please stop by TABLE 516 and say hello!  There is also a PNG Day associated with the show on Wednesday and admission to that is by invitation.  If you'd like an invitation, please contact me soon.  
     Finally, the National Silver Dollar Roundtable (NSDR) will be having our annual awards banquet at Morton's Steakhouse on Thursday night, May 2.  If you're a member and want a ticket to attend, make sure to contact our Secretary, Diana Wuller at 618-316-4110 or [email protected] .  For more information:    The National Silver Dollar Roundtable – Advancing the Knowledge of Numismatics (nsdr.org).

     After a VERY successful Long Beach show, I'm looking forward to the ANA National Money Show in Colorado Springs, March 14-16, 2024.  It will be held at one of the world's most beautiful settings at the foot of Cheyenne Mountain in the incredible Broadmoor Hotel. This is a 5-star hotel and it should at least get a plus+ grade!  Winter is always tricky in Colorado, but the location alone is worth the weather risks.  
     If you're a skier and a coin-enthusiast, you should attend as you may find the best of both worlds in a few short days.  I will be setting up this time at TABLE 354 and have already scheduled a couple of extensive appraisal appointments. Feel free to contact me in advance if you have anything more than a few coins, as time is always limited on the bourse floor.  
     Finally, if you're attending, you'll never get a better hotel rate than what the Broadmoor is offering for ANA attendees.  Call the hotel directly at 855-634-7711 and mention the "2024 National Money Show."  Rooms at this hotel can be a minimum of $600-900 normally, and often more, but the ANA has a $208 rate, which is fabulous in this day and age of inflation. 
     Hoping to see many old friends at this one!  ​

     They say time flies and I'll add that time flies faster as one ages.  At age 14, I attended the very first Long Beach coin show in 1964 at the old Civic Auditorium, a building long gone. I was working for a dealer from my hometown of Fullerton and was awestruck at the spectacle of so many coins.  The Kennedy half was still trading at premiums due to the initial demand for the coin with a recently fallen President.  Modern BU rolls were trading at historic prices and the bourse, while small by today's standards, was very active and populated by the best and biggest dealers from all over America.  
     I will be attending this one without a table, but will be conducting one of my Sealed Bid Sales and servicing my specialized want lists for long-time customers.  If you're attending and want to meet, feel free to contact me on my cell phone:  818-632-2352.   My next scheduled show at which I WILL have a table is the ANA "Mid-Year" in Colorado Springs, March 14-16.  

     Alas, I will be missing the June Long Beach Show as I'm off to Colorado Springs to co-instruct, for the 11th time, the Advanced U.S. Coin grading class.  My partners will be Jeff Garrett (his third year) and Ken Park who returns for the 4th time.  The class is something near and dear to my heart as I was invited to teach by my late friend Charlie Browne, who had taught the class for over a decade before inviting me to join himself and Bill Shamhart who essentially founded the class.  
     It's an intense 4-days of grading, discussing and sometimes debating the elements of coin grading.  Our class focuses on the upper-end of the grading scale, essentially AU-58 to MS-69, which is where all the money lies in numismatics.  It's great fun for me and very rewarding, as several of our students go on to work for major firms and a few become graders at PCGS & NGC.  Very much looking forward to this year's class as the industry is on the verge of yet another transformative period with the introduction of CAC as a 3rd party grading service. 
     The ANA offers only a single class for the Advanced students, while there are two each of Grading I & 2.  They require completion of those classes before enrolling in Advanced or instructor exemption based on experience in the field.  You can read all the information on the Summer Seminar at Coin Collecting & Numismatics | American Numismatic Association (money.org).