The E-Sylum:  Volume 9, Number 36, September 3, 2006, Article 7

ALAN WEINBERG's DENVER ANA EXHIBIT REVIEW

Alan V. Weinberg writes: "The exhibit viewing area was at the entrance
to the bourse room and was both heavily guarded with uniformed US Mint
security and blue-jacketed private security and heavily traveled by
viewers. It was well-lighted, not requiring separate lamps and covered
a large amount of floor space. There were literally dozens of exhibits,
many quite impressive & informative, even to this 50 year hobby veteran.
In short, I was impressed. Mark Lighterman along with two assistants
ably and proficiently handled the many exhibit demands and logistics.
Gene Hynds who assisted Mark in previous ANA & FUN exhibits was ill
and could not attend the show.

There were some unprecedented exhibits such as the confiscated Israel
Switt family's ten 1933 double eagles, all mounted in a single
plexiglass sheet so both sides could be examined. Personally, I was
a bit offended by the exhibit notations identifying the ownership as
the U.S. government since I neither agree with the seizure nor consider
the matter legally resolved.

The Smithsonian Institution exhibits were impressive if a bit more
difficult to view due to lighting and the low  viewer eye level. The
BEP $5000 and $10,000 currency printer's plates were impressive and
were exhibited "just right" - good lighting and good viewing level.
It was interesting to see that standing at the side of the glass case
and angling your head just right in the light, you could see how the
paper currency notes would appear.

There were two 1913 Liberty Head nickels on exhibit by the ANA. The
Bebee specimen was raw and flat and easily seen. Whomever was
responsible for placing the other 1913 nickel (Norweb?) upright in
the case shadow in a plastic holder was a boob - you simply could
not see the coin!

Monaco of Irvine had a great exhibit of Pioneer gold and Steve
Contursi's Dana Point CA firm exhibited the Uncirculated prooflike
Carter 1794 dollar as they have all over the country. I recall being
offered this dollar at ANA by coin partners Ed Milas and Marvin
Browder for $375,000 a couple of decades ago. And, later, former
owner Andy Lustig turning down approx $1.2 million.  Now, it is
touted as worth $10 million.

There was a fascinating exhibit of a believed-unique Nelson Omaha
Nebraska Lesher dollar with an interesting story about it's being
found, stolen, located again and the parties involved.

A nice exhibit of one of the finest known beaver gold Oregon Territory
$5's which one sharp observer noted was about to slip off its glass
support and be perhaps scratched.

Bob Rhue non-competitively exhibited a marvelous group of Hawaiian
plantation and railroad tokens including some finest knowns and,
also -  I believe these were his -  a multiple case exhibit of superb
Georgia colonial type notes, most all crisp mint. Finally, Bob
exhibited his complete and finest known set of American horsecar
transportation tokens.

Your author had a three-case non-competitive exhibit of Coloradoiana
including the largest and finest collection of Colorado Good-For
Trade mirrors. Interestingly, many of these mirrors had advertising
graphics which today would be outrageous and verboten today, but circa
1900 were regarded as cute - the result of changing times and news
crime headlines, no doubt.

The [unclothed figures] and reclining and posing [ladies of ill repute]
are pictured in color on the center pages of Hal Dunn's Western Good
for Mirror book on the mirror type pages.  [I edited some words here
to prevent possible spam filter problems. -Editor]

I can say I was impressed by the exhibits' overall quality, the lack
of monotony in seeing the same stuff in each case (as opposed to the
plethora of slabbed silver dollars & gold coins on the bourse floor),
the apparent dedication of Mark Lighterman & his crew in tending to
demands from inception to finish, the readily apparent interest &
attention given to the exhibits by so many people spending time to
actually read & view the exhibits and the laudatory comments made by
collectors and dealers approaching exhibitors on the bourse floor and
thanking them for exhibiting. That, in itself, is enough to cause
exhibitors to repeat and expand their efforts.

I have always said the most valuable thing a collector can walk away
with in attending a major regional or national show like the ANA or
FUN or Central States is the increased knowledge one gains and the
renewed friendships. In no small part, both viewing & exhibiting at
these shows is part of that increased knowledge. And, frankly, the
only enjoyable aspect of collecting, after you acquire something
notable, is to exhibit it...a manner of boasting "Look what I did!
[..or got]". Not to speak of the interest in the subject you might
engender among viewers so when it comes time to sell, there are
others waiting in the wings to buy your collection."

  Wayne Homren, Editor

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