IDEAL COIN SHOW PUBLICITY: HOUSTON COIN CLUB

PREV ARTICLE NEXT ARTICLE FULL ISSUE PREV FULL ISSUE

V12 2009 INDEX E-SYLUM ARCHIVE

The E-Sylum: Volume 12, Number 49, December 6, 2009, Article 20

Good coin show advance publicity concentrates on a theme and illustrates a coin that captures the interest of the public with just enough numismatic facts to lure collectors and public alike. The Greater Houston Coin Club's show publicity did just that for their Money Show of the Southwest this weekend. Publicity chairmen for coin shows should copy this article and note well a model they could emulate for future shows.

I agree with Dick. The feature coin they chose is the 1943 copper cent. Everyone has old wheat cents laying around and could easily be enticed into searching for a rare 1943 copper. It's better than a coin drop, since the club doesn't even have to buy the coin, although in Houston's case they'll have one on display at their show. Here are some excerpts from the newspaper article Dick cited. -Editor

It's just a common looking penny with Lincoln on the front and wheat ears or stalks on the back. Did I say it's made of copper and had the date, 1943, to the right of Lincoln? Whoops, that makes this coin one of the ultimate in errors made by the United States Mint, and its value jumps from one cent to about $250,000.00!

All but one of the currently known examples of this true rarity were pulled from circulation by alert collectors. As the coins from penny jars of older generations find their way into circulation, there could be another 1943 copper penny lurking in merchants' cash drawers!

So keep your eyes open and check your change. If you find a penny that looks copper in color and has "1943" to the right of Lincoln, bring it to the Money Show of the Southwest at the George R. Brown Convention Center, this Thursday through Saturday, Dec. 3-5. Who knows, you may be the next lucky person to claim the rare coin jackpot!

If your discovery isn't the real thing, you can still get up close and personal with the $250,000.00 example as it is on public display from this Thursday to Saturday.

And by all means, if you see a penny on the ground, be sure to pick it up. Who knows, it could be your lucky day!

To read the complete article, see: Houston Coin Club's �Money Show" Dec. 3-5 (www.hcnonline.com/articles/2009/11/30/greater_houston
_weekly/top_of_the_week/1202_coin_club.txt)

Wayne Homren, Editor