WAYNE'S NUMISMATIC DIARY: MARCH 30, 2025

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V28 2025 INDEX E-SYLUM ARCHIVE

The E-Sylum: Volume 28, Number 13, , Article 21

So here's my perspective on the Baltimore show. I went on Friday, March 28 and got there earlier than usual, after deciding not to go to work in the morning. I arrived and signed in around 10:30. Upon walking into the bourse I recognized my first fellow numismatist - Jim Halperin of Heritage was having a conversation with someone just inside the door. Not wanting to interrupt, I moved on to the Whitman tables where editor Jeff Garrett and publisher John Feigenbaum were signing copies of the latest Red Book.

2025-03-28 Baltimore Expo Charlie Davis table Loubat print-on-demand book cover

While in the Whitman section I talked for a bit with Lori Kraft, general manager of Whitman Expos and a current Governor of the American Numismatic Association. I called E-Sylum supporter Bob Rhue who had a numismatic literature question for me. I missed him, but later caught up with him at the table he shared with Andy Lustig.

But speaking of numismatic literature, among my next stops was the table of longtime literature dealer Charlie Davis, where visiting with him and table partner Neil Musante was Newman Numismatic Portal Project Coordinator Len Augsburger. One topic of conversation was this print-on-demand version of the out-of-copyright Loubat book on medals. Anyone familiar with the originals knows these are tall, large format books, and this printed version squeezed the text down to where it's barely readable. This reprint is only of the text volume - there are no plates, although they are referred to in the text.

George Washington University student Kellen Hoard stopped by the table briefly while I was there - he only had about half an hour left to visit the show before needing to head back to campus. Here are some more shots of the offerings at Charlie's table.

2025-03-28 Baltimore Expo Steve Hayden table auction lots

As usual, some of our E-Sylum sponsors were immersed in conversation with customers when I swung by their tables. I did have a chance to talk with Jon Sullivan and consider one of the error coins in his stock. I caught Julian Leidman for a minute as he crossed the bourse floor. I got David Sunshine on the phone; he was at the show but our paths didn't cross. I totally missed Doug Winter, David Kahn, John Kraljevich, Northeast Numismatics and others. Anyway, many thanks to all of our regular advertisers and contributors. We couldn't do this without you!

When I first came by dealer Steve Hayden's table, he and collector Alan Weinberg were busy looking through groups of tokens. I returned in a quieter moment to talk with the two of them. At right is a case holding the lots in Steve's upcoming auction sale.

Around 1pm I connected with Len Augsburger and we sat down with beverages in the convention center lobby. I bought a turkey sandwich for lunch. I ate it, but it wasn't appetizing. At least the conversation was good - we discussed a number of Newman Portal and NBS topics. In addition to running NNP, he's President of the Numismatic Bibliomania Society.

Back on the bourse floor I had an aisle encounter with Ken McDevitt of Leu Numismatik USA. We talked a bit about the E-Sylum and potentially advertising an upcoming sale. Ken asked what I collected these days and I told him about the off-center Liberty Nickel I'd bought from Tom Caldwell at Northeast Numismatics at the previous Whitman show. I'd decided to pass on an undated off-center Seated Liberty Quarter at Jon Sullivan's table, and I didn't think one coin made a collection. Two would be a trend, but three I guess I could call a collection.

I also had a chance to sit down with Greg Bennick and discuss some Newman Portal business and his planned visit to our Nummis Nova dinner next month.

Greg was sharing a table with ancient coin dealer Mike Bezayiff. I stopped by the table again before leaving the show around 3pm. I ended up with another surprise impulse purchase - a recently slabbed 1873 Arrows Dime with two errors - it's about 5% off-center and the reverse was struck through what may have been a splinter of wood. It's seen circulation, but still a nice example. Greg had brought it to sell at the show. It grew on me the more I looked at it. While I prefer more dramatic off-centering, the double error is something notable and makes for an interesting coin. Plus, it's from the landmark year 1873. So now I've got two error coins! Here's the PCGS photo and a photo of Greg holding the coin to commemorate the transaction. Thanks for the opportunity!

That's all folks - it took about an hour and a half to get home to Northern Virginia for dinner, and I was able to work at my computer, make travel arrangements for the Oklahoma City ANA in August, and get another walk in before the evening was over. It was a short, but memorable show.