The Richmond Coin Club held the spring edition of their semiannual show this past week (thursday through saturday). I was only able to go on the last day due to work, but it was pretty busy with plenty of dealers. The show is at the Acca temple ballroom, which is just off I 95 and I 64. I was mainly here to fill some holes in the Dansco 70/70, a low key project, and to look for nice Trade Dollars or early dollars. I wound up buying nine coins for the album. I was pleased to see Ed Hammond, who owns the Lower Shore Coin Exchange (on the Eastern Shore if Maryland) had a table. I have bought some coins from Ed before but he had not been to the show in a year or so. We had a nice chat and I bought a few coins from him. He did not bring a lot of inventory but suggested I come to the Virginia Beach show which is held in February. Ed collects merchant tokens from Baltimore Md. and apparently has an extensive collection. There was a dealer from Staunton, Va. ( I believe it was B&J coins) who had a large display, including a number of early dollars. I may have to pay them a visit. A gentleman was concluding a p.m. sale to them and was counting a large pile of $100 bills when I showed up. I purchased a nice half cent for the album from a young man manning a table with an assistant (his mom). When I went to pay and pulled out my checkbook he had a mildly alarmed expression on his face, and pointed to a poster behind his table listing the various e- payment methods he accepted. Fortunately I use Zelle from time to time so that purchase went without a hitch. The remaining coins I needed came from a Mr. Oakes, a regular at the show, who has a wide variety of circulated U.S. type, just what I needed. Another pleasant transaction, this time by check. Finally, at another dealer, I spotted an 1873 cc Trade Dollar that looked promising. It was NGC AU55, and had an even brownish tone and nice surfaces. On a closer look, I had a hard time giving it a grade higher than 50. Based on other observations as well, I think NGC has a tendency to overgrade lightly circulated Trade Dollars (just my opinion of course.) the coins I ended up buying, all raw, are: 1901 dime, xf; 1913 quarter, VG (nice CircCam); 1854 half cent, VF; 1854 arrows half dime, xf; 1889 S dime, xf; 1883 nickel, no cents, MS; 1912 nickel, AU; 1913 D type 1 nickel, AU; and a 1909 VDB cent, MS. A pleasant way to spend an hour or 2 on a Saturday, but the spring weather was perfect so I did not linger. (but we need rain really badly!)
