I just got word this morning that the Bureau of Engraving and Printing will be participating in the 2015 Whitman Coin and Collectibles Expo in Baltimore on March 26-28, along with the US Mint. Because this was a last-minute decision they won't have their full scale booth and will not be doing spider press demonstrations. But they are bringing some of their most impressive displays: the Billion Dollar Showcase, Multi-Note and $100 currency exhibits, and the Educational Series exhibit. The next BEP intaglio print, depicting the battleship USS San Diego, is supposed to go on sale March 24. I'm not sure whether the Bureau is planning to bring these to the show or not, but I'm checking now.
Sounds cool. I've never heard of the Billion Dollar Showcase, though, and Google isn't being helpful for me to find it. What is it? And does anybody have a picture?
I'm not sure if the title refers to the face value or the market value, but it does include a specimen $100 million T-bond and the well-known sheet of $100,000 notes.
Alas, they just told me they won't have the battleship cards at the show. But you can order online: http://www.moneyfactorystore.gov/panamacanalcommemorativeusssandiegointaglioprint.aspx
Yep ordered mine this morning . I was in DC but chose not to fight the traffic and try and find parking . Can't wait to get it, but with free shipping and parking would of ate up $6-10 I think I made the right choice .
Sweet! I wish I was in Baltimore. I got to see the exhibit about 5 years ago or so when they were here in Portland, OR. I got to see the spyder press. The currency on exhibit was impressive as well.
I'm kinda glad they didn't I had to be out of town during the whole show. So I missed it anyway. It would have been that much more painful had they been here. LOL
The BEP display is worth seeing. I took several pictures with my smartphone but I can only locate one of the pictures. Will upload the rest when (if) I can find them. I don't like my Android phone will upgrade when the iPhone 6s is released.
Well, that last one answers the question about the Billion Dollar Showcase. It's definitely a billion face value! The interest coupon alone is for more than $13 million.
Sorry for the poor quality pictures I didn't know if it was OK to take pictures of the exhibits and the lighting was horrible. If I can go back tomorrow I'll take more pictures. I decided to collect some large US notes - buffalo, indian, black eagle and Lincoln porthole for starters. I always talk to John E. Cash (www.jhonecash.com/) at the Baltimore Whitman show. The last few shows I hung around his table listening to him talk to customers. I learn a lot. He told me I need to first buy a copy of United States Paper Money by Friedberg which I did. I'll try to get him to autograph it tomorrow.
Ha! The woman sitting in your second photo is Karen Smith, one of my contacts at the BEP. Usually she's pulling numbers at the raffle for limited run souvenir cards, but they didn't offer them this time, so I bet she's bored.
"Ha! The woman sitting in your second photo is Karen Smith" No kidding. I think she was kinda bored. They were giving away $25.00 bags of shredded money I picked up bags for the kids and one for me.
Yes I really enjoyed the BEP display. I also picked a few of the Shredded Money bags. I also found some very cool Cuban notes from a dealer from California . Will post them soon.
