Three times a year, coin collectors and dealers alike head to “the beach,” but not for sun and fun—instead, they are there to attend the Long Beach Coin, Stamp & Collectible Expo. This numismatic extravaganza is the largest coin show on the west coast and draws crowds from all over the country.
Lucky for me, this coin show is just a short drive from the Art & Coin TV studio, so it’s pretty easy for me to attend—at least, compared to other coin conventions. I first arrived Thursday, May 31, just after the doors had opened to the public. I was pleasantly surprised to find the room already buzzing with activity, and the aisles a bit more crowded than I’d anticipated. For this show, a new section of “sports collectible dealers” was added, which seemed to draw additional crowds.
One of the highlights for everyone in attendance was a special display of collectibles featuring important rarities in several categories. There were several Babe Ruth-related items, including autographs and a bat. Stamps were well represented by the famous “Upside Down Jenny,” which features an airplane that was printed upside down in error. I was—of course—very impressed by the 1907 Proof Rolled Edge Indian Head $10 Gold Eagle. Of the 50 or so Rolled Edge 1907 Gold Eagles known, there are only 2 that are known to exist in Proof quality. The example displayed was an eye-popping NGC PR67!
I returned Friday with a small entourage, including Coin Show Spectacular Co-Host Shawn Leflar, and Rachel “The VAM Girl” Hart. We scoured the bourse floor looking for anything new and exciting. By the end of the day, Rachel helped pick out a couple of neat VAMS and I was offered a very neat group of Deep Mirror Proof-like Dollars from the Binion Hoard, which I immediately snatched up.
Overall it was a successful show! I look forward to the Baltimore convention later this month. Hopefully I’ll stumble across some amazing deal that I never even imagined. Until then keep watching Art & Coin TV. I hope you enjoy the coins as much as I enjoy hunting them down for you!
You can contact Jack at jack@artandcointv.com
