HT's H-Town Money Show Report

[Hard Times]

Houston Money Show is one of the two or three big shows I can attend each year. It is at a terrible time for me because I am uber busy with my job, but I find a way to work around it and get there for at least a few hours. So I went and lot viewed on Wednesday for the HA auction for 3 hours and looked at everything I could. For the possible lots I was targeting I wanted to see in hand before making a decision on bids. Glad I did. By spending the time viewing with no rush, I could take each apart and determine whether it was going to work or not for my collection. In the end, I decided none of my targeted 10 or so lots was going to work. All of them looked great online, but in hand, none of them were quite right for my collection. There was only one that I might regret. I knew the market was down so I knew I could probably get a great deal if only I could find a lot that I wanted. Alas.

 

On Thursday I went in just before the show opened to the public and looked at a couple lots again. I still liked the one, but decided I could hold off and wait for a better example. Again I might regret that given that in my price and grade range, there is nothing online for that coin or in auction archives that would fit my collection. And it did go for a lower price because the market is down.

 

I then went to the bourse for a couple hours. The advantage of a show like Houston is that you can get good face time with major dealers because the show is usually slow. I did just that. I was able to examine carefully and slowly all of the coins at these dealers and they had time to chat even for up to an hour about mutual interests in numismatics. I found one coin at one of my favorite dealers table:

 

 

I have one 1820 CBQ, but this was a die marriage I did not have and it met my requirements of extraordinary eye appeal. What is not in the image is just how much flash there is in the luster when rotating under the light. It might be held back at CAC by the small pinscratch under the left wing on the reverse, but that doesn't bother me as I will take the eye appeal of a coin like this. This dealer also had several others I wanted to look at, but I wanted to do my research first for pricing and die marriages. So I did that at home Thursday nite and came back prepared.

 

Friday I went back to this dealers table ready to work on a deal. I brought one of my last large cents as a trade. The dealer liked the large cent and was able to offer me a price I could work with. I looked at the 1835 CBQ he had, liked what I saw and attributed it to a die marriage I wanted, and we struck a deal for the trade that would result in a check back to me:

 

 

This CBQ, despite being VF35, has a nice rotating luster, especially strong along the edges under the light, and you can't beat that nice toning. It will fit nicely into my set.

 

He wanted to give me cash which I don't like to have, so I asked to see one of his just bought at the show bust halves I had oogled, liked it, and made another deal on that one so that I owed him money after the large cent. This fills my hole for an 1811. Uber strong luster on this one, some pinscratchs in Miss Liberties breast might hold it back for 55 or CAC but again for me it was the eye appeal and right luster that attracted me:

 

 

I then walked the floor. I found a dealer from Oregon that has a presence on ebay that I was surprised to see at the show. He said this was his first time at the Houston Money Show, and I was watching a nice seated quarter he had on ebay and was reluctant to make an offer without seeing in hand. He had brought it with him, and it was right for my crusty collection of pre-civil war O mint quarters. It is one of the harder dates, and most of the worn ones are not so nice. This one is nice for the VF30 grade. It has the typical weak strike in the upper part of the obverse, still has strong luster, and no degrading hits for the grade, just good wear and nicks that are expected. Just a touch of color that must have been acquired without human assistance. So I pulled the trigger:

 

 

That is where I stopped. I already spent too much of the funds I was saving for FUN. But the show was a good one for me. The show had many of the prominent dealers there, so having face time with some fantastic dealers that don't have such time at FUN or ANA is worth the whopping $3 for admission each day and about $3 for parking. And I think most of them like coming to Houston to buy on the bourse, enjoy a break in the December northern weather, and our great restaurants at all price points. Both NGC and PCGS are there taking submissions, and the organizers do everything they can to bring in the locals to the show. All of the traffic information signs on the Houston freeways were announcing the show. So a good place to come and buy for your collection, see ya next year folks!

 

Best, HT

[jom]

Great report!

 

I love the two quarters there (and the half!). I know where you got the 1835 as I've seen it a number of times. I already have an 1835 (from the same dealer in fact) I bought last year but that VF is really nice. I almost considered it but you know how I am about duplicates.

 

The 1820 is a great one too. I can't seem to find an 1820 I'm happy with. I traded out of my latest 1820 (to the same dealer you bought the 1835 from) for a nice CBH (like you did with the 1811) and that Pittman dime I showed you. So I'm happy there but I never seem to be able to find a nice 1820 and it's not that difficult of a date either....

 

jom

[ldhair]

Nice report HT. All really nice coins but I love the 1811. Pretty coin.

[Neko]

Nice report and great photography. Sounds like you had a great time. Great pickups there. Love the 1820 quarter and the 1811 half.

[johnny9434]

nice coin all the way around. i really like the 1811 bust half best

[physics-fan3.14]

The picture of the 1835 isn't showing up for me

 

I really like the look of the 1820. That is a lot of coin for only being a 40.

 

That 1811 is stunning. Love the blues! Are those pinscratches, or are they adjustment marks?

[Hard Times]

Hi Jason,

I can try posting the 35 again. Good question. I would think they are pinscractches - did they adjust half dollars in 1811? When I have seen adjustment marks they are usually a little coarser. The half has the color of ice from a glacier, pretty cool......

 

Best, HT

 

Here is the 35 again see if this works:

 

 

 

[MJ]

Great report! Thank you. Congrats on your stellar pick ups

 

mark

[physics-fan3.14]

Oh man, that 1835 is gorgeous!

 

And yes, I believe they adjusted coins up through the 30's. They are less common on Bust Halves, but the marks on your coin look a bit like some light adjustments, in my eyes and from those pictures.

 

If those marks were pin-scratches, I'd call it severe enough that I wouldn't buy it (and I would question whether it should be in a problem-free holder, especially in a prime focal area like that). If they are adjustment marks, they are perfectly fine.

[DWLange]

I haven't seen adjustment marks on coins later than the Draped Bust period. The silver and gold planchets were still hand adjusted for decades afterward, but I believe the workers began filing the edges of the blanks instead of the faces.