Coin collectors set for annual show - Gadsden, Alabama
Arizona Coin Collector
http://www.gadsdentimes.com/article/20081204/news/812040313&tc=yahoo
The Gadsden Times - Gadsden, Alabama
Coin collectors set for annual show
By Gene Mitchell
Special to The Times
Published: Thursday, December 4, 2008 at 6:01 a.m.
Last Modified: Wednesday, December 3, 2008 at 9:40 p.m.
Coin collectors from several states will converge
this weekend seeking to add to their collections
at the annual Fall-Winter Gadsden Coin Show.
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The annual show, which has been taking place for
almost 50 years, will be in the administration
building on the East Broad campus at Gadsden
State Community College. Some will remember it as
the main building on the campus of the old Alabama
Technical College, which merged with GSCC several
years ago.
The show takes place from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m.
Friday and Saturday. Hundreds of collectors attend
the event that takes place twice a year and is
sponsored by the Gadsden-Rainbow City Coin Club.
Admission is free, Gary Greene, club
president, said.
"We are expecting a large turnout both of dealers
and the public," he said.
More than 30 dealer tables are expected to be set
up for the show.
Gold and silver coins and bullion are expected to
be in high demand at this show, Greene said. The
poor economy and stock market turmoil have made
the demand for gold and silver skyrocket.
Especially hot this year are American Silver Eagles
and American Gold Eagles. Silver Eagles, which
usually trade for a few dollars more than the spot
price of silver on the stock market, now are
trading at $6 to $7 more than the spot price of
silver, which is in the $9 to $10 range.
Last year, hundreds of people - many from outside
Gadsden - attended the event. Among dealers
expected to attend are Herb Harr with Interco Coins
of Dothan and J.R. Tate of Hartselle as well as
dealers from Tennessee and Georgia.
The Gadsden-Rainbow City Coin Club has about 80
dues-paying members. The club meets at 6:30 p.m.
Tuesdays in the Rainbow City Municipal Building
on U.S. Highway 411 just south of the Alabama
Highway 77 intersection. A coin auction takes
place each week after a brief business meeting.
Coin collectors can expect to see a variety of
items ranging from ancient coins to the modern
state quarters and new Washington dollars. There
will be many hard-to-find items, including old
Large Cents dating back to the 1790s, 20-cent
pieces, 2- and 3-cent pieces and the always
popular half-dimes from the 1800s.
The Washington dollars kicked off a new series
from the U.S. Mint in 2007 that features a new
presidential dollar coin every four months. The
newest, the Van Buren, will be available at
the show.
Dealers also will be conducting spot appraisals.
Dealers will be both buying and selling.
Also on display will be high-quality silver
dollars dating back to the 1800s.
"We would like to encourage the public to come
out and visit our show," Greene said. "We are
expecting a large turnout. There is plenty of
parking and easy access to the meeting room.
"If you don't get a chance to visit our show
this year, we'd like to encourage everyone to
drop in and visit our weekly meeting and auction
at the Rainbow City Municipal Building. Rainbow
City officials have been kind enough to allow
us the use of the council chambers, so we have
plenty of seating."
About 30 to 40 people attend the meeting each
week. Membership dues are $10 annually.
"We use the proceeds of this show and other
activities to promote coin collecting in this
area, and also we raise money for charitable
events," Greene said.
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