Phoenix Convention Center Hosts National Money Show for Coin Collectors
The three-day numismatic event brought dealers, exhibitors and hobbyists downtown, with the U.S. Mint's director on hand and a rare 1943 Lincoln cent valued above $1 million on display.
By Juan Gonzalez · · Originally reported by KJZZ
Most of the world's money supply and transactions now exist in digital form, yet physical coins and paper currency drew a crowd to downtown Phoenix over the past week. The National Money Show, a three-day gathering devoted to coin collecting, wrapped up this weekend at the Phoenix Convention Center.
Exhibitors, dealers and collectors came to buy, sell and trade coins, currency and related items, while others simply browsed the displays.
Patrick Richey, an owner of World Numismatics, a Carefree company that focuses on Mexican and Latin American coins, described the show as a kind of exploration. "You never know what you're going to find," he said. A discovery might stand out because of its value, he said, but it can also be interesting simply for its history.
Exhibitors traveled from around the country to take part. Among them was Hannah Hallenbeck of Hallenbeck Coin Gallery in Colorado, who said the hobby is easy for newcomers to start. She pointed beginners to resources such as the United States red book, or to a local coin show, where they can talk with people who have worked in the industry for decades. One of them, she noted, is her 91-year-old grandfather, who was attending the show.
Her father, Tom Hallenbeck, and her grandfather, Kenneth Hallenbeck, have both served as presidents of the American Numismatic Association, the organization that put on the event.
Ventris Gibson, director of the United States Mint, also appeared at the show. She addressed the idea that collecting is costly. "Some people may think it's a very expensive hobby. But to start off, it's not very expensive at all," she said, suggesting that new collectors begin by checking the coins they already have against a catalog or looking up their worth online.
Gibson said the Mint produces 1.2 billion coins each month, along with thousands of other collectible products. Some of those items were shown at the event.
The offerings ranged from old Arizona tokens to rare Morgan silver dollars. The most eye-catching piece may have been a rare 1943 Lincoln cent, which was on display and is valued at more than $1 million.
