Here readers highlight favorite hobby destinations.
Head for Berk?s when in mood to visit coin shop
Harlan J. Berk, 31 N. Clark St., Chicago, Ill., is the place for collectors of ancients, world coins, currency, autographs, artifacts, and of course, U.S. coins. The windows are worthy of a museum.
You can even find some unexpected bonuses, as I did, such as a Lincoln Peace Medal, a love token with my initials on it, and a 1965 clad coinage pattern. I visit every time I go downtown.
Ginger Rapsus
Chicago, Ill.
Physical locations tell only half the story
The best place to be for collectors is on the coin mall www.ma-shops.com.
? You can find about 130,000 coins from famous dealers worldwide.
? One big search engine can search in all shops, the shops are all translated in English, Spanish, French, German, etc.
? Values are in dollars, euros, pounds, Canadian dollars, etc.
? The new items are listed daily on the home page.
The site was started three years ago with dealer shops and the coin community started about seven years ago, before the euro coins.
On MA-SHOPS are well-known dealers, e.g., Kuenker, Dr. Brandt and Ritter, also Mr. Poinsignon from France. They all offer their complete coins lists and submit new coins every day.
Coins on MA-SHOPS are listed (and you can buy them) before the catalog or printed list will be sent, via mail.
So, most dealers put in their coins for two months. Then they set up a printed catalog and send it around to other clients.
? all items are with photographs, Roman, ancient coins, German coins, world coins, also euro coins, gold coins and rarities.
One search engine, which searches through all shops, compares coins, compares prices, etc.
We will be on USA coin fair show circuit next year, too.
Joachim Schwiening
Black Mountain Coins great place to kill time
What started out seven years ago as a way to spend a couple of hours a day doing something to keep my mind busy has turned into a 2,000-square-foot operation with four employees, a Web site that has over 4,000 items available for purchase, a bimonthly column in the Numismatist on NCLT?s and feature articles in WorldWide Coins. We get new material in from all over the world on a daily basis which is available to customers who drop in on us in the hills of western North Carolina, a 15 minute drive from downtown Asheville.
Dan Lewis
Black Mountain Coins owner
Visit a flea market, any flea market for those old coins
I buy most of my coins from the flea market and online. I think the flea market is one of the best places to buy coins. I have purchased most of my coins from the flea market, such as my 1865 Indian Head penny and 1910 Mercury Head dime.
Daniel Noel
Looking for South Africa? Try visiting this Web site
This shop is available to anybody online. It includes the most comprehensive background information on the numismatic history of early South African coins centered around the Griqua. The information has been collated over a 30-year period and includes hundreds of quality images and feedback from numismatists around the world.
Scott Balson
Will and Kathy Rossman operate Atlas Coin and Jewelry in Port St. Lucie, Fla.
Atlas Coin and Jewelry is newly opened since the August conclusion of the American Numismatic Association Convention.
We are located on U.S. Highway 1 in Port St. Lucie, Fla, says Will Rossman, just a bit north of the busy Prima Vista Blvd. intersection. We have the first floor, first door suite in a four-story office building.
Attached are a few pictures of our office building, us and a little bit of the shop. When we get it all out, we will have coins, currency, stamps, exonumia of all kinds, vintage guitars, antiques, autographs and documents, figurines, sports cards, watches and every kind of jewelry imaginable. Our buying ad says, ?If there?s a market for it, we?ll buy it.? Obviously, if we buy it, we?ll sell it!
Atlas Coins & Jewelry is our new name and we are looking forward to the adventure. We enjoy the company of collectors regardless of their preference (a little business doesn?t hurt either), and will all do our best to make each visitor welcome.
Thanks for the opportunity to serve you!
Will Rossman
Orion Jones
Kathy Rossman
Atlas Coin & Jewelry
Ken Konig
Something new and interesting always on tap
Location:
Greater Milwaukee Coin & Jewelry
615 N. Barstow
Waukesha, WI 53186
www.milwaukeecoin.com
(262) 896-8955
Owner:
Ken Konig
How Long in Business:
1999 in Waukesha, Wis.
What does it sell?
All types of coins, books, supplies, currency, tokens, and medals.
What makes it unique?
Ken Konig is a local dealer who buys and sells a great deal of numismatic treasures. As a collector, you will find of a fresh assortment of exciting and unique collectibles. Each time you enter his store, there is always something new and interesting, to see.
Jeff Keough
Waukesha, Wis.
Old-fashioned Milwaukee business most inviting
Russ Konig and Greater Milwaukee Coin and Jewelry Exchange, 4040 N. Calhoun Rd., Brookfield, WI 53005 has been in business for at least 30 years selling collector coins, bullion and jewelry items.
The camaraderie and repartee associated with coin bid-board auctions held each Saturday are by themselves reason enough for any coin collector to gravitate to Russ? store! Russ? depth of numismatic knowledge and coin stories about legendary hobby figures and historic coins kept me coming back every week for years.
Robert Bair
Denver, Colo
All roads lead to West Road Coins & Supplies
What makes this shop so unique would take way more then 50 words, but I?ll try.
I?ve been in many coin shops in my 50+ years of collecting. The West Road Coins & Supplies is the best I?ve ever seen.
It?s new, bright, clean, everything is priced, the proprietor is friendly and very helpful.
I?ve heard customers walk in and say, ?Wow! Now this is a coin shop.?
Full Name and Address:
West Road Coins and Supplies
3941 W. Road
Trenton, MI 48183-2239
Westroadcoins@comcast.net
Contact Information:
Robert F. Hill Jr.
23413 Calvin St.
Taylor, MI 48180
bhill30@comcast.net
Proprietor:
Rusty Hohman. He has collected coins and currency all of his adult life, has worked in coins shops over 30 years before opening his own shop and is a expert grader.
What do they sell?
All U. S. coins, currency, gold and silver bullion, jewelry, some Canadian coins and some foreign currency, and die cast cars.
How long has the place been in business?
The shop has only been in business at this location for about eight months, but he started his shop just over six years ago in an indoor trade center, with a card table, two chairs and a small portable safe filled with his personal collection. He has been told by many dealers that he buys too high and sells too low, but that seems to work for him. He has expanded five times and now has a 1,000-square-foot. showroom with 18 cases of coins and supplies.
I hope that you will come and visit the shop, it?s well worth it.
Robert Hill
Taylor, Mich.
Four shops under one roof at Indiana?s SilverTowne
SilverTowne, LP
120 E. Union City Pike
Winchester, IN 47394
(800) 788-7481
FAX (765) 584-1246
Founder: Leon Hendrickson
Managing Partner: David Hendrickson
How long in business: Since 1949
What do we sell:
Huge inventory of coins and currency, bullion, numismatic pieces and supplies. We also boast a full service jewelry department and a gift department. We also do custom minting.
What makes our store unique:
From a cigar box under a lunch counter to a multi-million dollar business, SilverTowne L.P. has grown from a coin shop with a jewelry counter to four shops under one roof.
Our coin department is one of a collectors? dream. To spend a few minutes or several hours, we have anything you could possibly wish to find for your collection.
We also have an engraving/supply area. Our jewelry shop is now a full-size store fully stocked with 14-karat gold and sterling silver, precious gems and diamonds plus a jewelry repair department.
Our collectibles department has grown from just a few choices to a host of your most cherished collectibles. We also have our own custom minting department and deal largely with the military to create personalized pieces for them.
SilverTowne, LP
Shop operates in same location for 30 years
This is Tony Swicer from Rechant Metals, 1730 S. Congress Ave., West Palm Beach, FL 33406, We have been in the same location for 30 years. We are the largest coin shop in Palm Beach County, and home of the award winning, ?Customer of the Week.?
We are a full-service coin shop selling rare coins, bullion and supplies, and we are authorized dealers for PCGS and NGC.
Who knows? If you come in and say something off the wall, you too could be a customer of the week.
Ray Duclos ? President
Tony Swicer ? Numismatist
Small-town Iowa welcome at Hiawatha Coin Shoppe
BE?s Coins/Hiawatha Coin Shoppe
85 N. Center Point Rd., Ste. #20
P.O. Box 81
Hiawatha, IA 52233-0081
The shop is located in a small Iowa town were we wanted the customer to feel welcome when they open the door and step inside the shop. We have cool lighting and open spaces to look over the various items we carry.
The customer can preview the many cases of coins, currency and supplies, or sit at the viewing table to search for their want list items. The staff has over 175 years of numismatic hobby background and we provide hands-on help and third-party grading services.
We also provide classes and talks to all groups who request them.
You can stop and visit or e-mail us at bescoins@yahoo.com. The local phone number is (319) 294-4377.
Brian E. Fanton
Owner
Newman Money Museum shouldn?t be missed
For me the place to be is Eric Newman?s new numismatic museum at Washington University in St. Louis. All collectors should make a pilgrimage to see the exhibits there. They express Eric?s encyclopedic knowledge of a great many financial and historical areas.
A life-size talking model of Benjamin Franklin greets visitors.
Professionally designed displays cover the gamut of numismatic expression from tokens to paper money, inflation to coin manufacture, counterfeits to odd and curious, the dollar coin scales exhibits are very child friendly.
The 3,000-square-foot museum opened in October 2006 and several weeks later Eric and his wife Evelyn played host to Dave Kranz and me, opening up Newman?s research library and posing for pictures.
A highlight of my visit was talking shop with Newman in his library and autographing two of my books shelved there. Dave Kranz snapped several photos, one of which is included here. Even if Eric is not present on the day you visit, you will doubtless be glad you went.
Take the kids. The museum is open every day but Tuesday and several holidays. Admission is free.
Take it from me, the Newman Money Museum is a definite ?must do? for any hobbyist.
Randy Woods shows visitors prizes for the South Carolina Numismatic Association drawing.
South Carolina?s show the place to go in 2008
The South Carolina Numismatic Association Convention and Coin Show is the hottest place for dealers and collectors to visit and do business in 2008. The dates are Oct. 24-26, 2008, at the Carolina First Center in Greenville, S.C.
In 2008 the convention and show is moving to a new venue and will have more space for dealers and exhibits.
During 2008, SCNA will be celebrating its 36th anniversary.
The organization is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to the promotio n and the advancement of the hobby of collecting numismatic items in the state of South Carolina.
To learn more about collecting in South Carolina, visit www.scnumismaticassociation.com.
Other contact information follows:
South Carolina Numismatic Association
P.O. Box 693
Lugoff, SC 29078
psbrock@truvista.net
General convention chairman:
Austin M. Sheheen Jr.
P.O. Box 428
Camden, SC 29020
(803) 432-1424, business phone
AMS@shgcpa.com, e-mail
Bourse chairman:
Anthony F. Chibbaro
P.O. Box 420
Prosperity, SC 29127
(803) 252-1881, home
(803) 363-2736, business
Chibbaro@mindspring.com
Chibbar@interpath.com
Pascal Brock
