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Coin Show - Monthly Notes from May 2019

Those examples are just a small sampling of the many collectibles and interesting items found at the show each month.

Plus, many of the dealers also attend other shows between the monthly shows and bring newly acquired items to display.

The bourse includes a large number of dealers with a wide variety of expertise and displays of coins, currency, bullion and other collectibles for visitors to enjoy.

Mark your calendar and visit the next Greater Atlanta Coin Show on Sunday, June 9, 2019 in the Joe Mack Wilson ballroom to buy, sell, trade or just browse among the numismatics and other collectibles on display in the dealers' showcases.
Dealers filled the May 2019 Greater Atlanta Coin Show with many displays of coins, bullion, currency and other collectibles that visitors enjoyed viewing while browsing, buying, or selling.

We appreciate our many visitors, our dealers, our security and the hotel's staff who help make the coin show a success each month.

For May, thunderclouds and intermittent rain occurred but the weather provided mostly sunshine with temperatures in the low 70s making it a great day to visit a coin show.

The bourse enjoyed a full complement of dealers, many regulars and some visiting dealers filling in for schedule conflicts. We hope each of you had a good show.
Our visitors this month joined us throughout the day, but the largest crowd occurred in the early morning. Welcome to all and thank you from coming.

As usual, several people came looking for bullion, primarily silver but gold as well, to buy in this market. Many of our dealers offer a variety of bullion along with common silver and gold coins that are good metal buys.

The bourse also entertained discussions among visitors and dealers about interesting coins such as the Cheerios coins, the 1969-S Double Die Lincoln cent and the new 2019 W quarter.
The US Mint promoted the new Sacagawea golden dollar in 2000 by placing coins in ten million boxes of Cheerios. Most of the coins were cents, however 5500 were the new golden dollars.

That alone is interesting, but later collectors noticed the eagle's tail feathers on the reverse were different from the standard strike. It's not known how many of the Enhanced Tail Feathers coins were struck. Per the Red Book, to date roughly 100 have been found.

People enjoy talking about the rare coins such as the 1969-S Double Die Lincoln cent. Its total population is over 544 million, and PCGS CoinFacts shows a population of 15 of the double die variety.

But, that population is based on the known specimens. There could be more, and that possibility feeds the treasure hunter in all numismatists.

One gentleman brought an interesting find to the show - a circulation strike 2019 quarter with the W mint mark. He obtained it during a trip to a gas station.
In total, the US Mint will produce two million of each of the five 2019 America the Beautiful quarters at their West Point location.

Mixing the W quarters into bags from Philadelphia and Denver, they began distribution as their participation in National Coin Week, April 21-27.

Dealers and even PCGS offered bounties to people who found the "first" of the W quarters.

It's interesting that this gentleman found one so quickly after the distribution began. 

Now, let's take a look at just a few items from the bourse this month.

Silver Tea Infuser

Our first item is a silver tea infuser.

Not being a tea drinker, it's amazing to see how many varieties of antique and vintage tea infusers there are.

From wikipedia: "A tea infuser is a device in which loose, dried tea leaves are placed for steeping or brewing, in a mug or a teapot full of hot water; it is often called a tea ball or tea maker, and sometimes a tea egg. The tea infuser gained popularity in the first half of the 19th century. Tea infusers enable one to easily steep tea from fannings (small pieces of lower grade leaves) and broken leaf teas."
Silver Tea Infuser
Similarly, The Practical Druggist from January 1912 instructed how patrons of the drug store's fountain area could make their own tea:

"This is often called for in the winter season, and it can be easily and daintily served without mess or interference with the regular business of the fountain by means of a silver tea ball, which can be obtained at any jeweler's. First warm the cup, then put about a teaspoonful of good Formosa tea leaves into the tea ball and suspend in the cup. Fill the cup with boiling water and set out to your patron with a spoon and the sugar bowl and cream pitcher. The tea ball is full of little holes, and has a chain and ring attached. The customer can make the tea of any desired strength by raising and lowering the tea ball out of the hot water. When right, she adds sugar and cream and removes the tea ball and places it on the saucer by means of the chain and enjoys a really good, fresh-brewed cup of tea."

Silver collectors or tea enthusiasts can enjoy this vintage find.

White House Model

Our next example is a 1993 White House figurine from the Danbury Mint's Homes of the Presidents collection.

This is a cold-cast porcelain figure that measures 2.75 inches tall by 5.75 inches wide by 6 inches deep - small but an excellent replica of the real White House.

Did you know that the architect for the White House was an Irishman?

From the History of the White House:
White House model rear view
White House model front side view
White House Commemorative Silver Dollar Coin with image of James Hoban architecture

Proof Set 2019

2019 Proof Set cent nickel dime half and dollar
2019 Proof Set five America the Beautiful quarters
2019 Proof Set W mint mark Lincoln cent
This example shows the 2019 components of the US Mint's proof set.

They describe their proof set process:

"Coin proof sets offered by the U.S. Mint are a treasured cornerstone for any numismatic collection. With their unique design and official Certificate of Authenticity, they create beautiful gifts and wonderful keepsakes.

"In order to create the coin’s sharp relief and a mirror-like background, our specialized 'proof' minting process requires manually feeding burnished coin blanks into presses where each coin is struck multiple times so the softly frosted and highly detailed images seem to float above the field.

"The coins are then packaged in a protective lens to showcase and maintain their exceptional finish.

"The 2019 United States Mint Proof Set® contains 10 proof coins, each bearing the “S” mint mark of the United States Mint at San Francisco.
These individual tea infusers were popular in the early 20th century too.

The book, Practical Cooking and Serving, by Janet McKenzie Hill, editor of the Boston Cooking School Magazine, published in 1902 provided this comment on the tea ball:

"When tea is to be made for the afternoon caller a cup or two at a time, the silver tea ball, or the later teaspoon, which is used in the same manner as the 'ball,' is very convenient. The ball, or spoon, holding the tea is placed in the cup; freshly boiling water is poured in and the ball or spoon is removed when the color indicates that the infusion is sufficiently strong."
"After George Washington dismissed French engineer and architect L'Enfant for insubordination, the design of the White House and Capitol would be determined by separate architectural competitions in 1792.

"James Hoban, an Irish-born and trained architect then living in Charleston, South Carolina, won the design competition for the White House. Born in Kilkenny, Ireland about 1758, Hoban immigrated to the United States and worked as an architect and builder in Philadelphia and Charleston from 1785 until his move to the nation's capital in 1792.

"He spent the rest of his life in Washington and became a prominent figure in the building trades and served as a member of the City Council from 1802-1831. He died in Washington City in 1831."

The White House dollar coin shows with an image of the James Hoban architecture, which has changed through the years due to fire (by the British), structural deterioration, and the need for more space.

Silver Proof Set 2019

2019 Silver Proof Set cent nickel dime half and dollar
2019 Silver Proof Set five America the Beautiful quarters
2019 Silver Proof Set reverse proof Lincoln cent W mint mark
"New in 2019! Premium Coin:

"The 2019 Proof Set is accompanied by a special edition 2019 Lincoln penny with a proof finish struck at the West Point Mint with a “W” mint mark.

"This special coin is packaged separately in clear United States Mint plastic wrap. This is the first of three sets to be released in 2019 that will include a special edition penny as a thank you to our loyal customers."

This is not the first time the West Point mint location produced the Lincoln cent, but it is the first time they included the "W" mint mark.
Similarly, this example is the 2019 silver version of the proof set.

The US Mint provides these details:

"The 2019 United States Mint Silver Proof Set features 10 proof coins encased in two clear plastic lenses in a beautifully designed package you’ll be proud to display. The quarters, dime, and half dollar are minted in 99.9 percent silver. The 2019 Silver Proof Coin Set is a great addition to any collection.

"The 2019 edition of the United States Mint Silver Proof Set includes the following coins:

- The 10th annual release of silver versions of the five America the Beautiful Quarters® Program coins honoring Lowell National Historical Park in Massachusetts; American Memorial Park in the Northern Mariana Islands; War in the Pacific National Historical Park in Guam; San Antonio Missions National Historical Park in Texas; and Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness in Idaho.
- One silver Kennedy half dollar
- One silver Roosevelt dime
- One Jefferson nickel
- One Lincoln penny

- Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity

- New this year! Premium Coin: The 2019 Silver Proof Set is accompanied by an additional 2019 Lincoln penny with a reverse proof finish struck at the West Point Mint with a “W” mint mark. This special coin is packaged separately in clear United States Mint plastic wrap.

"This is the second of three annual sets to include an additional, separately packaged premium penny with a “W” mint mark in 2019. The United States Mint Proof Set® includes an additional premium penny with a proof finish and the United States Mint Uncirculated Coin Set® will include an additional premium penny with an uncirculated finish."

This is not the first reverse proof Lincoln cent, however it is the first with a "W" mint mark.
- One Native American $1 Coin with a reverse design (tails) featuring Mary Golda Ross writing calculations. Behind her, an Atlas-Agena rocket launches into space, with an equation inscribed in its cloud. An astronaut, symbolic of Native American astronauts, including John Herrington, spacewalks above. In the field behind, a group of stars indicates outer space. Inscriptions are 'UNITED STATES OF AMERICA' and '$1.' The obverse design (heads) retains the central figure Sacagawea carrying her infant son, Jean Baptiste. The inscriptions are 'LIBERTY' and 'IN GOD WE TRUST.'