Baltimore show sees action
Attendees of the Baltimore Coin and Currency Convention Nov. 10-12 saw plenty of action
Attendees of the Baltimore Coin and Currency Convention Nov. 10-12 saw plenty of action ? including the physical kind as one dealer tackled a thief who had stashed a packet of currency inside his jacket.
?Attendance was super,? said Ed Kuszmar, who owns and organizes the show with Gordon Berg. ?Friday was amazing ? when we opened the doors, it took 12 to 15 minutes to clear the line. I?d say it was a tad bigger than the summer show ? we filled up the new expansion area.?
Berg said attendance was more than 10,000, which included about 900 dealers.
?The number of tables was the highest we have ever had, the number of dealers was the highest we have ever had and the number of visiting dealers was the highest,? he said.
At one point, a thief was able to turn a key on a display case at dealer Kent Robertson?s table.
?He was getting into cases and stuffing packets of paper money into his jacket,? Kuszmar said. ?Another dealer tackled him and security was there in seconds and took him into custody.?
The amount raised for the local Children?s Hospital was also the highest ever for the show ? $18,091.
The show?s official auctions were provided by Bowers and Merena and Presidential Exonumia and Political Memorabilia Auction. The Bowers results are in a separate story on Page 1.
The show also hosted a number of meetings by organizations, including the Liberty Seated Collectors Club, Maryland Token and Medal Society, Early American Coppers Club and Baltimore Coin Club.
Kuszmar said a volunteer at the show is recovering from a car accident that occurred while traveling after the convention. Matt Williams, the son of dealer Barry Williams, lost control of his car Oct. 13 near the Rhode Island-Connecticut border and lost his left arm. Doctors expected him to make a full recovery.
Kuszmar said there was also a record number of signups for the next Baltimore show, scheduled March 23-25, 2007, with another show June 29-July 1.
Those interested in setting up tables at future shows should contact Gordon W. Berg, P.O. Box 1876, Rockville, MD 20849; telephone, (301) 424-1876; fax: (301) 424-1756, or Ed Kuszmar, P.O. Box 4049, Boca Raton, FL 33429; telephone, (561) 392-8551; fax, (561) 392-8551. There is also an informational Web site at hometown.aol.com/ BaltimoreCoinShw.
