Youth table a draw at show

For over a decade, the San Jose, Calif., Coin Club has sponsored and coordinated youth activities at its annual coin show each January.

The event is usually held inside Parkside Hall in San Jose.

?I just love the kids. I just like being here, and I would be lost not doing it,? said Sally Johnson, who chairs the youth activities for the show and is a SJCC past president.

?It?s fun to learn about the history of coins, and it is fun to see kids going through the piles and stacks of coins at our tables,? commented Ryan Johnson, 15, a high school freshman who assists his grandmother, Sally.

On the main Saturday of the show, a total of 80 to 100 kids stopped by the youth activities table and take part in the treasure hunt.

The club introduced the treasure hunt some five years ago.

At the youth table, visiting youngsters receive both Lincoln and Canadian cents and receive free numismatic literature. Chairs and table space are available, allowing youngsters to spend time there while parents visit and tour the show.

Working the 2005 San Jose Coin Club Show were Sally Johnson, with Patricia Rush and Briita Ehlers, assisted by Ryan Johnson and Anthony Fortino, 8. Major coin and supply donations, in addition from the SJCC members, included Armando DeRosa and Lee?s Collectibles, both from Santa Rosa, Calif.

The SJCC has scheduled its 39th annual Coin, Collectibles, and Stamp Show for Jan. 12-14, 2007, again at Parkside Hall, downtown San Jose, California.
The SJCC meets on the second Wednesday of each month in the American Legion Hall, Post #318, 1504 Minnesota, off Meridian Avenue, in San Jose. Doors open approximately at 6:30 p.m., with meetings starting at 7:30 p.m.

For information on the SJCC, write to P.O. Box 5075, San Jose, California, 95150-5075 or visit www.sanjosecoinclub.org.

Write to P.O. Box 4104, Vallejo, CA 94590-3373 or EMPERORI@iuno.com, or call 510-547-0518 for information on California coin clubs.