I'm sitting in the YYC airport with nothing else to do and felt it would be a good opportunity to reflect on the week. I arrived in Calgary on Wednesday morning with somewhat tepid expectations for Canada's national coin show. The last show I attended in this part of the country was in March 2024, and it did not go great. The blizzard didn't help. Thankfully, snow was not in the forecast, though it did feel like early November when I stepped outside after arriving.
Dealer set up started at noon on Wednesday. I was ready to hit the bourse after a great lunch with two friends, Charles Euston and Joe P. of Montreal and Ottawa, respectively. There was a good buzz on the floor and dealer to dealer sales seemed to be robust. A couple of early transactions involving Unc Newfoundland gold coins and a pair of 1912 Dominion $5 and 1913 Royal Bank of Canada $20 notes eased whatever worries I had about how this show would go.
The bourse was super busy on Thursday and many dealers seemed to have a good day. Mine was so-so. The first day - the first hours - of a big coin show are usually where all the good stuff gets snatched up. While I can't remember specifically what business I did, I remember feeling slightly underwhelmed. I managed to acquire a rare and beautiful University of New Brunswick gold medal, which made the day.
Things picked up on Friday. A good friend and client showed up collected some material he had set aside - and more -- while another client I hadn't seen in some time bought the 1670 5 sols I had in stock. By midday Friday things had already exceeded Day 1, so I was pleased. Then, as sometimes happens at these shows, lightning struck in the form of a coin I thought I may never lay eyes on. Sitting amongst some other things in a dealer showcase, relatively tucked away, was a coin I consider to be among the coolest and certainly among the rarest in modern Canadian numismatics: a 1996 Beaded Border toonie. I held my nose and paid up. Within the hour, it was placed in an advanced collector's hands. Certainly, that coin will be one of the highlights of my career. So much fun!
Today, Saturday, was the icing on the cake. The final day of a show usually involves a lot of staring at one's watch. Not this final day. It began with a lovely breakfast hosted by the Canadian Numismatic Research Society, of which I had recently been made fellow. Later, I was consistently swamped at the table, particularly so in the afternoon. I was presented with an eye-watering list of fantastical US and British gold I look forward to handling sometime in the future (fingers crossed), and then bought a great little group of coins from the nicest couple who had been married 60 years!
Despite all reservations, this 2025 edition of the
RCNA Convention was a tremendous success. For all of you who stopped by the table or who I ran into in the hallways, it was a pleasure spending the time. Comradery is such an important part of these events. I look forward more of the same in the near future. My next show is the National Coin and Postage show in Mississauga.
Jacob
Posted 07/20/2025 07:31 am
