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SUMMER SEMINAR

By Elliot Wehner

CSNA -J5956

I would like to thank the CSNA for giving me a scholarship to the ANA's Summer Seminar in Colorado Springs, Colorado. I learned a lot and had a lot of fun too! There was always something to do ranging from bull sessions to visiting the ANA museum.

The course I took was Grading U. S. Coins. In my class we graded many coins. There were all types of U. S. Coins including silver dollars and gold. Most of the coins that we looked at were either made into sets or were encapsulated by NGC or ANACS. We seemed to focus more on mint state coins. I can see why, because most people can tell a good from a fine, but not every one can tell an MS-62 from an MS-63. I also learned in my grading class that the most important things in the grading of mint state coins, ordered in importance, are eye appeal, luster and strike.

I did many other things at the Summer Seminar other than grade coins. A Young Numismatist (YN) is usually very busy during the typical day. In the morning, the other YN's and myself ate breakfast in the cafeteria at Colorado College. It wasn't always easy to get up because we were also very busy during the night. I always ate breakfast with my dad and my friend and roommate from Brooklyn, Max. Afterwards, the three of us would usually head on down to the ANA museum to look at the cool new exhibits. The exhibit on the lobby level of the museum was about American Indians on coins. Downstairs the ANA had an interesting exhibit on music. They had tokens and medals with Elvis and other musical related exonumia. I will never forget the Harry W. Bass collection. This little section was loaded with gold and patterns. That was my favorite part of the museum. All the gold was just astonishing, but my favorite coin in the collection was the Half Union pattern. I really wished the mint had produced those fifty-dollar gold pieces. I also got to see an uncut sheet of old five-dollar bills with the real signatures on them. There are only eight of these sheets known, and only one has been signed which is the one we got to see.

After the stop in the museum, it was time for class. After lunch Max and I would wander back into the ANA headquarters. At about one o'clock we would go back to class. The class was over at four and students had two hours before dinner. During the beginning of the week, Max and I took donations and consignments for the YN auction, which was held on the fourth of July. After taking in these coins and paper money for the auction, we would catalogue them. On the actual day of the auction I helped run the cash register. While I was running the cash register, a writer for Krause Publications took my picture. I had no idea why, but when I got home later I saw my picture in Numismatic News. From that auction we took in about eight thousand dollars for the ANA YN scholarship fund.

At the ANA seminar I learned a lot about grading and had a fun time doing so! I met many friends on the way and I recommend that if you ever get the chance, get out to the ANA Summer Seminar. I know I will be trying to go back for two weeks next year.