ANA NATIONAL MONEY SHOW IS GREAT!

The American Numismatic Association's (ANA) National Money Show™ in Salt Lake City, Utah, was spectacular.

More than 9,800 people came through the doors of the Salt Palace Convention Center from March 8 to 10 to trade with 700 of the nation's top dealers of rare coins and paper money on the sold-out bourse; see the outstanding exhibits, including the "Ship of Gold"; attend excellent educational presentations; witness the auctioning of a 1913 Liberty Head nickel; play the ANA's Treasure Trivia Game; and obtain an autograph from United States Mint Director Jay W. Johnson.

"The show was just great!" says ANA President H. Robert Campbell, who also served as general chairman of the event. "It ranks up there as one of the best ANA spring conventions we have had. My committee and the ANA staff put in a lot of work preparing for the show."

Seventeen sponsors, including four title sponsors (H.E. Harris & Company; Numismatic Guaranty Corporation; Superior Galleries; and Yahoo! Auctions), contributed more than $50,000 to the show's support.

To promote the event, Campbell, a Salt Lake City coin dealer, donated three, 1914-D Lincoln cents, which were put into circulation in the area. Rewards of $100 each were offered for their return. Campbell used one to make a snack-food purchase under the watchful eye of a KUTV reporter. Kelly Klindt of Salt Lake City saw the news report and recognized the location where the coin was spent. The next day, he asked the clerk to check her cash drawer. Finding the scarce coin, Klindt claimed the $100 reward, giving the clerk $75.

Another of the 1914-D cents was placed into circulation by Salt Lake Tribune columnist Joann Jacobson-Wells, who purchased a fast-food meal with it. Jean Parker of Bountiful, Utah, had heard of the promotional campaign and found her prize in her purse after having lunch at a downtown mall. She also claimed her $100 reward. The third coin was not returned.

The "coin drop," part of an extensive newspaper, television and radio advertising campaign and accompanying media blitz, was orchestrated by the ANA Public Relations Department and Minkus & Dunne Communications of Chicago. Television news crews were on the convention floor every day, with newspaper stories and radio news reports appearing and airing before, during and after the three-day event.

KSTU-TV conducted live news broadcasts from the show on opening day, focusing on the many highlights, including the "Ship of Gold" - a $20 million display of California Gold Rush treasure recovered from the 1857 wreck of the S.S. Central America. (The exhibit was presented by the California Gold Marketing Group and will be displayed this summer at the ANA World's Fair of Money in Atlanta, Georgia.)

Television and newspapers also produced extensive coverage of the sale of the finest example of the famed 1913 Liberty Head nickel offered by ANA auctioneer and convention title sponsor Superior Galleries of Beverly Hills, California. The piece sold for a record $1.84 million to well-known sports agent and rare coin dealer Dwight Manley of Newport Beach, California, who also is one of the principals of the California Gold Marketing Group. Steve Deeds of Superior reported a total gross sales of $4,244,890 from the two auction sessions.

The ANA YN Treasure Trivia Game, in which school-age children scour the bourse floor seeking answers to the questions provided by the ANA Education Department while collecting scarce coins and other numismatic items, drew a record 1,000 participants. In the drawing held for those completing the trivia quiz, Katie Carroll of Salt Lake City won a Spanish 8-real recovered from a 1747 shipwreck near Capetown, South Africa.

The ANA Convention Department sent notices to Utah residents who had attended a recent coin show. A random drawing was held of those who returned the notices to the ANA event, and Matt Graziano of West Jordan, Utah, received the prize_an American gold eagle.

The United States Mint's Citizens Commemorative Coin Advisory Committee held a public forum at the show. A Boy Scout coin collecting workshop was held, as was a forum for candidates seeking election to the ANA Board of Governors.

The show featured more than 20 hours of free educational programming that covered a wide range of topics, from Mormon money to the 50 State Quarters™ Program. Following his presentation, "U.S. Coins: Counterfeit and Altered Key Dates," Brian Silliman of the ANA's Authentication Bureau (ANAAB) conducted a free, hands-on session. (Silliman also conducted a three-day coin grading seminar before the show opened.)

Kenneth R. Hill of Seattle, Washington, received the Best-in-Show Exhibit Award (a 14kt-gold medal provided by The Franklin Mint) for his display entitled "United States Gold 12-Piece Type Set with Errors." First runner-up was William H. Horton Jr. of Keyport, New Jersey, and Michael Faircloth Sr. of Boise, Idaho, was second runner-up. The ANA National Coin Week Exhibit Award was presented to Louis Goldstein of Las Vegas, Nevada, for his exhibit "Money of the Early Americas." First runner-up was Devon K. Hammer of Brigham City, Utah, and Richard Green of Roy, Utah, was second runner-up. George Wilson of Syracuse, Utah, and Douglas Wright of Eureka, Utah, received the People's Choice Award for their exhibit "Trade Tokens of the Tintic Mining District."

ANA President and show general chairman Campbell received the Goodfellow Award at the opening ceremonies, where he was joined by Mint Director Johnson, Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff and Elsie Shultz, widow of well-known Utah numismatist and Numismatic Hall of Fame enshrinee James Norman Shultz. At a dinner sponsored by the host clubs, Louis S. Werner Host Club Awards were presented to the Utah Numismatic Society, Ogden Coin Club and National Utah Token Society.