As you read these words I am putting finishing touches on my presentation, “The Romance and Potential of Collecting American Tokens,” to be given at the World’s Fair of Money (ANA summer convention) this coming Tuesday, August 13, at 3:00 in the afternoon in the Stephens Convention Center, Room 13. The program will last 45 minutes, causing somewhat of a problem for me, as I could probably talk about the title subject for two hours and still have a lot to say. I have prepared some nice illustrations, anecdotes, and the like. Although the scheduling is a matter of happenstance, the time on Tuesday is the day before our auction of the John J. Ford, Jr. tokens begins, starting on Wednesday, then continuing on Friday. This is one of the greatest collections of tokens ever offered in the history of our hobby. John Ford thought if having one example of a scarce or rare token was desirable, having two or three was better yet and a half dozen still nicer! All of this translates into a lot of opportunity if you are an advanced collector. If you are not a specialist in tokens, now is an ideal time to get started. The extensive descriptions are very informative. These and the illustrations will give you a good idea of each piece. With regard to background, apart from the catalog listings, the Internet has extensive details on many of the tokens listed.
Returning to my program on Tuesday, Dennis Tucker of Whitman Publishing, LLC, will be there and will be giving away a number of books on tokens. Similarly, my friend Fred Holabird, who hales from Nevada, will be there with some free books on tokens as well. Come to hear what I have to say and, if you are lucky, you will leave the show carrying an interesting volume to read. See you there!
