NSDR Journal

VOL. XIV No. 1

February 1997

Silver Dollars on Numismatic Show Phone Cards

By Lee Quast

            Since the first show cars were produced in 1993 for the Baltimore ANA show there have been 201 different cards issued. Actually this number is constantly increasing as new ones are being produced and some older ones discovered. Most of the major shows have cards issued to commemorate them and quite a few smaller shows too.

In 1993, only three cards were issued. All three cards for the ANA show! In 1994, there were 12 issued, 1995 brought us 36 different show cards. For 1996 there were 48 and 53 in 1997. So far in 1998 there are 46 cards that I am aware of and have catalogued.

With the popularity of silver dollars in our collecting hobby one would expect silver dollars to be well represented/pictured on the cards. With most cards, pictures of coins, paper money, tokens, medals, etc. are usually shown. My count of cards showing silver dollars, however, only reveal 15 of the 201. A listing of the cards follows:


Card #                        Show

94B1 & 2        1994 ANA-Detroit

 

94E                  ST. Louis Silver Dollar Conv

 

95M1               PNG/ANA- Anaheim

 

95S                  16th Silver Dollar Conv.

96E                  El Paso Int. Coin Show

96G1               PNG/ANA- Tucson

96Ma               Westchester Stamp & Coin

Description

Two cards showing one picture of a 1957 Chevy, records, and 5 Morgan dollars.

Obv. & rev. of four different silver dollar types.

 

1804 silver dollar among nine different coins.

Large view of rainbow toned Morgan dollar.

1873 U.S. Trade dollar & Mexican Peso.

1882 pattern silver dollar.

Three Peace silver dollars

96N1               PNG/Central States-KC

96P                  Silver Dollar Roundtable seminar-Phoenix Coin Expo

96W                Melville Rt #110 Show

96AH              Silver Dollar Roundtable-Dallas

97J                   West Coast Expo

98C                 St. Louis Numis. Assn. Show

9801                Arizona Coin Expo

Obv. & rev. of 1882 pattern dollar

Three Morgan dollars.

 

1882 pattern dollar with other coins.

Lafayette dollar – Obv. & Rev.

1936 Gobrecht silver dollar.

1899 Morgan dollar.

1804 silver dollar.

 

 

National Silver Dollar Roundtable Conventions are well represented, but the picturing of silver dollars is rather meager among the show cards. The beauty of silver dollars deserves a better review in these cards, but a closer look at this in general will reveal probable reasons.

While silver dollars are highly collected they have in some regard become a commodity item. Often traded sight unseen with the grading services, you have to get beyond Morgans and Peace dollars to see much variety. On the other hand there are many beautiful dollars which would picture beautifully at full size on a card.

It is obvious there is no one to oversee the presentation of our coinage on phone cards. The producers often attempt to get matching themes with the show or locality. Scenes of the location are popular. One of the most popular themes on cards is paper money. They picture well and are the right shape. The show sponsors often do not have input on the subjects depicted on the cards, and usually do not care. So what we have is a very random selection of depictions on show cards. Perhaps that’s the way it should be. Which then means there is something for everyone. The variety of show cards is itself a good reason to collect them.

The author is recording all known Numismatic Show Phone Cards and produces a quarterly listing of all known cards. A free copy is available from hit at P.O. Box 421002, Plymouth, MN 55442.

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