Southwest Georgia Coin Club to bring 15th annual coin show to Leesburg

LEESBURG – Curious about that old coin that’s been handed down and what it might be worth? Or just want to check out coins dating back to Roman times?

If so, the Southwest Georgia Coin Club has the answers at the 15th annual Albany Coin Show. The two-day event runs from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the Bindery at Oakland Library, located at 445 Oakland Parkway in Leesburg.

Dealers from around the Southeast will be on hand to appraise coins and show off their collections.

“We’ll have about 40 tables set up,” club member George Anderson said. “You can buy and sell and trade, and you can get appraisals on your coins and currency.”

Anderson got the coin bug as a young kid, “since, when I was 10 years old, when my dad brought home a Bicentennial (coin) from the bank. He brought me back a half dollar. There are still quite a lot of coins and paper money collections out there.”

In addition to collecting for fun, some people keep coins as an investment, Anderson said. While gold coins are still minted as collector’s items, the last gold coin produced for everyday use was minted in 1933.

“It can be the value of the coin itself, or some people could collect for investment reasons for silver or gold,” he said.

One highlight will be an appearance by a local treasure hunter who has explored Spanish treasure ships that sank off Daytona Beach in the 1700s, club member Jeff Neal said.

“He dives, and they’re finding coins every time they go down,” he said. “He’ll have something on display.

“There will be coins that date to the time of Jesus,” including coins minted with the images of biblical characters Pontius Pilate and Herod. “They’re really authenticated. You can just come look at them, and they are real.”

One word of advice from the local collectors for those looking to sell is to shop around. They advised not taking the first offer, but taking coins to several dealers because one dealer may not be interested in a particular coin but another may not have that particular one and will be willing to offer more.

Another tip they offered is that a clean coin is not always better. Using chemicals for cleaning can damage the metal and make it less valuable.

“In some cases it was a $100 coin, but now it’s a $5 coin because it’s just a hunk of metal,” Neal said.

A food truck will be on the library grounds for attendees who get hungry, and a raffle will be held for prizes of coins. Vendors also will have coin-collecting supplies on hand including coin albums and magnifying glasses. Admission and parking are free for the event, and the show will have 24-hour security.

“On the show ‘Pawn Stars’ they say you never know what’s going to walk through the door,” Neal said. “You never know who’s going to come in and sell something.”

Staff Photo: Lucille Lannigan[email protected]
Staff Photo: Lucille Lannigan[email protected]