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Holding a piece of history in your hand is the best way to make the past come alive for the next generation. As both a professional numismatist and a parent, I’ve spent decades watching the magic happen the moment a child turns a coin over in their fingers and starts asking questions. Where did this come from? Who held this before me? What was happening in the world when this was made? Those questions are the gateway to a lifelong love of history, critical thinking, and the kind of tangible learning that no textbook can replicate.
The recent Central States Numismatic Society (CSNS) show in Schaumburg, Illinois, gave me plenty to reflect on — not just as a dealer who managed to acquire 61 coins in a single weekend, but as an educator and parent collector who believes deeply in the power of physical objects to teach. What follows is my show report, but more importantly, it’s a reflection on why what we do as collectors matters far beyond our display cases and registry sets. The coins we pursue, the stories we uncover, and the passion we bring to the bourse floor are exactly the things that can ignite a spark in a young person’s mind.
The CSNS Weekend: A Dealer’s Dream and a Teacher’s Goldmine
Let me set the scene. If you’ve ever attended a major coin show, you know the energy — the hum of conversation, the soft clink of coins being examined under loupes, the quiet intensity of a collector staring into a dealer case and weighing a decision that might take years to culminate. CSNS this year was, by every account I heard, one of the best in recent memory. Dealers around the room at FUN (Florida United Numismatists) had already reported record-breaking shows. Somehow, CSNS managed to surpass even that momentum.
The floor wasn’t as densely packed as some past years, but the quality of activity was undeniable. People were spending money — real money — on gold, silver, and platinum. Friday was particularly electric. I kept writing out invoices, and my display cases kept shrinking. By Friday at 4 PM, I had written my last invoice of the day, sold over 4 dozen coins including several what the hobby affectionately calls “big boy and big girl” coins, and had personally purchased 5 dozen plus 1 coins, nearly all of them CAC/CACG approved. That one holdout? It was already on its way to New Jersey for Green Bean consideration. We’ll pray to the key lime gods together.
But here’s what matters for our purposes: every single one of those 61 coins has a story. And stories are what teach children.
Fulfilling a Childhood Dream: The Power of the “Dream Coin”
One of my favorite moments from the show happened when I was roaming the floor with a fellow collector, @Kliao, just after lunch on Friday. He directed me to a table he always visits — good stuff, good prices, he said. And there, sitting in that dealer’s case, was a coin from my childhood dreams.
As a kid, my collecting life began with pocket change. Like so many of us, I’d sort through cents and nickels, dreaming of finding something rare — a key-date copper penny in Fair to Very Good condition that would change everything. Well, half a century later, I finally found that dream coin. But it wasn’t a VG copper — it was a Mint State example with gorgeous luster and eye appeal that stopped me in my tracks. And it was priced right. I bought it immediately.
I started looking at that dealer’s other offerings and bought two more coins on the spot. That dealer will be seeing me at every show from now on.
Why Dream Coins Matter for Kids
This experience crystallized something I’ve long believed: the concept of the “dream coin” is one of the most powerful educational tools we have. When a child identifies a specific coin they want to find — whether it’s a 1909-S VDB cent, a Buffalo nickel, or a Morgan dollar from a specific mint — they begin to research. They learn about mintage figures, mint marks, historical context, and grading. They learn to set goals and pursue them with patience.
I encourage every parent reading this to sit down with your child and ask: “If you could own any coin in the world, what would it be?” Then help them find it. Make the hunt part of the education. The coin itself is just the tangible reward for all the learning that came before.
The Saturday Morning Copper That Closed the Show
Saturday morning I woke up at 4 AM and worked diligently for four hours on paperwork before heading to the bourse at 9 AM. After making my rounds — delivering 5 coins to CAC for crossing and “beaning,” delivering 4 coins to GC (Goldberg Coins) for auctions — I still had time to visit dealers before my taxi to O’Hare.
My first stop was the table where a dealer friend had shown me a perfect coin for my case on Friday at 5 PM. He’d asked me to come back Saturday morning to give him time to think about selling it. When I arrived, he said, “DM, I just can’t do it. I need to have something to take home.” No worries. We both laughed.
I moved on to Rarity 7, intending only to browse before heading to Peak Rarities to say goodbye. But there, among some very neat copper coins, I found the sibling of my childhood dream coin from the previous day — same type, different grade. I asked Noah and company for their best price. It was doable, with room left for me as a dealer. That was coin number 60. I also picked up a very red Randall Hoard large cent — number 61 for the show.
Then came the frantic sprint to catch my taxi (which I had mentally rescheduled 15 minutes later than it actually was), a panicked plea to the front desk at the Renaissance Hotel, and a last-second rescue by a driver who was 4 minutes out. I made it to O’Hare, and the world was saved.
The Coins: What 61 Acquisitions Teach Us About History
The specific coins I brought home from CSNS span a remarkable range of American and world numismatic history. Each one represents a teaching opportunity, and I want to walk through them because their educational value is extraordinary.
1848-O Half Dime: A V8a, R6 Variety
One of my additions was an 1848-O half dime for my New Orleans Mint half dime set. This particular coin is a V8a, R6 variety — meaning it’s a die variety so rare that only 7 or perhaps 8 examples are known, as documented by researcher Clint Cummings. The distinguishing feature is a die crack on the leaf to the right of the “E” in “DIME” on the reverse, which separates it from the more common V8 (R5). As Cummings has noted, the die crack may be worn off on examples grading Extremely Fine or below, so the true population may be slightly overstated. Nevertheless, it’s a remarkable find with serious numismatic value and collectibility.
Teaching moment: This coin is a perfect example of how numismatics connects to the history of technology and manufacturing. The die crack tells us about the minting process in 1848 — how dies were made, how long they were used, and how production pressures affected quality. A child holding this coin can learn about early American industrialization, the role of branch mints like New Orleans, and why some
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