Carson City Mint Coin Show and Fair runs today and Saturday

UPDATE: Yogi Berra may have said, “A nickel ain’t worth a dime anymore,” but at the 2014 Carson City Mint Coin Show and Fair, the value is in the eye of the beholder. Sharp skilled dealers will buy, sell, trade and offer their expertise with free appraisals during the two-day event today, Friday and Saturday, Aug. 23. Held this year at both the Nevada State Museum and the Carson Nugget, the fair includes activities for children, prize drawings, lectures, coin sales and free appraisals with admission.

As the site of the former U.S. Mint, the museum has a long history in coins. Guests are invited to share the heritage, or visit workshops about the mint, Civil War tokens, coin grading and more, according to Jim Barmore, museum director. The museum’s new exhibit “Finding Fremont: Pathfinder of the West” is included in admission to the fair.

“We are so excited to have the Fremont exhibit in celebration of Nevada’s Sesquicentennial,” Barmore said. “We will also be minting special John C. Fremont commemorative medallions on the original historic Coin Press No. 1 at the museum.” Dealers will be at the Carson Nugget where rarities and famous coins that circulate the country will be shown and sold.

The 2014 show and fair also offers mine tours, a rock and mineral lab, a treasure chest of foreign coins for children and stories of the first coins of the Americas.
The annual raffle supports programs of the museum throughout the year. Grand prize for 2014 is a custom made knife valued at $1,000 and donated by John and Becky Etten. Designed by master Navajo silversmith David Yellowhorse especially for the event, it will be awarded at 3 p.m. Saturday. “We sell the $1 tickets in advance, even by mail, and people donate some great stuff. This year we have coin watches, Morgan silver dollars, a peace dollar and other rare collectibles,” Barmore said. More than $4,000 in prizes will be awarded.

Coin Show and Fair gold sponsors include the Reno Gazette Journal and Carson Nugget. Silver sponsors are Nevada Magazine, Heritage Collectibles, Gus’s Rare Coins, Vams and More and The Nevada Appeal. Other sponsors are the Reno Coin Club, S&T Coins, Camelot Party Rentals and Friends of the Nevada State Museum. Downtown Coin Club is our Event Partner.

Admission is half price at $4 and one ticket will admit guests to both sites for one day. Museum members and ages 17 and younger are always free. The event runs from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 22 and from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 23 at 600 N. Carson St. and the Nugget ballroom, 507 N. Carson St.
Minimum $10 raffle ticket orders can be sent to Deborah Stevenson, Nevada State Museum, 600 N. Carson St, Carson City, NV 89701. Winners need not be present so contact information is important. For more information, contact Deborah Stevenson at dstevenson@nevadaculture.org or (775) 687-4810 ext. 237.

Tips for enjoying the 2014 Carson City Mint Coin Show and Fair

1. Pack the car and grab the kids
Fun activities are also educational when it comes to the coin show and fair. Kids will travel the globe looking for the home of foreign coins in the show, and earn free gifts for playing.
2. Make a wish list
Whether it is that one piece still missing after all these years, or the one that just caught your eye online, the show will have something to match every collection
3. Wear walking shoes
The coin displays are at the Carson Nugget and the lectures, workshops and kids activities are across the street at the museum. Admission includes both locations.
4. Bring money to win raffle prizes
A fundraiser for the Nevada State Museum programs throughout the year, the raffle offers more than $4,000 in great donated finds.
5. Check out the fun in your own backyard
See a 100-year-old pair of Levis or find out what fun things are happening at the Fremont exhibit, or how much that coin in your closet is worth, with free appraisals and information about new things to do.