This weekend, for the first time, all 111 different dates and denominations of coins struck at the Carson City Mint will be displayed together in the building where they were created. Two of the rarest coins produced at the mint - including one just purchased for almost $900,000 - will be among them.
"We think it's going to be quite a historic event," said Bob Nylen, curator of history at the museum. "I would have never imagined that we would see these two coins here in my lifetime. In our own collection we have 109 of the 111 coins that were minted here, and now with these two we'll have a complete collection. You never know - this might be the only opportunity to see a complete CC collection of coins."
Reno coin dealer and collector Rusty Goe bought the only known 1873-CC "without arrows" dime for the record price of $891,250 in July. He'll bring the dime to the annual Carson City Mint Coin Show on Saturday, along with an extremely rare 1873-CC "without arrows" quarter - one of only five known to exist. Goe will display them in a custom-made case.
Volunteers will operate Coin Press No. 1 -the press which created those rare coins - on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
For the first time, they will mint replicas of a historic coin: the 1899 Morgan dollar. It will look the same as the original on the front, but say "copy" on the back. They will be minted in solid, .99-fine silver and in silver-clad brass.
"The great thing is, here are these two coins that are so unique and they were made off Coin Press No. 1, and we will be minting medallions on the press during the show," said Nylen.
Volunteers will also mint the state parks medallion featuring Elephant Rock in Valley of Fire and a silver Virginia & Truckee Railway medallion. All the newly minted coins and medallions will be sold.
Forty dealers from across the western half of the United States will attend the show, offering Carson City-minted silver dollars, rare domestic and foreign coins, paper notes and currency, historical documents, tokens, gaming chips, stamps, books, jewelry, collecting supplies and more.
Most of the dealers will offer free appraisals and buy and sell coins. In the past, the show has attracted coin clubs from Oregon and California.
Raffle prizes include a framed picture of the historic Carson City mint with a "CC" mint mark Morgan silver dollar donated by Southgate Coins; an 1881-CC mint $5 gold coin donated by Northern Nevada Coin; a silver certificate donated by Carson Valley Currency & Coins, Inc.; coin watches and more.
The show will include a gold-panning station where visitors can try their hand at finding real gold dust for $2.
The show's sponsors include e-Bay, Southgate Coins, the Carson City Nugget, Mission Linen and Camelot Party Rentals.
The Nevada State Museum is one of seven managed by the state Division of Museums and History, an agency of the Nevada Department of Cultural Affairs.
Coin show admission is included with the museum's general admission of $5 for adults, $3 for seniors, and free for under 18. For information, call (775) 687-4810, ext. 239.
Contact Karl Horeis at khoreis@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1219.
