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Ask the Right Question and Win a Gift Certificate from Whitman Publishing!

He’s been called “the greatest living numismatist,” perhaps even “the most knowledgeable coin expert of all time.” Any way you cut it, Q. David Bowers is the Gold Standard in numismatic knowledge. Now’s your chance to “Beat the Gold Standard,” at the Whitman Coin & Collectibles Baltimore Expo, November 5-8, at the Baltimore Convention Center.

Not a question that no human can reasonably be expected to know, like the exact date a Mint director took office, or the mintage of a 1916-D Lincoln cent, but a question of general interest in American numismatics. Then, join us in Room 301 at 3pm on Thursday, November 5, with moderator Christine Karstedt. If your question beats the Gold Standard, you could win up to $250 in prizes from Whitman Publishing.

Q. David Bowers appears courtesy of Stack’s Bowers Galleries, which brings us to the Official Expo Auction, conducted by that very same venerable firm.

Highlights among the 1,800 lots of rare world coins and banknotes include:

• Gold Spanish Colonial coinage, with 8 Escudos pieces from Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru, and another 370 coins from every period and geographic region of Mexico, including many rarities and finest known specimens.
• Napoleonic era coinage, covering nearly the entire span of the Emperor’s reign, including an amazing 1813-W French Napoleon 20 Franc piece in MS-65, an 1800 Cisalpine Republic Scudo of 6 Lire in MS-64PL, and an 1801 Piedmont Republic 5 Francs in MS-63.
• Rarities Night (Thursday, November 5 at 6pm in Room 308), featuring Barber Dimes from a world-class collection, the vast majority of which are at the top of the population at PCGS. Registry set, date and type set collectors will all find the epitome of Charles Barber’s design among the Superb Gems to be hammered.
• In the currency auction, a unique $500 interest-bearing note, and a Raphael Thian “The Currency of the Confederate States” Master Album, discovered after nearly 50 years of storage.

Bidding for the Official Auction is now open at StacksBowers.com. Other Expo highlights include:

• Over 1,000 separate dealers to assess the market value of your coin or collection.

• An exhibit by the U.S. Mint, including the latest commemorative coins.
• Numerous study groups and presentations by the Colonial Coin Collectors Club (C4), including “Numismatics of Dutch New York,” with Erik Goldstein, and “A Whirlwind Tour of Coins and Tokens Used in Early America,” with Will Nipper. See schedule for C4 times and details.
• Kids’ Korner Activities, including a fun coin grab, daily at Booth 710. See schedule for times.
• Club meetings for the Liberty Seated Collectors’ Club (Friday at 9am); the Fellowship of Christian Coin Dealers (Friday, 7:30am); the Maryland Token and Medal Society (Saturday at 11am-1pm); the Early American Coppers Club (Saturday at 1pm); the Maryland State Numismatic Association (Saturday at 4pm in Room 304); and the Barber Coin Collectors’ Society (Friday, 3pm). All club meetings are in Room 305 unless otherwise noted.

Whitman is the leading producer of coin and collectible expos in North America.

Whitman Baltimore Winter Expo hours are Thursday: Noon-6pm; Friday-Saturday: 10am-6pm; Sunday: 10am-3pm (with limited dealers).

Enter Hall A from the Charles Street Lobby of the Baltimore Convention Center, near the intersection of West Pratt Street and South Charles Street.