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Hi Guys!
Now I have a few minutes to share about the EAC Convention. I decided to drive to Ohio and the 900+ mile round trip drive only seemed to take a couple hours, when there's someone to talk coins with. We left Trenton at 3:00 AM Thursday AM and arrived in the afternoon. i had time to rest in the hotel room for a couple hours before attending the EAC Reception. There was plenty of finger food to suffice for dinner. I left the reception early to go back to my room to get the A/V equipment for the EAC Colonial Happening, which started at 8:00 PM and lasted until 9:30. There were many coins shared and talked about in that hour and a half. The most interesting was a MA Cent. The obverse was worn more than the reverse, the reverse being very nice. I couldn't understand how the eagle could be so well struck and the word CENT was mostly gone. Then I started to realize that the letters of CENT were raised instead of incuse, a quality exhibited on only one variety... and before the data clicked in my mind, someone hollered out that it was a "Transposed Arrows Variety"... the scarcest and most desirable of the MA cent series! I can't believe that I didn't see it when looking at the arrows!!!
After the event, which was well attended, I packed up all the A/V equipment and headed back to the room and passed out for the night, as the wake up call was set for 7:00 AM. At 7:00 I arose, then a quick SSS ( a military acronym), a quick breakfast and off to the convention to do 2 hours of table duty at the reception desk - signing in members. I then had an hour break to check out the bourse floor before reporting for auction lot duty. In the middle of my duty, Darwin Palmer was kind enough to relieve me, as a last minute publications meeting was called. At 2:00 Friday, John Kraljevich gave a presentation on colonial history using medals and the entire presentation was in rhyme! He made the presentation in prose, and had Megan change the power point screens. It might sound a bit corny, and it was, but it was also funny at times and very educational. The prose will probably be published in Penny Wise. I stayed around after John's talk for a presentation by Mark Fashian, promoting a hand held device for metallurgical analysis. It seemed very good and could perform the analysis thru the plastic of a slab!!! It was interesting and this guy really seemed to know what he was talking about. He answered questions in a manner all could understand. Then it was off for a little bourse time before dinner. Texas Road House had excellent steak for Dennis W., Mike D. and Myself. Saturday was a busy day starting with a C4 Meeting at 8:00 AM. I think there were only about 6 or 8 of us but we still had fun and were updated on C4 committees and such. At 1:00, Darwin Palmer gave an interesting presentation "Navigating New Jersey". Anyone who's been to NJ knows that you just need to know the exit number on the Jersey TPKE to navigate NJ! LOL! Darwin shared some aspects of his collecting NJ Coppers, along with strategies that changed as time went on. It was interesting and gave a well thought out perspective that I had never considered.
At 2:00, I attended and played a small part in a talk about the EAC Grading project. There were about 30 people in the room when I asked how many collected colonials... not a single hand went up! I told them that I'd have to do something about that and they all laughed. Then a couple hours of bourse time before dinner. Purchases were small... I purchased a Conder Token and four pieces of Native American Copper from John Kraljevich. That was it for me. Dionner was at the restaurant in the resort, which was good and reasonably priced. I attended the auction until the first 9 lots were auctioned. Then a bottle of wind called "Penny Wise" was auctioned where all the proceeds went to EAC. It brought $400 and was purchased by a prominent colonial dealer, whom I will not embarrass here.
Up early on Sunday for a 7:00 AM departure for NJ with Mike D. It was a good trip both ways. Other things that happened during the convention... Mike Packard was kind enough to make me one of his famous personalized "bangers" commemorating this EAC. I cherish these little round discs and this year's was on a NJ Copper!!! Mike was also kind enough to look through some personal notes I made on MA Coppers, an area where he is the recognized expert. And Darwin Palmer... Did anyone know he was a published author? He wrote a book several decades ago on the Spanish American 4R coins. He gifted me a copy and wrote the nicest things inside. Mike Wierzba had noticed I liked this unusual hand made holder for coins that was at Dave Wnuck's table. He bought it and gifted it to me! I don't know how many of you know, but I collect advertising tokens from colonial dealers of the past AND present. Mike Demling added his token to my collection. I met a friend of Buell Ish from the state of Washington - a nice guy and serious collector. Greg Hannigan heard my voice over at Mike D.'s table and came over. He said he thought he recognized that voice and said I sound like Sean Connery. I told him I thought I looked more like Connery than sounding like him! LOL Enough rambling, exhausted, one last coffee and off to bed.
Later guys,
Ray Williams

Hi Ray,
I'll make a start. I arrived in time for the colonial happening, but feeling very beat. After supervising 125 4th graders during a day at the state historical society, where numismatically the only reward was a highly polished anti slavery hard times token, I had worked with a group of science students for two hours after school, and then prepared for a sub for Fri. As I said, I was beat. The happening was a lot of fun. A number of cool items were shared such as a transposed arrows Mass. Cent, Mike Wierzba's 1771 Lion Head counterfeit half penny, and an MS-63 Leuvendaalder from John Agre (I think). I shared the largest slab I've ever seen. It held a recently acquired Comitia Americana Daniel Morgan Medal restrike. After the show and tell the question, "When should a coin be slabbed?" was posited, and things got kind of wild for a bit. Ray brought things back into focus (thanks for moderating, Ray), and the session broke up, to the best of my recollection, about 9:30. I spent an enjoyable hour or so talking to Dan Freidus after the meeting, and then as I had less that a 1 1/2 hour drive, I headed home rather than stay at the lodge. I was back shortly after the bourse opened on Fri., however. It was good to see some familiar faces. I also met a few folks for the first time. Our local club, CONA (Central Ohio Numismatic Association) provided registration and lot viewing volunteers. I volunteered for auction lot viewing Fri. afternoon. I didn't attend the auction Saturday, so i don't know how things went there, but the chairs were filled for viewing the entire time I worked. Some folks went through every box and checked every coin. I had not planned to return Saturday, but sleeping in and feeling rested made a difference. I'm glad I returned. I had enjoyed meeting and talking to Dave Fanning Fri., and Sat. I found he had an original Miller on his shelves. I bought a several coins at the show, but I'm happiest I found that book. I had brought with me a Cromwell medelet from the Sentimentalist series. I wasn't sure if it was silvered or silver. John Kraljevich kindly looked at it for me and happily came down on the side of silver. Having not been an EAC member until the show, I'm really pleased it was so accessible. I doubt I'll be able to make the trip to Texas next year.
There you go, Ray. I'll let someone else chime in.
Bruce Smith