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Exceptional Email #1


Subject: WINS: My first coin show...
Date: Sat 2/7/04 11:04 PM

Well, today I went to the coin show in Pittston, Pa. and had a ball. Thought I'd relate the experience to anyone interested.

First of all, I went with my local coin dealer to help him get set up and watch his table for him during bathroom breaks. After he got set up I wandered around and was amazed with the variety of things to choose from. I was like a kid in a candy store! First thing I got was a copy of Photograde and a decent loupe. Then went got a bunch of coin tubes so I could move stuff I'm saving out of the zip-lock bags. One thing I thought would be neat to buy was a gold coin. Any gold coin because I've never had one. But as you know, they're not cheap. So as I'm looking around I see on one of the tables a 1861 quarter eagle for $90. So I check my red book and it says $150. So I run over to my dealer friend and ask him about it. "It must be damaged on the back," he says. Finally I get to talk to the guy at the table with the quarter eagle and sure enough it has some damage on the back - not terrible damage but damage nonetheless. He offered it to me for $80 and I grabbed it. So my first coin purchase was also my first gold coin.

Next I see someone selling proof sets. Pick up a 197 set as that's the year I got married. Then grabbed a few morgans and a few peace dollars, along with a 1943 cent and a flying eagle cent. Finally, I picked up about a half dozen Jefferson nickels to finish up my nickel set.

At this point I'm broke but happy with what I got. So I head back over to my friend's table to watch it while he has a bathroom break. When he came back he shows me a bunch of walkers from the 30's and 40's - and offers them to me for about melt value if I take them all. But, I say, I'm broke. Don't worry, he says, pay me later, and don't be in a hurry to do so. So I got 2 rolls of walkers from him. Then he's looking over his stock of morgans and peace dollars (which he knows I have a weakness for), and offers me a deal on 7 of them - pay him later on those too.

So now the day is winding down. I had the time of my life ( I woulda paid my coin dealer friend for taking me). But as he's putting things away what does he do? He gives me a 1971 Ike brown box proof for helping him out today.

I think I'll be going back tomorrow after church to help him out some more. Won't be buying tomorrow or my wife will kill me!

Ken Knapp






Exceptional Email #2


Re: WINS: History Channel
Tue 2/17/04 1:39 PM

OK. Having arrived back in California and having enough time at a friend's house to finally check my email (only 258 messages unread), I have enough time to address this issue. It was amazing to me that the History Channel foruitouslly ran "History's Mysteries: Ship of Gold" during the run of the "Ship of Gold" exhibit at the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show. Tens of thousands of people filed past the display of ingots and coins we recovered from the shipwreck of the S.S. Central America, and I talked non-stop for eight hours each day, 2-12 through 2-15. The show aired on Thursday, 2-12. What a gig!

For those of you who did not manage to catch my introductory comments when I joined this esteemed group a couple/few months ago, yes, I'm that Bob Evans who was the Chief Scientist and Historian of the S.S. Central America Project, and who became the Curator of the treasure. It has been a career-defining experience: a lot of fun, and a lot of hard work. My experience has allowed me to become an "expert" on diverse topics: deep-ocean depositional environments, marine biology, the chemistry of gold, iron, salt water, and assorted other materials present on the shipwreck, curatorial databases, descriptions of archaeological artifacts, certain numismatic topics, etc., etc.,...you get the idea. I am never, ever bored.

At the same time my coin collecting habits are modest. I own one piece of the treasure: a Corem watch made from a "no-grade" 1857-S double eagle, that was awarded to me by the marketing firm. I collect US coins (mostly circulated) that are from the different presidential administrations. I try not to duplicate types-denominations. This collection taps into my passion for US history without tapping too deeply into my bank account. I am not overly affluent, and must still work for a living (just in case anyone harbored such fantasies.) My wife and I live on a small farm in appalachian Ohio where she raises sheep, angora goats, and llamas for their fiber (wool, mohair, and such.) I consult in matters scientific and historical, and manage to eke out enough of a living so we can afford to farm. We love the lifestyle.

I have had a marvelous assortment of media-related and public experiences: The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson (1991), The Today Show (interviewed by Matt Lauer), Dateline NBC, Ala Recherca del Arca (not certain of the spelling, live Italian TV), 3 History Channel programs, one Discovery Channel program, "I've Got a Secret", numerous keynotes, conventions, seminars, etc.; all because of the treasure.

Experiences and discoveries make me tick.

Life is good.

Bob Evans
WINS #394




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