Annual coin show set for this weekend

The children's auction is a popular activity of the Greater Orange Coin Club's annual spring coin show, which will be held on Saturday, Feb. 20 and Sunday, Feb. 21 at the Orange County Convention and Expo Center in Orange. Dealers will be on site to buy and sell coins, paper money and more. Photo by Tommy Mann Jr.

Delton Anthony has been a coin collector since he was a teenager, and the hobby has supplied him with years of enjoyment and financial security.

"I was a teenager when I started collecting coins,"Anthony said. "I was taught to save everything. I had a paper route, so I opened a savings account and that's how I got started."

Anthony is part of the Greater Orange Coin Club, which will hold its annual Spring Show from 9 a.m. - 6 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 20, and 9 a.m. - 4 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 21, at the Orange County Convention and Expo Center, which is located at 11475 FM 1442 in Orange, approximately one mile south of Interstate 10. Admission is $2 for adults and children are admitted free of charge.

The yearly event offers free appraisals for those who are interested in determining the value of rare coins, as well as a large number of vendors who will be offering a variety of rare coins, paper money, jewelry and bullion for sale.

"Coins are like pieces of history," he explained. "At one time, they were all made of real copper, silver and gold. It's a good hobby, and, if you read up on it and understand it, then it could pay off in the long run and you could make some money at it."

The coin show has traditionally been held at the VFW Hall in Orange, but relocated to the Orange County Convention and Expo Center in 2015 to be more centralized within the county and easier access from Interstate 10.

Although coin collecting is not as popular among today's youth as it once was, Anthony said a great way to get youngsters excited about coin collecting as a hobby, or even a future investment, is through the children's auction on Saturday afternoon.

The children's auction is designed for children, who are ages 17 and younger. It allows them to use a specified amount of play money to bid on items during the auction. These items vary in worth and collectibility and are donated by vendors who attend the annual coin show. Items typically include rare coins, coin books and paper money from different countries around the world.

"Kids really seem to like the auction," Anthony added. "They seem to take more of an interest in collecting because they feel like they have invested in it. There should be a good variety of items.

Anywhere from 20 to 30 vendors regularly participate the coin show, including vendors who travel from as far away as Houston, Huntsville, New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Lake Charles.

"Some of these vendors bring lots of old money," Anthony said. "You can see old paper money, like $500 bills and $1,000 bills which aren't made any more. People can see a lot of different things, which is always interesting.

"Coin collecting is similar to those who collect fine art," he added. "Just like paintings, there are people who collect rare coins. And there are lot of rare coins and paper money out there to be found."

Visit http://www.greaterorangecoinclub.com for more information on the organization and the event.