The Toronto Coin Expo will continue today with a series of numismatic workshops.
Held at the Toronto Reference Library on 789 Yonge St., the show will be open from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Admission is $6, although children aged 16 and under are free. The first 40 paid admissions will receive a wooden coin commemorating the show as well as Canada 150.
NUMISMATIC WORKSHOPS
Each of the three numismatic workshops are free to attend for children as well as paid Coin Expo admissions. They will be held in the library’s Bram & Appel Salon.
CCN Consulting Editor Jeff Fournier (left) stands with Coin Expo owner and organizer Jared Stapleton.
At 10:15 a.m., CCN Consulting Editor Jeff Fournier and Christopher Boyer will host a workshop entitled “Coin Collecting for Kids.” Aimed at the young (“and young at heart,” according to organizers), this workshop is for budding collectors who want to learn more about what to collect. Boyer and Fournier will also explain the minting process of chocolate coins, which are “strikingly” similar to how the Royal Canadian Mint produces Canada’s coinage. Chocolate coins—as well as real ones—will be available to sort into your collection. Reserve your spot today.
At 10:45 a.m., a coin auction will be held specifically for children. As a new addition this year, the auction is only for young collectors, who will use play money to buy real items.
At 1 p.m., Roger Paulen will lead a presentation and exercise entitled “Weak Strikes in Canadian Decimal Coins.” According to organizers, this will be a hands-on exercise “in understanding the nuances and technical aspects of weakly struck coins in Canadian decimal coin series, with particular emphasis on mint state coins.” Examples will be shown with all denominations and participants will be able to identify weak strikes versus other types of unusual striking phenomena, including strike-through errors and planchet errors.
RESEARCH-HEAVY HOBBY
The Toronto Coin Expo is held each spring and fall at the Toronto Reference Library, which is a fitting location for a research-heavy hobby such as numismatics, said show owner and organizer Jared Stapleton, who also owns Metro Coin and Banknote in Toronto’s west end.
“We plan years in advance because we want to ensure the location and the consistency that collectors will learn to appreciate and know. Our venue is chosen because of the research that numismatists do; it’s one of the best sources for numismatic research.”
In this sense, he said, the library “ties everything together” by providing a place for collectors to not only acquire material but also research and study it.
“It feels welcoming, and people have smiles on their faces. They’re having a good time,” said Stapleton. “That’s what it’s all about: people in the hobby having a good time.”
For more information, visit gbellauctions.com or torontocoinexpo.ca.