By Hanna Chu, Staff writer
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It's a specially made 1854 Kellogg & Co. $20 gold coin, the finest known territorial gold coin, said Steven Contursi, president of Rare Coin Wholesalers.
Local residents can see the rare coin and more at the Long Beach Coin, Stamp & Collectibles Expo at the Long Beach Convention Center this weekend.
The expo, which opened Thursday and will run until Saturday, attracts more than 5,000 people from around the world to check out any of the 400 booths displaying coins, paper money, stamps, antique jewelry and historical documents, said Donn Pearlman, spokesman for the expo.
From ardent collectors to curious locals, the expo draws a large crowd to the convention center.
"It's a hubbub of all people interested in collecting historic coins," said Ronald Gillio, expo general chairman. A children's treasure hunt will be held on Saturday, which draws more than 200 children every year. This year, one gold coin worth about $100 will be given away each day during a drawing, Gillio said.
The expo also features a multimillion dollar Gold Rush-era coins exhibit and a "Looking for Secrets and Mistakes on Currency" exhibit.
Modesto resident Joyce Whitehead and her husband come to all three coin expos held at the convention center each year.
"We used to set up (a booth), but now we just buy," Whitehead said.
As her husband meticulously searched through a box of coins, Whitehead explained that he had only just begun, having sat at that particular booth for 45 minutes.
"He can sit at a booth for hours and hours," she said.
Whitehead's husband has been running the Central Stamp and Coin store in Modesto since 1955.
Whitehead said the couple were looking for an 1889 Carson City dollar for one of their customers.
Charles Rodgers, owner of C.T. Coins, set up a booth of eclectic items, from an array of Disney dollars that date to 1987 to casino chips from the demolished Stardust Hotel in Las Vegas to Civil War tokens.
"We have a little something for everyone, and they're reasonably priced," Rodgers said.
The prices on the collectibles ranged from $3 to a couple thousand dollars.
Rodgers said he has been collecting since he was 12 years old.
"Now I'm close to 70, and I still enjoy it," he said.
Hanna Chu can be reached at hanna.chu@presstelegram.com or at (562) 499-1476.