February 25-28, 2026: The National Money Show in Savannah, GA

February 25th: Day 1

Because we had been looking forward to this Savannah trip since the first day the ANA announced this venue a year ago, we were extreeeeemely disappointed when the latest blizzard in New England cancelled our flight down on Tuesday.

Forcing us to rebook the best of some lousy alternatives, which turned out to be be a 2:30 wake up call for a 6 AM flight on Wednesday, with (in a development that will become important in the next sentence) a connecting flight through LaGaurdia. And that would have worked OK, had it not been snowing again on Wednesday in NYC, ultimately delaying our arrival there, and then extra-delaying our flight down to Savannah by about 3 hours.

So instead of arriving to our hotel here at 11 AM, having a relaxing lunch on the veranda with a view of the river like in an old Cary Grant movie and then calmly ferrying our way over to the show for the start of dealer set up at 1, we had to hightail it from the airport directly to the convention center in a gross cab lest we get there after all the good coins are gone.

Finally rolling in at about 3, quickly setting up our deluxe table #513, and officially declaring ourselves open for business mere minutes later.

And then somewhat unexpectedly we started doing business like crazy, first buying some cool early coins on the floor, then some neat US type and a couple of commems, before returning to the table and selling 2 world coins and some gem gold.

With all kinds of other coins in play in an unexpectedly active set up period during which we barely got to see 25% of the tables here.

So while we have plenty more work to do scouring the bourse in search of cool CRO-style coins in all categories, we were way too tired to do it on this day. Instead schlepping all of our luggage onto the ferry, checking into our hotel at 6 and then finally putting our feet up and relaxing after a long day is what I wish I could type here.

Instead we had to run the 5 blocks to the Fedex store before they closed to send out a coin we were unable to ship on Tuesday, and then continued directly on to dinner on the other side of town with some collector and dealer friends.

Walking back to the hotel after on a chilly evening before finally, finally collapsing in a heap.

But do not worry, we will be fully rested and ready for whatever happens on Thursday, and then blog all about all of it right here on Friday AM.

Until then, then –

February 26th: Day 2

The 10 Most Interesting Things that Happened in Savannah on Thursday

In what was a first for us at any coin show ever, we had to carefully coordinate our breakfast reservation with the ferry schedule so we could finish just as the boat arrived to whisk us over to the show.

Team CRO stormed onto the bourse floor at about 9:45 and immediately sold the 6-figure item we agreed Wednesday to hold for a customer until 10 AM Thursday. This is what numismatists the world over call a “real good start”.

Symmetrically, we finalized the deal to buy a different 6-figure coin here which I expect will be just as popular as that last one.

I went through about 100 Mexican 8 Reales at various dealer tables and managed to find a grand total of one that I liked enough to buy.

Our best efforts to eat healthy here were utterly and completely sabotaged when a dealer friend handed us some delicious Rice Krispy treats. We did better at the concession stand though, by sticking to the salad and not ordering the “Irish Nachos”, which is apparently a massive pile of beef and melted cheese served on potato chips instead of tortillas.

We sold the charming, low grade early $5 we bought here on Wednesday, which did not surprise either of us in the least.

Despite public attendance I would describe as light, our sales here have exceeded our most optimistic expectations and there are still 2 days left.

In what was the least expected purchase of the show (so far, anyway) we snapped up at a cool NJ copper of  a variety we have only owned 3 times in 20+ years of doing this.

I noted with interest that the ANA has posted the World’s Fair of Money schedule for the next 3 years, but made no mention of this National Money Show going forward. So I guess we’ll find out soon what is happening, and where we might be headed?

We realized at about 5:45 that we needed to pack up real fast and catch the 6PM ferry so we could get back to our hotel and drop our bags in time to make it to our 7PM dinner reservation at The Old Pink House with some collector and dealer friends, which of course we did.

And we’ll be back at it on Friday ready to buy, sell, trade, grade and of course schmooze to the very best of our ability.

EOM

February 27th: Day 3

Friday would begin with a shocking site, as a giant container ship (apparently the largest one on the east coast) cruised past the hotel filling literally every window and blocking our entire view for several minutes during which your author pressed his face against the glass and watched like a child, since it was a pretty cool thing to see.

After which we headed to the ferry, zipped over to the show, clicked on the lights and immediately sold two coins to two different people who had been waiting for us to arrive.

And this turned out to be a happy harbinger of things to come, as we had another excellent day on the bourse floor selling all sorts of different numismatic items to collectors and dealers alike, Including coins that were on our most recent EB, items we brought out here for the first time, coins we’ve had for a while, cool currency, interesting tokens and medals and one item I really thought would need to be auctioned, but which sold to a collector here late in the afternoon.  Honestly, my head is still spinning after all that.

Buying was not nearly as exciting though, as we found just a handful of coins that we liked enough to buy, that were priced at anywhere near our comfort zone. And while I was tempted to buy a few more that were kind of “iffy”, I decided to hold back and wait for some better opportunities (which always seem to come, or at least they have for the last 25 years of doing this).

With our last act of the day to view some upcoming auctions lots at the Heritage table before dashing out the door, ferrying back to the hotel, and then walking across town to check out Forsythe Park on an evening which started out damp and cold but eventually became downright pleasant.

And then walked back for a late dinner with some dealer friends at another excellent Savannah restaurant.

We’re not exactly sure what tomorrow will bring, but based on what we’ve seen here so far it would not surprise me at all if we did some more excellent business before we have to hightail it out of town on the one and only direct flight home.

From where out last ANA RR will be posted right here on Sunday AM –

February 28th: Day 4

We decided to head out for breakfast before the show on Saturday to Café M, a French Bistro recommended to us by our good friends from Eye Appealing Coins. And, as is always the case, they did not steer us wrong, as the use of Brie on my breakfast sandwich was a tour de force and one that I would certainly recommend to anyone attending a coin show in Savannah in the future, if there ever is another one here.

After which we returned to the hotel just in time to catch another massive boat going by, and while this one was not as large as yesterday’s, I think it was still plenty impressive. Also, I had my camera at the ready for this one and captured this action photo, which I certainly hope will satisfy everyone who emailed me yesterday to express their disappointment that I did not include a pic with yesterday’s RR:

And then we caught the ferry here for the last time, darted to the show and then ran to the Heritage table so I could finish viewing their upcoming auction lots before Brinks came to take everything away at 11. So that was useful.

Finally making it to our table, working a few late last deals, organizing all of our paperwork, packing up and then heading out so we could catch our flight home.

Which we did. Allowing us to get back at a reasonable hour and then reflect back on a show that we thought would be fun to attend in a new and interesting city, but not one that was likely to produce much in the way of coin business. So of course I am delighted to say we were wrong (totally and completely W-R-O-N-G), as business was epic pretty much from start to finish.

And since these slightly-off-the-beaten-track venues seem to work so well for us, we are excited to report that the ANA has chosen Virginia Beach as the venue for the 2027 National Money Show. Count us in, sounds fun!

But before that, we’ll look forward to about 20 minutes of R&R before I meet a customer at 9 AM Sunday, then start the process of unpacking, repacking and getting ready to head to the Baltimore show from where our next RR will be posted in an amazingly short 3 days from now (unless I do a show Prologue, in which case it will be in 2 days).

So you might want to keep an eye out for that –