Q. David Bowers
Before leaving New York City, Abe and Molly took in South Pacific, the Broadway musical. From then it was up to Albany to address the Albany Numismatic Society's annual banquet, then back to New York City with visits with Schulman, Friedberg, Holzer, Gans, Snyderman, Raymond, Morley, and others, a stop at the Chase Manhattan Money Museum, a talk with Lou Werner, then the return trip to California.
On the way back, Philadelphia was the first stop, where a splendid collection of silver dollars was acquired. "Nice visits with Bill Rabin, L.W. Neil and a pleasant dinner with Col. and Mrs. Moss and Dave Bullowa. Dave is doing a swell job in Philadelphia, we're happy to report... Pittsburgh for a stopover, and on to Cincinnati where Sol Kaplan keeps us busy doing the towns across the river."
Then it was on to Memphis and a visit with banker P.B. Trotter and others, then to Texas:
"Dallas, and now we're deep in the heart of you-know-where. Brad Mills, one of our earliest customers, but we met him for the first time-a real Texas he-man, Philpott is out in California, so we missed him. He got the best of the trade being in California-we are in Texas. Just caught Bob Schermerhorn heading for New York...
"Fort Worth, where the West begins, and I know the guy who started it. B. Max and Ethel Mehl (the bride) really going all-out with southern hospitality. Max arranged everything except a winning bingo card (which, at this point, would have come in mighty handy).
"El Paso and L. W. Hoffecker-one doesn't go without the other, and we made both; then off to Phoenix where Leon and Effie Belt showed us the town again. In return we introduced them to their greyhound races, with Mrs. A.K. picking winners all the way down the line. Why stay in the coin game?..
"Home, after 7,600 miles, 43 days with the grandest people-but home is home and, brother, we're glad to get back to find the youngsters and the Kreisberg clan in fine shape and the Gallery in full gear.
"Incidentally, Kreisberg's in a quandary about naming his rancho-The Alta 'K' seems to be leading. If you have a good name send it in-for the one submitting the best name in the next 120 years we will have a second-hand slightly used cent dated 1999. Hurry, there are only 120 years to go before the contest closes!"
The hoarding of coins by rolls was becoming popular, and in the December 1949 issue of Numismatic Gallery Monthly Abe Kosoff observed:
"Rolls are rolling into the market. The sooner they become absorbed and out of the way, the better-of course, several dealers will disagree and we respect their opinions, in fact, we'll prix them if they care to send them in. Can they just if roll collecting as a numismatic endeavor?"
Abe predicted that in the 1950 Standard Catalogue values on minor coins would be up a average of 15 % while gold prices would remain firm.