Railsplitter Coin Show brings collectors to the community

 

[June 22, 2023] 

Over the weekend the Railsplitter Coin Club hosted their annual coin show in the gymnasium at West Lincoln-Broadwell School. The event ran from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, June 17th, and was well attended by collectors with tables and vast numbers of collectible coins, as well as visitors in the market for such coins, or seeking to find buyers for coins of their own.

Flossie and Delzena’s was on hand with food for sale during the day. At the front door, visitors were greeted by club members and given the opportunity to enter a 50/50 drawing fundraiser for the club.

For youngsters, there was a table set up with “Captain Kidd’s Treasure Chest of World Coins.” Each child was encouraged to take two or three coins to keep and research on their own.

In addition to coin sellers/traders/collectors there was a large table with coin and paper bills storage containers and coin envelopes. The same vendor was also selling collector guidebooks and many other collector accessories.

According to Club President Doug Ebelherr, there had been a very large crowd early in the day, but by early afternoon business was winding down. He said that the club was pleased with the way the event had gone and the response from the community.

The Railsplitter Coin Club has been active for more than 50 years. Ebelherr said that is quite a long time for a club of this type, and he is happy that there are still those who are committed to the club. He said that membership is growing, though it grows slowly and sometimes in spurts. Over the last few years, the membership has grown enough that the club will be moving their monthly meetings soon to a larger venue.

Ebelherr said that for quite some time, the club had met at the Friendship Manor. When Covid came along, the club had to stop meeting and then, even after it was okay for people to gather again, the manor expressed concern about hosting the monthly meetings.

Ebelherr said it was understandable, but it left the club in the lurch for a minute. Then Monty Denny of All About Fun and Tactical Bunker in Lincoln stepped up and told the group it could meet at his property. The club has been there since, but as new members have recently come into the club, the space Denny provided is getting to be too small.

Therefore, the group will next month start meeting at the American Legion Post 263 on Fifth Street in Lincoln.

[Nila Smith]