{"id":1112,"date":"2016-02-22T12:06:52","date_gmt":"2016-02-22T12:06:52","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2023-09-03T08:02:04","modified_gmt":"2023-09-03T15:02:04","slug":"the-penny-lady-story","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/thepennylady.com\/the-penny-lady-story\/","title":{"rendered":"The Penny Lady\u00ae Story"},"content":{"rendered":"
Charmy acquired her passion for coins late in life after inheriting a group of coins from her aunt.\u00a0 Not knowing anything about coins, she chose one type of coin \u2013 Indian cents \u2013 and learned everything she could about them.\u00a0 She eventually turned her passion into a full-time business known as \u201cThe Penny Lady \u00ae,\u201d dealing in all things pennies and sets up at most of the major coin shows around the country.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/em><\/span><\/h5>\n
Charmy regularly publishes a very popular photo show report about her experiences and adventures as a dealer at coin shows. She has also written and published numerous articles for various coin publications, including the ANA’s The Numismatist.<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n
She is a member of numerous specialty coin clubs and served as President of Women in Numismatics (WIN) from 2013-2022.\u00a0 For five years, Charmy also served as the Chair the ANA\u2019s Dealer Relations Committee which provided the ANA Board with feedback and recommendations on improving the ANA\u2019s National Money and World\u2019s Fair of Money Shows.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n

Charmy is very honored to have<\/span><\/em><\/span>\u00a0received the following prestigious awards from the ANA:<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/span><\/em><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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  • \n
    In 2021, Charmy received the ANA\u2019s Glenn Smedley Memorial Award which was created in memory of Glenn B. Smedley, a collector’s collector, to recognize individuals who have devoted their efforts to the betterment of the ANA.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/h5>\n<\/li>\n
  • \n
    During the CSNS show in April 2019, Charmy was the recipient of the Central States Society\u2019s inaugural Q. David Bowers Award for lifetime achievement by a numismatic professional.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/h5>\n<\/li>\n
  • \n
    In August 2017, Charmy received the ANA\u2019s Elvira Clain Stefanelli Memorial Award for Achievement in Numismatics which honors women who have made significant contributions to numismatics.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/h5>\n<\/li>\n
  • \n
    In 2014, she received the ANA Presidential Award for her outstanding service in the numismatic community.<\/strong><\/em><\/h5>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
    Further, Charmy’s <\/span><\/em><\/span>numismatic exhibit, \u201cPenny Potpourri \u2013 a Collection of Penny Creations,\u201d won top honors, including Best of Show and People\u2019s Choice awards at numerous coin shows throughout 2013-2014. In addition to being a dealer, Charmy has remained an avid collector and continues to add coins and penny exonumia to her extensive personal collections.<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n
    \u00a0The following is the story of how Charmy got started in numismatics.<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n
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    \u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
    The Penny Lady\u00ae Story
    <\/b><\/span><\/em>by Charmy Harker<\/span><\/em><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/h5>\n

    When I was in my late 30\u2019s I had no clue what a numismatist was.\u00a0 I was a litigation paralegal in a large law firm in Southern California and always thought of myself as a typical working mom living on a quiet cul-de-sac with my husband, two teenage boys, and beautiful German shepherd.\u00a0 I usually spent my evenings making dinner, helping with homework, doing laundry, attending school and sports functions \u2013 you know, the usual mom stuff.\u00a0 Also, I had always been very active in the scouting program as a parent volunteer, and spent a lot of time encouraging and prodding our two boys on their path to becoming Eagle Scouts.\u00a0 So my \u201cplate\u201d was pretty full and I never dreamed of becoming not just a coin collector, but also a coin dealer!<\/em><\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    Ever since I was a young girl, I enjoyed collecting all kinds of things, including souvenir spoons, stamps, old tins, troll dolls, and numerous other trinkets.\u00a0 My family was often on the verge of doing an \u201cintervention\u201d and sending me to \u201cCollectors Anonymous\u201d meetings when I inherited several boxes of coins from my aunt.\u00a0 My kids just rolled their eyes and said, \u201cHere we go again, more dust-gathering junk for Mom to hoard.\u201d\u00a0 I scoffed at their cynicism and was very anxious to see what might be in these ancient-looking metal containers.\u00a0 So I dusted off the lids and began sorting through each box.\u00a0 There were all denominations of U.S. coins spanning from the early 1800\u2019s to 1970\u2019s, and included everything from brand new shiny silver dollars to dark old tarnished half-dimes.\u00a0 Then I noticed there was an entire box of what looked like pennies with a portrait of an Indian on the front.\u00a0 I had seen a Buffalo nickel before but never had I seen or even known about an Indian penny \u2013 I just assumed Lincoln was always on the U.S. cent.\u00a0 Wow, I thought these old pennies must be rare and valuable!<\/em><\/p>\n

    \u00a0As I flipped through the coins, I noticed a price penciled on the back of some of the 2 x 2 cardboard holders which I assumed was what my aunt originally paid for each coin.\u00a0 Even though many of the pennies contained low-end price figures, I was amazed that she had paid up to $100 for some of them.\u00a0 I even came across a 1914-D Lincoln cent that had $250 written on the back.\u00a0 I thought, \u201cImagine that \u2013 one little old penny being worth that much money!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

    \u00a0I reasoned, if one penny was worth $250, the dollars, quarters, dimes and nickels must be worth even more since they were a higher denomination.\u00a0 So I showed the boxes to a local coin dealer to see what the whole collection might be worth. \u00a0After quickly thumbing through the coins and making some notations on a piece of paper, the dealer gave me the figure he would be willing to pay, and immediately my heart sank.\u00a0 I thought, \u201cHow do I know if these coins are worth what this dealer is telling me? I didn’t know anything about coins?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

    What I didn\u2019t know I could learn.\u00a0 So I told the dealer \u201cno thanks,\u201d and right there on the spot I decided I would study and learn all I could about these potential little gems.\u00a0 However, having a family and a full-time job, I knew I wouldn\u2019t have much spare time to learn about all the various U.S. coin series and figured it would be best to focus on just one series.\u00a0 But which one?\u00a0 I have always had a keen interest in Native American history and was quite enamored by the detail of the Indian pennies in my aunt\u2019s collection, so I chose to study Longacre\u2019s beautifully crafted Indian cent.<\/em><\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    \u00a0Next, I devoured every book and article I could find about Indian cents, copper coins, grading, detecting counterfeit coins, pricing coins, collecting in general, etc., and quickly became an avid customer of the ANA\u2019s website bookstore.\u00a0 I also joined the ANA, subscribed to several coin publications, and began attending local coin shows and pestering as many dealers who would give me the time of day.<\/em><\/p>\n

    \u00a0I spoke with many kind and friendly dealers, but out of all the ones I met, I have to give credit where credit is definitely due and that is to my Indian cent mentor and friend, Alan Kreuzer of Castro Valley, California.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/em><\/span><\/h3>\n

    I first approached Alan at a Long Beach coin show shortly after deciding to learn more about my \u201cgreat inheritance\u201d and began asking him everything I could think of about coins and, in particular, the Indian cent.\u00a0 He had a lot of patience and spent a great deal of time that day (and many others since) teaching me the basics of grading and how to look for good quality Indian cents.\u00a0 I also bought various grades of mint state common date Indian cents from him so I could learn to define the grade levels for myself.\u00a0 In the coming months, Alan continued to teach me about detecting hairlines, submitting coins to a grading service, particular supplies I needed, key dates, and what I feel was the hardest thing to learn \u2013 differentiating between artificially and originally toned coins.<\/em><\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    \u00a0<\/em>Eventually, Alan began letting me work with him at the Long Beach show.\u00a0 There, I could observe firsthand how the coin business was conducted.\u00a0 I especially enjoyed watching all the \u201cwheeling and dealing\u201d that occurs, and I believe Alan is one of the kings \u2013 if not The King \u2013 of the coin wheeler dealers!\u00a0 The time spent with Alan was truly priceless and indeed the best education I could ever have hoped for in my quest to learn about Indian cents and the coin business in general.<\/em><\/p>\n

    \u00a0After attending several shows, I began to trust and feel more comfortable with many of the local coin dealers I had met, in particular, Larry Hirsch who let me have a case of my own at his table. \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    These dealers also helped me learn to buy quality mint state Indian cents.\u00a0 I would find one I thought was pretty nice and show it to them and they would advise me as to whether they thought it was a \u201cgood deal\u201d or not and why.\u00a0 Pretty soon, I felt comfortable with my own grading skills and became fairly adept at tracking down nice mint state Indian cents at a decent price.\u00a0 I eventually decided to put together a high-end Indian set of my own.\u00a0 And, as many collectors will tell you, in order to support my newest collecting addiction, it soon became necessary to buy coins just for resale to help be afford to buy for my personal collection.<\/em><\/p>\n

    \u00a0First, however, I thought I should make my little expanding coin enterprise \u201cofficial\u201d which would also help me to take advantage of the tax benefits available to small business owners.\u00a0 So I decided to start my own business and began pondering catchy names.\u00a0 I finally came up with \u201cCoinCents\u201d since I had decided to specialize in only cents.\u00a0 However, I later changed the name of my business to \u201cThe Penny Lady\u201d since that is what I had become known as, and also trademarked “Penny Lady” in order to protect it.\u00a0 I also opened a post office box, discovered how to get a business license as well as a retail sales license, filed a fictitious business name statement with the county recorder, and even purchased the domain name \u201ccoincents.com\u201d (and later \u201cthepennylady.com) so I could create my own website.\u00a0 My sister, Corrine Bachman, who was a graphic artist in New Mexico, created a beautiful logo for my new company and designed my business cards and stationery.\u00a0 Now, I felt like a real coin dealer!<\/em><\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    \u00a0I decided to first try selling some of my aunt\u2019s lower end Indian cents on eBay.\u00a0 I learned by trial and error the best way to scan and create quality pictures of coins and how to write creative detailed descriptions.\u00a0 Even though I could only work on my eBay auctions during the evenings and weekends, I was auctioning off many coins each week and building up a nice little reputation.\u00a0 One of the most important things I learned was that following up and keeping in communication with my new-found customers was critical to maintaining long-term customers.\u00a0 It always gave me a great thrill when a customer would write to say how much he or she liked the coin they had purchased from me and that they thought my grading was accurate.\u00a0 To this day, some of my current customers are ones I originally acquired while selling on eBay.<\/em><\/p>\n

    \u00a0Even though you have to be very careful when buying coins sight unseen though online auctions, especially uncertified coins,\u00a0 it can also be very rewarding, as I discovered early on.\u00a0 I was scrolling through uncirculated Indian cents on eBay one day, and came across a coin that was advertised as a \u201cBU\u201d 1873 Indian cent.\u00a0 I clicked on the auction listing for more details and could see from the photo that the coin was indeed uncirculated and looked to have original toning, but there was no designation as to the exact grade and whether it was an open or closed 3.\u00a0 I decided to keep my bid closer to the low-end mint state open 3 price range.\u00a0 I ended up winning the coin for a mere $110 which is less than AU money for an 1873 open 3, so I thought I got a pretty good deal.\u00a0 However, within minutes of the auction closing I received an e-mail from a gentleman offering me $100 more than the closing price, because he said he especially liked the woodgrain toning of this particular 1873 Indian cent.\u00a0 I advised him I would have to evaluate the coin when I received it and get back to him.\u00a0 Now, this peaked my curiosity as to why he would offer double for this particular coin.\u00a0 I thought, \u201cMaybe he knows something I don\u2019t?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    \u00a0When the coin arrived, I was quite pleased with its appearance and quickly determined it was the closed 3 variety and graded it as MS63RB with a good shot at MS64RB.\u00a0 But, as a result of that gentleman\u2019s curious e-mail, I made sure to examine the coin very carefully. To my surprise, I noticed that the letters in \u201cLiberty\u201d was doubled.\u00a0 Not knowing much yet about Indian varieties, I decided to peruse my variety books to see if the doubling on this particular coin was mentioned for that year.\u00a0 When I compared it to the pictures of 1873 cents in Flynn\u2019s Indian cent die variety book, I determined that, although it was not the Snow 1 variety which exhibits strong doubling in all of the letters of Liberty, it was definitely the Snow 2 variety which had weaker but clear doubling in most of the letters of \u201cLiberty.\u201d\u00a0 When I discovered the value of this variety was about $2,500 in MS63 and $3,500 in MS64, I couldn\u2019t contain myself!\u00a0 I was so excited to share this great find with someone that I showed the coin to my usually skeptical husband and kids and told them what it was potentially worth.\u00a0 They stared at me like I had just landed from another planet.\u00a0 They couldn\u2019t believe anyone would pay that kind of money for a penny!\u00a0 I showed them the article and photo of the 1873 in the book and had each of them look at the coin through a loupe so they could see the doubling for themselves.\u00a0 I think that was the first time my family showed true respect for me as a coin entrepreneur and not as just a collector of more \u201cjunk.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

    \u00a0I took the coin to the next Long Beach show and showed it to Alan, as well as the ANACS grader, and several other dealers.\u00a0 They all agreed that it was indeed the Snow 2 variety and said it would grade at least MS63RB.\u00a0 I decided to shop it around the show to see what someone would actually pay for it and received offers from $1,000 to $2,000.\u00a0 I ended up selling it for $2,000 to a variety dealer who was very pleased with it.\u00a0 From a $110 investment, this was quite a nice little profit for me, and the experience also made me a believer in the value of varieties.\u00a0 As a matter of fact, I later received another 1873 from an eBay auction that also turned out to be Snow 2 variety.\u00a0 Even though it was only AU, I paid less than $100 for it while its value was close to $900.<\/em><\/p>\n

    I now participate in as many coin shows as possible all around the country, including the ANA shows, Whitman Baltimore, and Florida FUN coin shows.\u00a0 Also, about 12 years ago, I also joined a couple chat rooms so I could participate in online discussions about coins. At one point, I decided to create a post with lots of photos of one of the major shows I attended. It was so well received that I decided to continue posting a pictorial \u201creport\u201d of the various shows I attend all around the country, and was surprised at their popularity. At almost every show, someone would come up to my table and tell me how much they appreciated my posting these reports because they couldn\u2019t make it and the photos and reports made them feel like they were there. One day I received a private message from a man who said his father was no longer able to attend coin shows which were a big part of his life. And when he came upon my show report on the PCGS message board, the man told me that his father got tears in his eyes because my show report was the next best thing to actually being at the shows that he loved attending. Well, this made me teary-eyed myself! So I\u2019ve been posting my show reports ever since!<\/em><\/p>\n

    One day when I was perusing eBay, I came across an interesting looking teapot charm made from a penny. So I ended up buying it, and that started my passion for collecting penny exonumia \u2013 anything made from or using a penny. I had already been collecting encased pennies, but these tiny teapot pennies really intrigued me. So I did some research and discovered that they were made by prisoners and soldiers in the 1930\u2019s and 1940\u2019s. I also found other interesting pieces like pie cutters, victory pins, capped cents, pocket mirrors, and all sorts of other things made from pennies and began collecting them as well.<\/em><\/p>\n

    \"\" \"\" \"\" \"\" \"\"<\/p>\n

    Several years ago I attended Larry Sekulich\u2019s class at the ANA Summer Seminar on creating an educational exhibit. I really enjoyed the class and decided to put together an exhibit of my penny exonumia, and entitled it \u201cPenny Potpourri \u2013 Things Made Out of and Using Pennies.\u201d I entered it into exhibiting competition at several of the shows I attended throughout the year, and was quite shocked and surprised at how well it was received, and how well it did at the shows. I was very pleased to have received several top honor awards, including the Best of Show, Best New Exhibitor, and People\u2019s Choice awards at the FUN show.<\/em><\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    \u00a0Looking back on starting out as a brand new coin enthusiast to having amassed quite an empire of nice small cents, I see how that little inheritance was the beginning of something very special and rewarding for me.\u00a0 And because I am a woman who specializes in only cents, that’s how I earned the dubious title of \u201cThe Penny Lady\u201d and made it my company name, and eventually trademarked it.\u00a0 While I find being female is somewhat of an oddity among coin dealers, I have never been made to feel like an outcast or that I didn\u2019t belong in this business.\u00a0 On the contrary, most every coin dealer with whom I have come into contact has been more than kind and helpful to me and have become my friends.\u00a0 Also, many dealers now even refer their Indian cent customers to me, which to me is the highest compliment since it means that I have gained the trust of my fellow coin dealers.<\/em><\/p>\n

    Even though I sell a lot of coins on my website, I find dealing one on one with customers at coin shows so much more rewarding. To me, it\u2019s like buying a new outfit at a department store rather than ordering it through a catalog \u2013 you get instant gratification!\u00a0 One of the side benefits that I feel is important in participating in coin shows is the comradery and \u201cnetworking\u201d that frequently occurs between the dealers.\u00a0 Even if a coin show doesn\u2019t turn out to be as profitable as I anticipated, I truly have enjoyed every show I\u2019ve attended. There always seems to be something new to learn, some new variety to discuss, some rare coin newly discovered, or even just the opportunity to listen to the never-ending discussions about the inconsistencies of the coin grading companies or issues with how a show is run, etc. And for me, the best part of attending these shows is, after we wind down the last deal, put away our coins, lock up our cases, cover up our tables, put the chairs up, then wearily walk down the now-deserted aisles of the bourse floor, we know that soon we\u2019ll be seated at one of the town\u2019s exceptional restaurants sharing a bottle or two of fine wine, delicious food, and more entertaining stories with our fellow coin dealer buddies!<\/em><\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    Charmy’s Service to Numismatics<\/u><\/strong><\/h2>\n

    In August 2013, Charmy proudly began serving as President of Women in Numismatics (WIN) until WIN disbanded in 2022.\u00a0 From 2015-2019, she also served as the Chair of the ANA\u2019s Dealer Relations Committee with a mandate to gather information and suggestions on how the ANA can better serve dealers at its coin shows.\u00a0 Further, Charmy regularly writes a travel-blog about her travels and experiences at many of the coins shows she attends and publishes them on her website, Facebook and various numismatic forums.\u00a0 She also volunteers to help with the kids\u2019 treasure trivia hunts at many of the ANA and other coin shows.<\/p>\n

    Numismatic Presentations<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
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    • Fly-In Club on \u201cLouis Werner\u2019s Capped Cents\u201d \u2013 January 2019<\/li>\n
    • WIN Club on \u201cPenny Pots and Pins Made by Offenders and Defenders\u201d \u2013 August 2018<\/li>\n
    • San Jose Coin Club on \u201cPenny Pots and Pins\u201d \u2013 January 2016<\/li>\n
    • Northern California Numismatic Association on \u201cThe Future of Our Hobby\u201d \u2013 September 2016<\/li>\n
    • Las Vegas Numismatic Society on \u201cPenny Exonumia\u201d \u2013 December 2016<\/li>\n
    • Southern California Numismatic Association on \u201cPenny Potpourri\u201d \u2013 2015<\/li>\n
    • ANA Sundman Lecture Series on \u201cLincoln Penny Exonumia: Things Made Out of or Using Lincoln Pennies\u201d \u2013 August 2015<\/li>\n
    • ANA Summer Seminar on \u201cPenny Potpourri\u201d \u2013 June 2015<\/li>\n
    • WIN Club on \u201cPenny Potpourri\u201d \u2013 2013<\/li>\n
    • Fly-In Club on \u201cPenny Potpourri\u201d \u2013 2013<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      \u00a0<\/h3>\n

      Numismatic Clubs and Organizations<\/u><\/strong><\/h3>\n
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      • ANA (American Numismatic Association) \u2013 Member 1999-present; Chair of Dealer Relations Committee \u2013 2013-2019; Member By-Laws Committee – 2021-present<\/li>\n
      • CAC Coin (Certified Acceptance Corporation) \u2013 Authorized Dealer 2005-present<\/li>\n
      • CSNA (Central States Numismatic Society) \u2013 Member 2013-present<\/li>\n
      • CTCC (Condor Token Collector\u2019s Club) \u2013 Member 2010-present<\/li>\n
      • CONECA (Combined Organization of\u00a0<\/li>\n
      • EAC (Early American Copper Club) 2008-presentNumismatic Error Collectors of America) – Member 2022-present<\/li>\n
      • Fly-In Club (Flying Eagle\/Indian Cents Club) \u2013 Member 2002-present; Proofreading Editor 2002-present; Director of State Rep Program 2018-present<\/li>\n
      • FUN (Florida United Numismatists) \u2013 Member 2008-present<\/li>\n
      • NGC (Numismatic Guaranty Corporation) \u2013 Authorized Dealer 2005-present<\/li>\n
      • PCGS (Professional Coin Grading Service) \u2013 Authorized Dealer 2005-present<\/li>\n
      • PNNA (Pacific Northwest Numismatic Association) \u2013 Member 2007-present<\/li>\n
      • WIN (Women in Numismatics) Member 2010-2013; President 2013-2022<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        \u00a0<\/h2>\n

        Charmy’s Wonderful World of Indian Cent Errors
        and Varieties Presentation<\/span><\/h2>\n