More than 1,000 independent coin dealers will decend on Philadelphia when the Whitman Coin & Collectibles Philadelphia Expo gets underway, this Thursday through Saturday, September 30 - October 2, 2010 in the Pennsylvania Convention Center.

The brutal British pirate who became an honored statesman, the U.S. Mint’s greatest mistakes and an auction featuring some of the rarest and most valuable U.S. paper money are among the many highlights. The Whitman Coin & Collectibles Philadelphia Expo is open to the public free of charge from Noon until 6:00pm on Thursday, September 30 and  from 10am until 6pm on Friday and Saturday, October 1 and 2. “Early Birds” are allowed onto the bourse floor at 10am on Thursday and at 9am on Friday and Saturday for a fee of $75. The Expo offers a range of activities suitable for the entire family:

• Tales of the Brutal Pirate Who Was Also an Honored Statesman. Writer Tom Sebring tells the amazing tale of Henry Morgan, the pirate who, upon his death, was given a 21 gun salute by ships of the British Royal Navy. Saturday, October 2 at 1pm in Room 305

• Kid’s Korner. Whitman Expos always provide an exciting and educational experience for children, including Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. Hands-on learning experiences impart knowledge about our economic system and the manufacture of coins and currency. Every child who attends will leave with at least one collectible. Thursday, September 30 from Noon until 6pm; Friday, October 1 from 10am until 6pm; and Saturday, October 2 from 10am until 6pm

• Chief Engraver of the U.S. Mint, John M. Mercanti. The thirteenth Chief Engraver of the U.S. Mint, Mr. Mercanti has produced more coin and medal designs than any other employee in Mint history. He will lead a discussion about numismatic engraving techniques and artistry and how these have changed in the past 100 years.  “Art Meets Technology: Transforming Saint Gaudens Gold from 1907 to 2009.” Saturday, October 2, 2010 at 11am in Room 305.

• The First United States Mint: Visual Presentation and Walking Tour of the Mint and its Neighborhood. Authors Len Augsburger and Joel Orosz uncovered a treasure trove of visual documentation of the first U.S. Mint in the form of the Stewart Archive. They will present images from their forthcoming book, “Pictures of the First United States Mint: The Numismatic Legacy of Frank H. Stewart” and then lead an informative walking tour of the Mint site and the surrounding historic neighborhood. Friday, October 1 at 1pm in Room 305.

• U.S. Mint’s Greatest Errors. Nicholas Brown and David Camire, co-authors of 100 Greatest U.S. Error Coins will present highlights from his book, recently published by Whitman Publishing. From broadstrikes to brockages, Brown takes you behind the scenes of the U.S. Mint and shows you where it all went wrong on the top U.S. error coins of all time. Friday, October 1 at 3pm and Saturday, October 2 at 10am in Room 305.

• Official Auction by Stack’s. This year’s official auction offers items from the collections of numismatic legends Q. David Bowers, Louise E. Eliasberg, Sr. and Chester L. Krause, among a group of 5,000 lots. Visit news.stacks.com for additional auction highlights. Thursday, September 30 and Friday, October 31 in Room 105B.

• American Paper Currency is the focus of the entire first day of the Official Auction of the Whitman Coin & Collectibles Philadelphia Expo. On Thursday, September 30, the Q. David Bowers Collection of Original Series and 1875 Aces and a number of other rare and remarkable lots will cross the auction block.

• The Gold <