Show me the money: Fair showcases rarest coins, $100,000 bills, billion-dollar securities

In the money: Fair showcases $100,000 bills, coins

BOSTON — Hundreds of coin dealers and collectors looking to tap into the resilience of rare coins in the economic downturn are in Boston for the premier money show.

The World’s Fair of Money features rare sheets of $100,000 bills, gold treasures dating back to the California Gold Rush era, rare coins from as far back as Colonial times and government securities worth more than a billion dollars.

The U.S. Treasury Department’s Bureau of Engraving and Printing is handing out $150 bills as souvenirs, but they have no value because the money is finely shredded.

The show is expected to generate about $140 million from auctions and trades before it ends Saturday.

There are an estimated 200,000 serious coin collectors and more than a million casual collectors in the U.S.