Silver and gold

Checking out some of the silver coins brought in by Putnam County area residents, International Coin Collectors Association manager Eric Hirstein checks their condition and value Thursday. Approximately 150 people had visited the ICCA road show in the lower level of the Inn at DePauw University since Tuesday. The coin-buying group will be on site through 4 p.m. Saturday, looking for silver coins minted prior to 1965 along with items like scrap gold, old trains and old guitars. "With the economy like it is," Hirstein said, "a lot of people are cashing in (their old coins, etc.) because they're not using the stuff anyway and it's just sitting around in a drawer at home."