Lockport, NY Coin Dealer

Classic Rarities – Historic Currency Dealer

Classic Rarities is a rare coin and historic currency dealer and consultant service located in Buffalo, NY. We provide coin and currency-related services for the entire Buffalo area. We’re specialists in numismatics — the study of physical currency. We’re available by appointment at our Buffalo location or we can schedule a time to come inspect your holdings at your bank, home or office.

We can liquidate coins and coin collections by consignment or direct purchase. We buy many individual rare coins and old paper currency, depending on value. We’ll also buy gold and silver bars and eagles, as well as a variety of mint sets and commemorative coin sets. We’ll appraise holdings for an hourly fee or provide consultation by the hour as well. If you need someone to handle the certification process for your coin collection, we can also help with that.

We’ve been in the Buffalo area since we began and we’re deeply familiar with our service area. Numismatics is history, in many ways, and we find being familiar with the history of our area helps us better serve our customers.

A Short History of Lockport, NY

Lockport, NY is named for two locks on the Erie Canal that fall within the city limits. Indeed, most of the history of the town and city are tied up in the history of the Erie Canal. In 1816 the New York State Legislature authorized the construction of the Erie Canal. The proposed route was to traverse central Niagara County, which was then free of settlement by Europeans. It was along this route that Lockport would later form.

Land speculators nearly immediately began to buy land along the proposed route. The nearest settlement to the route in the area at the time was Cold Springs, NY, some distance away. By 1820 the exact location of the step locks had been determined and some development began. The area was owned by only 15 men, almost all Quakers.

By 1824 the canal had reached the location of Lockport, though the locks weren’t completed until 1825. By 1829 Lockport was large enough to incorporate as a village. The community was primarily centered on the locks. The citizenry were mostly of Celtic descent, Irish and Scottish laborers brought in to work on the canal who remained afterwards. By 1865 Lockport became a city.

The Erie Canal was replaced in 1918 by the New York State Barge Canal. The south “flight of five” locks near Lockport were replaced by much larger locks, designated E34 and E35. The north “flight of five” lock chambers still exist as a spillway. Today, as the city of Lockport attempts to emphasize its history, officials in the city are seeking funding for a “living history” site on the remaining “flight of five” locks.

Classic Rarities is proud to serve the historic city of Lockport for any rare coin and currency services it may need!