It’s both an end and a new beginning. The old adage “all good things must come to an end” took on a new meaning June 2 with the expected disclosure that the 40th International Paper Money Show would be the last held in Memphis, Tenn. The next one will be in Kansas City, Mo., from June 7 to 11, 2017, at the Sheraton Kansas City Hotel at Crown Center.

When the idea of a show dedicated exclusively to paper money was proposed by Mike Crabb in the mid-1970s, there were some skeptics — but not for long. The “First Paper Money Convention,” sponsored by the Memphis Coin Club, opened on June 4, 1977, and it quickly became a fixture, rivaled in the world of currency collecting only by the fair in Maastricht, Netherlands.

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Lyn Knight bought the show from the Memphis Coin Club several years ago and instituted improvements in programs, appearance, and management. Unfortunately, Memphis lost its status as a airline hub at about the same time, and it has become an excessively costly and time consuming journey for many attendees.

Kansas City will be easier to get to and will be a pleasant surprise to those who don’t know it well. It has been called the “Paris of the Plains” and the “City of Fountains,” and consistently ranks among the most beautiful and livable cities in America. It is home to major league sports, world class museums and shopping, and fine dining. Many students of the genre even posit that the barbecue offered in Kansas City is far superior to that in Memphis.

Information will eventually be available here.