DWLange

When I joined NGC in 1994 we were giving out chocolate slabs as samples. They depicted a 1953 Franklin Half Dollar inside an NGC holder, the whole wrapped in aluminum foil. If I had saved one it would likely bring a huge price on eBay, but the chocolate was already stale at that time. Don't ask me how I know that...

The 0 to O relationship works only for altered date coins. An outright counterfeit could be made in the same alignment, provided that the manufacturer is aware of this peculiarity.

It's 1920-D. The 1926 date has a closed loop to the 9, and the entire date nearly fits under the bust. Here's an explanation of why this was done: https://www.ngccoin.com/news/article/7012/

Chocolate trumps gold any day!

I won't comment on the authenticity of the OP's coin, but the presence of cuds on obverse and reverse is something seen on genuine 1804 in the 'c' die state: https://www.ngccoin.com/variety-plus/united-states/cents/draped-bust-cents-1796-1807/812980/

They all look fake to me. Indeed

They half penny samples went also to the kids who participated in Treasure Trivia, but I don't know how many were dispensed through that game.

Typically, show walkthrough grading is offered for submissions received no later than Thursday. The coins are slabbed and delivered onsite, usually in two days time, though the ones taken in on Thursday have to be completed by Friday. Onsite grading is offered by NGC at the Winter and Summer FUN shows and at the Spring and Summer ANA conventions. The recent ANA in Rosemont was an exception, as there was too much uncertainty due to Covid restrictions to allow for it in time.

You need to add a Declared Value for each. Since you checked Economy, the value limit is $300 per coin.

Walkthrough is the name of the grading tier for coins valued by the submitter over $10,000. This service applies whether a coin is submitted for in-office service or turnaround at a coin show. The fee for having it done at a show is higher. For coins valued over $25,000 there is Unlimited Walkthrough, which costs twice as much or more, as the fee is determined by the base price of $350 plus 1% of fair market value. https://www.ngccoin.com/submit/services-fees/ngc/

Stained, not damaged.

Its color is irrelevant, as the coin is fake. There's poor detail on the Liberty figure, and the date is puffy.

Roger, you forgot #23---too many grumpy old men.

The only issue I have with that coin is that there's no weakness of strike adjacent to the void. I would expect the coin's rim to fade into the void if it had existed at the time of striking. In any case, NGC's mint error attributor is David Camire, so this would be his call.

The government’s management personnel system virtually GUARANTEES all institutional memory gets killed off with every new administration. Career people are ignored and/or moved out and the political appointees take over and ignore all learned lessons. That reminds me of my own funny story while working with the U. S. Mint. In the late 1990s NGC was asked by it to provide educational content for its H.I.P. Pocket Change website, and I wrote enough material to fill a book. No sooner was the task completed there was a change in management of the program, and everything I did was tossed into the trash can. It wasn't a total waste, as I do still have the very comfortable U. S. Mint lanyard that I was presented, and my loupe is suspended from it at all coin shows.

Not to make excuses, but it should be evident from the long turnaround times on grading that the grading services are slammed with coins right now. At NGC we make every effort to resolve a complaint quickly and fully, but currently we're so busy that it may be a week or two before someone even gets to the message.

This works, too: NGCcoin.com/variety-plus.

It is a modern fake that's been artificially "aged."

NGC is indeed slammed but still standing. It's been a terrific show so far. The Tyrant USA type set is amazing, and I recognized a few old acquaintances among the many gems. I also checked for possible upgrades to my own type set and discovered that every one of them qualified!

I would describe that as die erosion doubling, since it's a repeating effect with each coin struck from the dies in that late state. The term die abrasion doubling is used also by some.

This week's COIN WORLD did include a full-page obituary for Keith that features a nice photo of him with younger brother Rick. Keith had an amazing collection of pre-WWII toy trains and was an authority on certain obscure brands. I got to see some of his pieces before he retired to Phoenix, where was looking forward to getting the rest of his collection out of storage, but his decline progressed too quickly to realize that dream.

The premium on a minor variety barely covers the $15 fee, and 1959-D has so many similar RPMs that NGC might dismiss it as too minor to distinguish. It's more fun than valuable.

Yes, but quite minor. It's probably illustrated at the VarietyVista website.

Coin folders made prior to 1960 are notorious for coins falling out, especially plain edge coins. Whitman retooled at that time with a lock-in cut to the openings.

Fred's retirement has been coming for some time and has nothing to do with any developments at PCGS. My collection of coin boards, folders, and related ephemera has benefitted greatly from his recent house-cleaning efforts. Fred's a great guy, and I'm going to miss seeing him on the bourse.