bstrauss3

 Humpty Dumpty, in Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking Glass (1871):

“When I use a word,” Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, “it means just what I choose it to mean – neither more nor less.”

“The question is,” said Alice, “whether you can make words mean so many different things.”

“The question is,” said Humpty Dumpty, “which is to be master——that’s all.”

On 5/28/2024 at 10:49 AM, RWB said:

....and what does "First Day of Mintage" mean? Is the encapsulated coin from the pieces struck on the first day coins were produced? How was that determined? (If it's like the Kennedy halves that were "certified" it's a false certification.)

Unless they can prove the entire mintage was made on a single day, or have records showing the mint resumed minting after the receipt date, they can't prove it.

So, it's just Marketing puffery.

"This chariot was only driven to the temple on feast days by a little old Roman Lady."

OK, you got me...

On 5/15/2024 at 8:11 PM, Henri Charriere said:

Don't feel bad.  A postal clerk once confided in me that the Tracking Number is key.  My problem was devising a sensible approach to problem-solving. Why would anyone insure, or send certified with a tracking number, a plain old greeting card, and if so, for how much without drawing the very attention you are seeking to avoid? 

You did the right thing. I believe speed is important (First Class/Priority Mail) packing things properly for shipment is important -- and that tracking number is important.  

Easy. Have you met my Mother?

If I send her {birthday|Mother's Day|Anniversary} card two weeks ahead of the date, I get a snarky comment about being early.

If I send her {birthday|Mother's Day|Anniversary} card so that it should arrive per USPS published delivery standards on the Friday or Day before said event ... it arrives late (bleep you DeJoy) and I get an endless rasher of {redacted}.

Tracking allows me to show I mailed it on time.

Photos prove what the card said so I can refresh my memory at how clever I am.

On 5/20/2024 at 5:18 PM, zadok said:

...fortunately there isnt enuf space on cert labels for footnotes....

There certainly is space on the web page for a given certification #.

The NGC QR stickers were one of the samples distributed at ANA WFoM 2023. It is, however a static code.

The PCGS NFC chips generate a URL with the cert# and a time-based nonce. This allows the URL to "expire" after about 10 or 15 minutes. You then need to rescan to create a new URL with a new nonce. If you want to send someone a link - say a prospective buyer - you can use the old style https://www.pcgs.com/cert/######## link.

On 12/23/2023 at 10:34 AM, VKurtB said:

Perhaps a “suit” at the NGC booth?

Point: Kurt

BUT I'm pretty sure that type doesn't do something so mundane as hanging around at the "factory" as it were.

On 12/17/2023 at 2:19 PM, VKurtB said:

Me neither, but if I ever found an NGCX holdered coin that I wanted (a lonnnnnnng shot, but possible) I wouldn’t hesitate to buy it, because I intuitively understand the equivalent grades. I might want to get the slab autographed by a clueless MBA from a private equity firm, though. 

Where are you going to find one of those :-)

Won't be peak until you have MS-71, MS-72 &c

vs: https://www.economist.com/podcasts/2023/10/05/why-businesses-are-struggling-to-keep-customers-happy

There are over 280,000 NGC listings right now.

As pointed out upthread they are accepting - still only from a small # of bulk submitters - classic coins.

To Henri's comment, yes, but if you squander the initial publicity window, that's something you never get back.

Legally, the weight should be the old weight until the effective date of the new weight, regardless of design, right? And the arrows are the markers for the changed weight.

The closed vs. open 3 is just a minor design item - the best bet would be for somebody who knows how to find things at NARA to come across a letter explaining it. If only we knew such a chap....

Talked to a medium-sized dealer at the show yesterday (Grapevine).  He said "poof". Now he doesn't sell a lot of bullion coins, but NOBODY at the show (Grapevine, a 70-table regional) had any for sale either.

He also said that opinions on the CACG slab are running 60% negative, 40% positive. Common objections are size and it doesn't fit in existing boxes.

YMMV

When NGCX was introduced, there were a flurry of items for sale on eBay. I looked recently and there were only a few hundred listings.

Did the market vote No?

On 9/14/2023 at 6:41 PM, Henri Charriere said:

If any member were to be taken in by this amateurish attempt, that would explain why such scams are regarded as a threat.

It's usually said that it's a reverse intelligence test... they're trying to avoid wasting effort on people who will wise up before sending money.

in fact, the sample given is "better" than the usual drivel.

On 8/18/2023 at 4:03 PM, Just Bob said:

I assume you are referring to your wife. I am very glad she did not suffer a stroke. A slipped disk is bad enough, but a stroke can be devastating.

Cat actually. 18 year old Calico. She's recovering nicely, walked upstairs today to complain about something I didn't do and then trotted right back downstairs.

Continues to show the fallacy of trying to maintain a fixed gold:silver ratio and argue with the market.

On 8/13/2023 at 3:59 PM, VKurtB said:

It is. That's Pat McBride in Ben Franklin costume. There was also an Abraham Lincoln and George Washington. The Lincoln impersonator in still trying to get me hooked up with his agent as a "Robert R. Lee". Every time he passes me he calls me General Lee. I assume he's not referring to the car.

 

Oh dear ghu, if you start running around in Daisy Dukes, the apocalypse is surely next week!

I was only able to attend for about a day and a quarter as I had to return home for a medical emergency. She's fine - wasn't a stroke, it was a slipped disk.

Anyway @VKurtvB I'm actually aware of seven sample slabs...

Participant, finalist, and winner in Adult and YN

The Enhanced QR code.

Pics and permission to use for the Sample Slab book would be appreciated. Although ANA WFoM missed the 31 March 2023 cut off for the 3rd edition so it's not urgent.

That's not how it's generally reported.

A gold bean means the coin is solid (A or B coin) at the NEXT grade level.

CAC ignores + and *.

I found a very similar image for sale at one of the cheap stock photo sites. I didn't bother to search for the exact one (I thought I had found it, but my peeps corrected me ATS).

The site costs $25/month for up to 5 photos.

It was reported at the time - weeks ago. I sent the article to my relatives.

On 4/15/2023 at 1:45 PM, Jason Abshier said:

@powermad5000 that’s exactly what I trying to say does really matter what “value” of a coin is when you submit it ? Not really ! A coin is supposed to be graded on it’s condition not it value … that’s where grading companies are making market grading instead of conservative grading … if I submitted a $100 raw Morgan , and you submitted $400 Morgan but you had had to pay more $$$$ just to have your coin graded out at MS65 … I went with lower tier for my $100 Morgan it also came back MS65 … Did the raw value really matter ? Is value is what determines your grade or my graded coin ? Did the grader see the guy who sent in $400 Morgan must get MS65 since he paid more ? Is grading company buying the coins off us ?? Nope … both our coins are put in same plastic holder , both our coins went through the same grading process to get that grade … I don’t see whole point in all upper tiers why not just have it simple one price for whole “classic coin” tier … at end contact sender let them know all coins graded out to be so they can be charged insurance on shipping that’s it … 

You are missing the most important points.

1. If you undervalue there is a significant chance they will charge you the higher price. You agreed to that in the T&C.

2. If you undervalue and they don't catch it, that puts a limit on the insurance that is placed on the coin(s) in shipment and limits the payout if they are lost, stolen, or damaged.