USAuPzlBxBob

Here is the reply I got from NGC Service: Good morning, Robert, Thank you for reaching out to NGC. We apologize for the confusion. It appears the photo has not been updated in some time; however, we want to assure you the coin is in fact graded at an MS65. Most likely the coin was originally graded at an MS64 and was regraded at the MS65 but the photo was not updated with the grade. We cannot update the photo unless the customer decides to send the coin back to us for photos to be taken. Please let us know if you have any additional questions. Thank you. From my own experiences with NGC, I've never submitted an NGC slabbed coin for Regrade, so I don't know what is involved. However, from NGC's Homepage: Submit > Services & Fees > Regrade > Coins submitted for ReGrade will be removed from their NGC holder by NGC staff and encapsulated with a new NGC holder, label and certification number even if the grade doesn’t change. So, how is it that someone has a coin in the Registry that would have had to have received a new certification number and grade, and yet the old certification number still exists… but with a higher grade? This doesn't make sense at all.

ATS, a blatant example of how pronged holders can damage a fragile coin is shown at the end of the thread. (messydesk presents the thread link a few post above) The coin is a 1792 Quarter Dollar (white metal) and the prong indentations are clearly visible. Here on NGC's Coin Explorer, that very coin can be seen before prongs dented it:

Sent an email to service@ngccoin.com and will let everyone know what happens.

This is an interesting circumstance… I was looking at my 1914 D $5 Indian in the Registry, which is MS 64+ CAC, and I then clicked the NGC Coin Explorer for further info. I noticed that my coin, Registry-wise, was in 2nd place, with me losing out to foresthamilton@universalcoin.com since his coin is MS 65. I clicked on the image of his coin, and when it enlarged, it wasn’t displayed as MS 65, it instead showed MS 64. I copied down the Verify Cert # of his coin, and then checked its authenticity using 3217154-003 and grade of MS 64. It wouldn’t open. I then entered the same Verify Cert # again — 3217154-003 — but used the Grade of 65… and it opened. There again, the coin displayed is clearly MS 64. Have I been bumped to Registry 2nd Place in error? What gives? Bob

It appears that The NGC Airview Holder advertisement page involves a little photoshopping. Consider the coin, Cert # 6327127-003, used twice on the page. One photo shows the dramatic "Blue Sky" background and the other shows the stack of "Holders" background. Zooming in and out on my computer screen to get the two holder photos to match, width-wise at the center height of the coin, the following measurements were taken: Description Coin Opening Holder Blue Sky 32 mm 90 mm 142 mm Holders 46 mm 90 mm 142 mm A little advertising "puffery" with the Blue Sky example. (suspected it was a little too dramatic) ATS, Rexford seems to have posted his own coins that involve the new NGC Airview Holders, and which reveal more fully how things will probably look. You can see the white inner layer sandwiching, which shows a seam between the layers. (NCG's advertisement page has boosted brightness and the available contrast does not show the "seam" between the white inner layers.)

It is an interesting concept. However, the concept is barely revealed though we do know that the holders are the same kind of holders on the two outermost layers that we are currently familiar with. Then we come to the new inner layers concept: "securely suspending a coin between two layers of high-quality polymers that are both crystal clear and fully inert." This tells us that for this to work, there needs to be built in, self centering, physics involved. (and we also know that coins over 30 mm diameter are not eligible) Imagine yourself trying to solve this conundrum. How might you approach it? I wouldn't want any sort of welding of the crystal clear high-quality layers to the white layers, I'd want it to be that these two layers would lay between the white layers in some way. Therefore, the key design element would be that the white layers would combined with the clear layers, such that when the "sandwich" results, centering forces occur. This is suggested from the four "buttons" that exist around the display circle, at equally distant corners around the display circle. One thing I will say with certainty, NGC will garner a lot of buzz from this new presentation holder, and with a potential patent to follow, PCGS is gong to "have a tough row to hoe" due to this NGC technological advancement. Competition and Capitalism… it's what makes America great!

It is a box that is a puzzle to open, that I keep coins in. Mine is a 6 Sun created by Mr. Yamanaka, and what attracted me to it was the simplicity and symmetry of its lid appearance, which then — many years later — led me in the direction of the strongbox creation. Never did I think that I would have a US gold coin collection… and yet things have come to fruition. Even I am amazed at the evolution process. For example, a friend came by one day because he knew I had a casual interest in lock picking, and he had an old box of locks — junk really — but two of them were worthy of my attention. So, I purchased the old bicycle lock (Hoffman-Packard-Carter) and the brass heart lock from him for $5 each. Working them into the scheme of things kept me busy a whole winter, trying one idea after another. Much more fun than just having a coin collection and a puzzle collection.

My main set is Puzzle Box Gold; an 1834 - 1933 US Gold Type Set, of which there is essentially only room in the puzzle box for 14 slabbed coins. So, no variance coins for any of the coins beyond gold dollars. To highlight the puzzle-box/strongbox aspect of the collection, I did create separate Registry subsets for each of the Mints involved so that I could include frontispiece photos for each of those sets, to portray the opening sequence of the strongbox. That's the only reason I created those gold-coin Registry Sets. Allows for eight frontispiece photos, in total. I did find a way to include two other NGC slabbed coins in the puzzle box; they're adjacent to the two stacks of seven coins each: one is the 2019 50th Anniversary Moon Landing gold coin, which adds the West Point modern day mintmark, and there is one other very early gold coin — an 1806 $5 pointed 6 gold coin of F15 CAC grade, which is just old and I've always liked it, never wanted to sell it. (those two coins are stored in their own separate Coin Armor ziplock, resting on their sides, together) There is absolutely no more room in the puzzle box for slabbed coins… no question about it. Nice to be done with collecting, and now it is just perfecting presentation via Owner Comments for each of the Registry Sets. My whole reason for collecting gold coins was to compliment my puzzle box collection, by being able to place something in the various puzzle boxes so that when someone finally solves a puzzle box there is a reward to be found within. (I've given puzzle boxes containing a gold coin as wedding gifts twice; but they contain modern day gold coins, not rare gold coins.)

Ali, I just visited my Custom Set while logged on, my first test of this since the Blue Heart from you was noticed, and it did not update its View(s) count. So far, so good. I will inspect the View(s) counter later on today, and even into the evening — without visiting my Custom Set — to give the daily software update a chance to run, and see if all remains well. Thank you for you help. Bob

Ali, please define what was resolved, and how so? Simple Question: Today, 05/02/22, and going forward in time, if an NGG member is logged in and views his/her Custom set(s), will the viewing(s) by that member, of his/her Custom Set(s), result in an increase of the View count(s) after the "daily software" updates in the evening? (I feel like I'm pulling teeth, here.) Previously, before 03/28/22, if a member was logged in and viewed his/her Custom Set(s), the View count for the Custom Set(s) would increase. Is this no longer the case? (a good thing… foot note Martha Stewart)

Since there is no mention of Phosphorous in the coin's composition, it almost had to have been plated in an electrolytic nickel plating bath. Probably a barrel plating technique involving current. Electrolytic nickel plating baths can vary the nickel's appearance from semi-bright to bright, depending on the nickel plating bath formulation. Not mentioned in the analysis was the total mass of the "penny." Nor was there mention of the analysis technique, which could reveal how deeply the analysis could probe the deposit. If you go to a "job shop" plating shop that deals with nickel plating, the platers there could probably open a desk drawer where they have lots of "souvenir" plated pennies. They'd be happy to give you one for free.

Other than a "blue heart” from Ali E. on my post from March 28 of this thread, has NGC changed the Views “counter” for Custom Sets to not update the number of Views each time the logged in owner views their own Custom Sets? (I’ve not visited my Custom Set since I posted in this thread, while awaiting a response — yea or nay — and especially after being encouraged by the “blue heart.”) Meanwhile, just this morning, I noticed that Gary Colon created/modified his American Women Quarters 2022-2025 Custom Set on 04/29/2022 and the Views on his set show “0.” What gives?

The solution to this problem is for our government regulators of the airline industry to fine the airlines. Not small fines… large fines. Solved.

Undoubtedly there is a way, but you're going to have to do the heavy lifting yourself. Your opening question is extremely vague, which may explain the lack of any response thus far. This may mean trial and error manipulations, maybe removing everything in a set to see if it is still part of your Registry when nothing is in it. These are questions you'll need to answer for yourself. You're going to have to get clever and extremely logical, so that you know an answer to what you're wondering about, by brute force. If I were you, I'd work out the "ideal idea" of how you want to be presented and viewed, first. Then see if there is an essential core that you would want to pare down to, to then build from there. Or if you really want to start all over, see what happens when you delete a set. Find out how you do that. It might involve one coin deleted at a time, and then see if you can delete the Set name entirely. If you then start another set in its place, same name, does anything glitch? Would you have to have an entirely different Set name? Make sure you have photos backed up on your home computer, likewise Owner Comments, too. No one is going to help you very much. You're on your own. You'll learn a lot, and this may be a good thread for us to tag along on, in case we become similarly "minded." Looking forward to what you learn along the way.

The movie The Right Stuff (1983) brought it to my attention, but there is no YouTube of the utterance of the famous line from the movie. In the movie, Alan Shepherd referred to himself as slang for a Mexican field laborer since he had been lying on his back for hours, had to "go," "went," and then made the comment. How about: Yo, well... Satin! Can you solve the Jumble?

Just perused the photos again, and the stunner "coin" that really caught my eye was the 2021 PCGS 35th Anniversary commemorative medal. If you weren't expecting Curtis Mease to present that to you, it must have been a very special moment, and a wonderful keepsake to take home from the Baltimore show. Gorgeous!

Always a good read, Charmy. And I too know the excitement of flying out of the Orange County Airport, out over the Pacific Ocean, getting to see that jetty-bordered channel of boats, early morning in my younger years. But more than this, you combine the highlights of creating an identity for yourself so beautifully — dare I say… legendary — by surrounding your retail-dealer experience with so many of the finer points of life: crisscrossing America from a birds-eye view, cordial & elegant hotel stays, fine dining, fine wines, and camaraderie and long-lasting friendships with others in the numismatic field. Raising a glass… cheers to you! Bob

Looked for Forest Fenn's treasure, August 2017. Didn't find it after looking for 15-minutes out around the Lander - Riverton area of Wyoming, and this after driving up from Santa Fe. Feeling silly there, alongside the East - West highway, so roughed in the polar alignment of the Questar 3.5" by dead reckoning, and just before noon turned on the clock drive. Then, to take things really off the hook, removed the solar filter and stared directly at the sun… so did my brother-in-law, too. After that it was, "Slow down! I see spots! The lines on the road just look like dots."

Have actually been to near the top of El Yunque, back in 1968. Ran up the trail with one of my siblings, leaving the adults behind. Up near the top, highest I had ever been on a mountain, where I asked a poncho draped hiker how far it was to the top, and was told it would take a good half an hour to an hour to reach the summit, we then immediately headed back down, literally running back down the mountain at full speed. The really great thing about the return trip trail — same one on the way up — was that "all roads lead to Rome." Meaning: Only on the way up are there branch trails that — on their way up — branch off to who knows where. But when coming back down, all trails merge into the main trail, and so — running down — we got back down to the parking lot without getting lost, to where my mother there was very angry with the two of us just disappearing, leaving the rest of the family to wonder where we were, or even how we were. Finally left the park late, driving in darkness toward the end, but what an adventure it was to run up and down that trail in that major rainforest of Puerto Rico.

When I am logged into NGC and view any of my Competitive Sets, the Views count does not increase. Perfect! However, if I am logged into NGC and view my one and only Custom Set, the Views count increases each time I view it, even though I am logged in. Would like the NGC Registry to change the Views "counter" for Custom Sets to not update the number of Views each time the logged in owner of a Custom Set views their own set. In this way, modifications to an owner's Custom Sets will not artificially skew upward the Views counts. If there are views of any of my Registry Sets, Competitive or Custom, I'd like to feel confident that the views are from others, and not from myself.

Cool "squealer scar."

Noticed that my Puzzle Box Gold collection went up in value (NGC's assessment of the coins combined) on: October 20, 2021; $50 higher October 22, 2021; $100 more February 4, 2022; $75 more February 7, 2022; $75 more March 23, 2022; $100 more

Golden threads and silver needles, will not shake… wait a minute, that's not how it goes…

I'll be chiming in, eventually. I just unboxed my brand new 13" M1 MacBook Pro, and my 2011 15" MacBook Pro will soon be retired. With the 2011 15" machine, I could proceed casually, everything fine... but as soon as I would click Photos, it would crash. We're talking pink screen rebooting with a grey rectangle around the Apple logo, then it would crash again, and, well, its video card was shot. This new machine is making my head spin. Have already transferred everything from the old machine via an external Time Machine SSD. Getting there...

I didn't understand the Pattern and Experimental book cover, and I immediately noticed the penny with WAR SERIES. Huh? I don't remember ever seeing one of those! So I got out my Red Book and went to the Lincoln Cent pages. Nothing there. Came back to the Pattern and Experimental cover photo again, and finally put two and two together again. The WAR SERIES was just an idea that stayed as "just an idea." My only excuse is that I wrapped up doing my taxes last week, and they took me around 20 hours over seven days. Still mail them in, but they're a work of art when completed. Last time they'll be difficult as I am no longer on the ACA going forward, and I now get the senior Standard Deduction.