zadok

Whether the Grand Master and Numismatist of the Year likes it or not, or accepts it or not, he is a role model with a bearing to maintain on a public Forum.

[It's summer. There's a full moon tonight. Out of an abiding respect for the OP, and in deference to the valid criticism lodged by several members on a thread currently running on another Forum, I am going to withhold comment so as to allow Mike's topic to unspool in an orderly fashion.]

I have already had three live conversations about this thread here at Summer Seminar. Four people. All four dismiss RWB's opinion about shipping differences between Carson City and San Francisco, and these are among the top experts in the field, who spent serious bucks to be here.

Correct. The movement of gold from San Fran to Denver ROUGHLY coincided with the movement from Philly to Fort Knox. Both were pre-war planning for a possible invasion on the coasts. The amazing part is that Denver is pretty close to West Point in quantity, with Fort Knox WELL in the lead. Don't try to convince The Gentleman from the Great Commonwealth of Kentucky, Senator Paul, that it's still there, though.

For the Record...
The Franklin halves were 90% silver and were minted over l7 years.
The F20FR GR were 90% gold and were minted over 16 years.
I do not recall anyone ever referring to Franklin halves as "bullion" coins to be "invested" in and believe any collector of the series couldn't care less if the first half of the set were called Originals and the second half, Restrikes. Collectors of type sets collect on the basis of years coins were minted and, where applicable, mintmarks.
I collected roosters, first and foremost, on design appeal. Their gold bullion or numismatic value was never a consideration. Compiling the best possible set, limited solely by availability, was my driving force.
You view F20FR GRs from a completely different perspective than I do.  Let me splain that for you: if gold tanks, you lose.  I do not lose anything. Why? Because I still have my roosters.  It's nothing more complicated than that.

SOME GOOD-NATURED JABBERWOCKY...   🤣
🐓  :  Goals?
Q.A.:  My God, you're right! Goals?  WHAT GOALS?? Since when have goals ever been attainable???  
No goals!  Only TACTICS!!!  You start a set, you are obligated to finish it, but hold on, you're not done yet.  
UPGRADES.  Yes, upgrades! Not every now and again.  NOW ! Every day, every hour, every minute!  No new listings?  Check!  Regularly!  Exercise vigilance!  Be creative! Resourceful!  Nobody's "done." No true collector is ever "done." That's stinkin' thinkin'. Check the census!  It says finer examples have been certified. Who's got 'em?  Check the Set Registry.  Nobody's got 'em. Move on... Make a mental note. Oh, you're an old hand at this. You know what to do. But never let your guard down.
It is your sacred duty as a dyed-in-the-wool, card-carrying collector to hunt every last one of 'em Barber halves down.  Get your APBs and BOLOs out!  Develop your network of contacts!  Make calls!  Get the word out!
Top Ten Set?  You want a medal?  You've got a lot more work to do!  And when you reach the top, don't forget, you must DEFEND your TITLE . To the death and --
🐓  :  -- Hey Q!  This is NOT the rooster thread!  Come along now...  Sorry, NN.  He's got the fever. By all means assemble another fine set of coins at your own pace.  Collecting should never be a job or become an obligation. Thanks for being a good sport.  

...yes...dimes, quarters n halves...basically decide what u want ur total investment to be n determine the grade that allows u to accomplish that goal, possibly decide the acceptable grade variation u can be satisfied with n u will have ur set boundaries...as u mentioned consult and/or join the BCCS, very good people....

...moral to this issue, only buy top-pop coins when buying foreign bullion gold coins n u never have to worry....

...yes...dimes, quarters n halves...basically decide what u want ur total investment to be n determine the grade that allows u to accomplish that goal, possibly decide the acceptable grade variation u can be satisfied with n u will have ur set boundaries...as u mentioned consult and/or join the BCCS, very good people....

Q.A.:  I am going to do the unthinkable.
🐓  :  What's that?
Q.A.:  Write the "ASK NGC/NCS" Forum and briefly state, "THIS is what they did over THERE. May I know where the Set Registry stands on this issue?"
🐓  :  Good Luck.  I hope they don't disappear us. 
Q.A.:  Once again, this is a risk I will have to take.  There are exponentially more collectors of the F20F GRs here, than there are over there. They (I guess that includes me) deserve the courtesy of a notice of intent. My identity was stolen over THERE.  I never cared much for assasination by deletion under cover of night. It's downright ungentlemanly.

...oh the real question is...which is worse? the babbling or the whining....

Q.A.:  BALDERDASH!  But I tell you what, he has implied he knows better -- AND HAS KNOWN BETTER -- than the collective expertise of every TPGS and their panels of highly acclaimed numismatists with centuries of experience amongst them.  I am going to plead my case to the ultimate authorities.
🐓  :  Will Moderation approve? What is your level of confidence?
Q.A.:  Zero, But I am afraid that it is a risk I have to take given the gentleman's cockiness and condescending tone...
To:  His Excellency Sheikh Mohammad Khalid, Acting Minister, Ministry of the Propogation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice.
(In short, the supplicant, OP, pleads his case and after due deliberation, a fatwa issues, as reproduced in its entirety, as follows...)
TO ALL TPGSs IN AMREEKA, AND THEIR FOREIGN OFFICES AND AFFILIATES, WHEREVER SITUATED:
IT HAVING BEEN BROUGHT TO THE MINISTRY'S ATTENTION THAT "Z's DECREE" HAS FALLEN BY THE WAYSIDE, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED THAT ALL RESPONSIBLE PARTIES BE  PUT ON NOTICE THAT FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH ITS PREMISE SHALL RESULT IN A SPECIAL ENFORCEMENT OPERATION.
THE ISSUE BEFORE THE MINISTRY IS SIMPLE. WHETHER ALL SET REGISTRIES FOR THE FRENCH 20-FRANCS GOLD ROOSTER SERIES SHALL BE SPLIT IN HALF AND THE ONE SET NOW EXTANT BE MADE INTO TWO.  THERE IS NO MERIT IN PETITIONER'S COMPLAINT. COMMINGLING OF GOLD ROOSTERS OF MIXED ORIGINAL/RESTRIKE PERSUASION HAS NEVER BEEN PERMITTED, WILL NO LONGER BE TOLERATED AND SHALL CEASE IMMEDIATELY.  IT IS WELL-SETTLED IN CASE LAW THAT THE INTEGRITY OF THE COINS MUST BE UPHELD AND SHALL BE, EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY, UNDER PENALTY OF APPLICABLE CODES.
SO ORDERED.
🐓  :  Oh well. You win some; you lose some.  I sure would like to know how come the two major TPGSs didn't know anything about this.
Q.A.:  Perhaps they never got the memo.  Perhaps we will never know. It's almost dawn; let's get some sleep. 'Nite, Ricky.

🐓  :  Hey Q, guess who reconsidered his decision to Ignore you?
Q.A.:  I see.  I guess after that Newbie posted a pornographic coin on his Topic recently, he accepted the possibility there are worse things out there than you and me.  
I do not plan to use any of the the things you cite. I used Brillo ©️ decades ago on the giant coin I posted on the Copper thread today and would like to see if an acetone bath and a warmed distilled water rinse will breathe life into it. No surgical tools required.
When I acquired the Newgate prison token from a seller on eBay at a whopping 25% off (I deliberately lied and told him his price did not reflect its FMV) the real reason was because the photo depicted a JET-BLACK coin in a cardboard flip. When I got it and held it in front of my eyes, it was JET-BLACK.  When I removed it from its holder, it was JET-BLACK and I barely made out the image, date and words on the back.
 I remembered Just Bob's advice on using olive oil and, much to my surprise, I found the preservation of its surface to be pristine. No chatter whatsoever in the fields. I took a clear photo and posted it on JB's token thread. None of any of the similar offerings on eBay were equal to or surpassed its superior condition -- or price. It would not be cost effective to submit it, but I intend to.  I MARCH TO THE BEAT OF A DIFFERENT DRUM.  

My mistake. You make it clear that you should be ignored. 

...yaaaaawn!....

But, but... he is the threadmaster!  He is the engineer.  His immunity is conferred.  His virtue is irreproachable.  Unimpeachable.  Would you rather have an occasional bump on your rump, or non-stop jut in my strut.  🤣

PULEEEEEZE can you stop bumping your threads? Take a hint, buddy.

...i definitely like the 6 to 1 ratio...a lot of the hoarded gold most likely ended up in nazi hands, but im sure every one hoarded everything they could, question would be just what gold was available to hoard?...obviously the restrike roosters prob not hoarded since never really put into circulation...lots of diff corollaries to follow to try determine what mite have shown up in hoards etc...but sort of need to know what was there to start with....

...so so sad, the deterioration is progressing exponentially now, just a matter of time....

🐓  :  You do realize this Topic is now 38 posts down the list, don't you?
Q.A.:. That's too bad because as of 10:47 a.m., today, Thursday, May 13, 2024, I am the very first member in recorded NGC history to place $2.000 in cash in a stamped envelope, unregistered, uninsured, uncertified with no tracking number to place an "order" to a coin emporium I am not a member of, deal with a principal and his associates without ever having inquired as to the availability of the item sought beforehand, not once exchanging texts, receiving an order number, without ever having met, spoken to, or writing to a place I had no prior experience with in a city in France that was previously unknown to me...and having the merchandise delivered to my door on time and on schedule. (Yes, I tipped the courier.)
I haven't opened up the package.  I don't need to do that right away.  Right now I am sitting in the park, crowing. Inside that envelope is an essai, a (test) pattern, etain (tin) uniface which those members rooting for me have already seen: hexagonal, undated, unlisted, a Top Pop 1/0, graded SP-62  -- UNIQUE.
Added Bonus: NO CUSTOMS!
Some of you thought the very worst. What can I say? I am sorry to have disappointed you.  Now, uncle z can put the strait jacket away. And the whole Forum can heave a heavy sigh of relief.
To my many detractors, this was MISSION IMPOSSIBLE. To me it is MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! Secretly, I already knew it was a fait accompli.
🐓  :  Fine. Can we eat now?
Q.A.:  Oui,  With crepe suzette for dessert.  Man, I love this place!
(Posted at the Discretion of Moderation.)

...im not even sure that the hobby is increasing in numbers of collectors period n find it difficult to believe there is now nor going to be an increase of collectors for moderns...at recent coin shows ive attended the volume of sales were bullion related by investors not collectors, the publishing of new reference books or price guides is not going to reverse this trend...i just this past week attended an estate sale where 200 plus mint/proof sets were passed by the auctioneer due to no bids over face value...i will be attending another such estate auction tomorrow where there r several type/date set albums assembled from mint sets, my max bid for these will be melt value of the silver n actually hope i dont get them as there is no market for the non-silver coins other than dumping them in another auction n hope they sell...im just not seeing any of this increased interest that u r promoting in moderns....

I've got a large dong, but it's Vietnamese.  I guess it doesn't count.  🤣

Wrong date?  Oops, there it is! There's your pretext.  Civilized man no longer has to kowtow to the whimsy of others.
ASSERT YOURSELF!
Request the date be corrected and the gratuitous blarney be dispensed with.
Bailiff, call the next case!