zadok

...i agree, i personally believe that in the US there r most likely 33-35 million persons that would answer that they "collect" coins...i also personally believe that there r 10 million or more persons that do collect coins to some degree, in other words they have thoughts about their coins n do make some attempts to add to their "collections"...its a matter of degrees...i could ask u to define the various degrees of collectors by ur standards n then ask u to define urself by ur definitions...where do u place urself based on scope of ur collecting, amount of funds expended, frequency of purchases on n on...one of those unanswerable questions....

Samuel Taylor Coleridge alluded to you, by extension, in his great epic poem, "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner," (text of 1834)...
"I pass like night, from land to land;
I have strange power of speech;
That moment that his face I see,
I know the man that must hear me:
To him my tale I teach."
***
It is truly a shame only two members will be around to say, "Hey, remember @World Colonial ? Turns out he was right!... I coulda been a contenduh! (1954).... I wonder how he knew!... I wonder how he knew!....  🤣

...neither, most of the truly super rare n high end coins u have seen sold in the past few years had remained raw n were not graded until after the decision to sell them n after the various auction houses insisted due to increased auction results n increased returns adding on to that many of the then graded coins were submitted to be cac'd to add on more increased returns, prior to these decisions to sell, many of these higher end coins were not reflected in known censuses of their respective series n many such coins will remain raw until a decision to sell happens....

...neither, most of the truly super rare n high end coins u have seen sold in the past few years had remained raw n were not graded until after the decision to sell them n after the various auction houses insisted due to increased auction results n increased returns adding on to that many of the then graded coins were submitted to be cac'd to add on more increased returns, prior to these decisions to sell, many of these higher end coins were not reflected in known censuses of their respective series n many such coins will remain raw until a decision to sell happens....

...a few years back the US govt did a survey of various topics including coin collecting, their summary estimated over 10 million, im not certain of the year but post 2000....

There is only one reason why ALL slabs cannot be housed in one universal box.  And I find that reason to be anti-social, anti-ethical, illogical and personally repugnant. As a matter of fact, I am going to stick my neck out and show my true colors. What some term competition goes way beyond that when there is no one anyone can appeal to, to review your case, and walk away with the satisfaction that your grievance was pored over by experienced professionals who rendered a rational decision in good faith -- which is why, for example, Federal judges are lifetime appointees.  I have seen too many cases where the aggrieved was forced to submit to the wills of others who function in complete anonymity and have their way for no other reason than because they can.  There is something rotten in the state of Denmark and a good part of the problem is a reluctance of collectors (or retirees, in good standing) to raise the hue and cry.  I believe I have said it before and I WILL SAY IT AGAIN.  MONEY IS NOT EVERYTHING AND IT IS NOT MONEY BUT THE LOVE OF MONEY THAT IS THE ROOT OF ALL PEOPLE!  Should I manage to come into a sizeable bit of money, theoretically possible but highly implausible, I will not be accepting congratulations.... only condolences. I will dedicate every fiber of my being to making the crooked paths straight for all who have been wronged -- a subject which has been assiduously avoided by a sizable number of people who, for for various reasons, have been cowed into silence.
(Posted at the discretion of Moderation and Top Management which walks softly but carries a Big Stick.)
Knock!  Knock!
Go see who it is, Ricky!
🐓:  Your wish is my command, sire!... 
Q.A.:  What's that?
🐓 :  A cup of coffee and a cruller... from Kurt... with a message...
Q.A.:  What's is say?
🐓 :  Yo, take a chill pill!  😎 
 
 
  

As is often the case VKurtB's ignorance and arrogance are at the forefront. I have examined all of the tags, seals, bag, and done the research that NGC clearly did not do. (The "escape clause" for a TPG as it is for VKurt'BS' is "opinion.")
My comment: "The materials available do not support the descriptions. Ask the TPG to show you copies of all the tags, seals, etc. Then, go do some original research."
 

...perhaps ur choice of "active" is a determinate?...just as a point for consideration, i observe n actively participate in local, regional n occasionally national estate sales n auctions n in the 90 percentile they almost always have coin collections, accumulations or groupings of coins, ditto for unclaimed safe deposit box auctions...once a collector always a collector even after death....

...respectfully disagree...i doubt it has exceeded 40% possibly 50% but doubtful...not all high end coins r destined to be graded nor do their owners so desire...in the not too far distant past i privately purchased a grouping of 5 US coins over 150 years since mintage that would grade in the ms65-67 range, same date, mint, denomination...this coin is considered one of the key dates for its respective series n is still currently reflected in the "red book" with a dash in the mint state column n none have been certified by any of the tpgs in mint state, i "placed" 4 of the 5 in private collector hands where they remain n to date none have been certified nor do i expect them to be at anytime in the foreseeable future...having the coins made public does not enhance their relative value...n the collecting community need not be privilege to the particulars of this information, its private...

...respectfully disagree...i doubt it has exceeded 40% possibly 50% but doubtful...not all high end coins r destined to be graded nor do their owners so desire...in the not too far distant past i privately purchased a grouping of 5 US coins over 150 years since mintage that would grade in the ms65-67 range, same date, mint, denomination...this coin is considered one of the key dates for its respective series n is still currently reflected in the "red book" with a dash in the mint state column n none have been certified by any of the tpgs in mint state, i "placed" 4 of the 5 in private collector hands where they remain n to date none have been certified nor do i expect them to be at anytime in the foreseeable future...having the coins made public does not enhance their relative value...n the collecting community need not be privilege to the particulars of this information, its private...

500-600%

I don't see much correlation. 
It took me until 2006 to join this forum after "lurking" for a bit.  (I only joined PCGS about five years ago.)  The only reason I knew of it was because I submitted for the first time in October 2005 and that's only because I finally accumulated a decent sized stash that I thought needed to be graded. It's still the largest and most valuable submission I've ever made.
I assume these message boards are more widely known now, somewhat.  You need to remember only a tiny fraction of the collector base ever submits a coin for grading or participates in registry sets.
I'm not sure of the percentage that buys coins in a TPG holder but I'm confident it's quite low too.  The vast majority likely do not collect at a financial level where their budget accommodates it.

If this remark does not get me barred from the Board for Life, I cannot imagine what would:
I DO NOT LIKE YOUR COIN!
I dislike it so much (and the remarks elicited from Members which following it, that I resolved, then and there, to order you one more befitting display on this Forum.
I don't care much for flaws so I had to reach for that "bag" provided as a courtesy to airline passengers (familiar to my colleague z) when they suddenly experience bouts of nausea.  
I fought PayPal tool and nail, but I would not be deterred. I placed the order. As the one of the Forum's "Rising Stars," I shall assume all costs and ask only you do not reciprocate. You may pay your kindness forward.
At your earliest convenience, if you would PM me a secure address (i.e., an address, that isn't posted on a box on a pole  just inches from the street where thefts therefrom are known to have occurred) I would be delighted to forward it to you, or a trusted friend, on or about May 1st.
***
Some facts about your coin... The coin, as you are aware, is a 12-sided dodechedron, minted in an alloy (88% Cu and 12% Zn) using a term I never heard of. "Tombac."  It is the U.S. equivalent of a "Wartime" nickel and features a burning torch and and a large V for victory.  And lastly (and curiously) a message written in Morse code encirles the obverse rim, circumferentially. Here, most regrettably, I must wield the late, great Oldhoopster's biting retort: "Look it up!."  
[For those obsessed with size, while it is virtually indistinguishable from the French 20-francs gold rooster, it exceeds its diameter by all of one (1) mm. Obviously, gold makes it heavier.]

I don't see articles in the papers of the day talking about the citizens of the UK, Switzerland, Germany, etc.....engaging in the hoarding of gold and gold coins to the extent that the French did.  Clearly, a cultural thing.
Europe overall much more into gold coins than here in the States.   French farmers, middle class, and professional class (doctors, lawyers, small businessmen) leading the charge.
Not sure why...could go back to Napoleon.  No history of devestating wars that I am aware of or hyperinflations in the 1800's.  WWI did have an impact on the accumulation tendencies of the 1920's and 1930's but not sure about the herd instinct before then.

People....I clarified above.  The French Central Bank also had big increases in reserves but eventually they stopped releasing gold as they realized it wasn't being used, just hoarded.

...no, im talking bout bank rolls that collectors ordered or got from their local banks each year not assembled coin rolls from mint sets...example, recent local estate...gentleman died like 20 years ago, his children just got around to selling his coin collection last year through several sessions of auctions due to volume of coins, 42,000 pocket change in coffee cans plus all his whitman blue trifolds n 3000-4000 mint sets n over 2000 bank rolls of nickels, dimes, quarters n halves...he started buying rolls soon after the big rush on 1950-D nickels, his bank rolls ran from 1952-1978 when he quit buying rolls...i attended every auction session n bought just about everything i wanted, silver sold for silver n post 64 sold for face, none of the local collectors wanted rolls of anything...a few came to me n wanted to know if i wanted to sell individual coins or could they go thru the rolls...nada...i wholesaled out the entire lot including the 10,000 circ wheat pennies i had to buy as a lot to get a couple of linc bank rolls i wanted...my one collector son wanted all the 63-64 wash qrts to check for varieties, i personally did not check any of the coins....

...wasnt much else there to hoard, wine n gold...define ur use of the word "french", people or govt or both n then or now or both?....

Both question and answer are   

...like roosters in paris....

...well if u like beefy looking washer women stomping on grapes go for it....

...well if u like beefy looking washer women stomping on grapes go for it....

...and lynda carter mite still come to ur house with her lasso....

...her n brooke....

...everyone sees this issue thru their own lens...i just go by what i see in the fundamentals, what my own personal experiences show me n from what some of the founders of all 4 of those organizations have related to me...other persons experiences often have personal biases involved...time will tell all....