zadok

🐓:  Howdy Kurt!  You must have heard.  Quintus is indisposed. He's not himself. Feels he's a nobody. Worthless. Second rate. Says the public remembers who the winners are, be it a registry, marathon, Daytona or valedictorian... not who lost and faded into the woodwork. He's inconsolable. You understand.
He has a theory... best case scenario... because he changed his User Name there to Francois Villon (in anticipation of taking delivery of that phantom pattern) and he is not a ---- member, this is one way to get him to come to them by taking the best of the set quietly, without notice, sitting back, and waiting to see what happens. You know, wait for him to confirm his existence...  He still remembers the seller who sold '09 to him, one of three she presumably bribed former owners to part with, and one of the three seized by Customs in EWR. She wrote him about the 1909; "She is beautiful." No photo, no cert number. Just her word it was an MS-67. And it exceeded his expectations. Worst case scenario borders on paranoia: it being well past awards time, the actual No. 2 wanted to be King of the Day. Only thing: that does not make sense.
The pattern is due shortly. He wants all this wrapped up by the 4th. He doesn't believe in accidental deletions. The coin will be restored, but he doubts he'll get an explanation as to how something like that could have happened in the first place.  Oh, well...
I'll let him know you dropped by. Very kind of you.   🤣

...this isnt a supply demand issue in the normal sense...there is an over whelming supply n a virtually non-existence demand, i personally do not ever see this situation changing...compounding this more so is the fact that the x-y-z generations collect nothing....

A word about Ampersand...
Elsewhere on the Forum, currently, our Grand Master has posted a Topic, entitled: "Members' assistance requested," which is galloping along at a respectable, steady clip.
So as not to detract from the main purpose of that Topic which is to elicit comments or questions to be considered for possible inclusion in a new edition of FMTM, I have chosen to express a miscellaneous observation here.
In a letter from a Nathan T. Perkins datelined Boston, 1858 [Posted today, June 8th, by RWB] you will find a line reading:  "Among these must necessarily be some rare coins, such as the Washington cents &c." [Emphasis mine.]
At one time, according to Wikipedia, the ampersand (&) was "... regarded as the 27th letter of the English alphabet, as taught to children in the U.S. and elsewhere."
Under the heading History, highlighted in purple, a contributor wrote:  "The ampersand, also known as the 'and sign," is the logogram '&' representing the conjunction "and".  It originated as a ligature of the letters of the word 'et' (Latin for 'and').   
A considerable body of research covering a thousand years is devoted to the origin, progression and representations of the amersand over time.  🐓 
(Posted at the discretion of Moderation.)

...was referring to movements of funds n assets to other countries both from here n to here....

$28 on Amazon.

...something old, something new but not blue...the same is going on today both sides of the ponds n in both directions....

Complexity?  There's a $4. PROOF "Stella" on eBay right now. Price?  In excess of $200,000. Even if I had all the time, money and wherewithall to acquire it, I wouldn't pick one up for . Know why?  I can't stand that misshapen star on the reverse. So right off the bat, that's out. I love everything about two-cent pieces. 

Decision Day (D-Day) : 6 juin 2024. [ Official Receipt of Confirmation of Order and projected delivery date: on or about June 13.]
Numero de commande:  # 54298
Method de paiement: Autre
Prix sous-total:  1.638.97 € 
Expedition:  60 €
Total:  1,698.97 €  (which I rounded off to 1,700 Euros which = 1851.23 USD)
***
EDITORIAL COMMENT:
I believe a serious collector of French 20-francs gold roosters (or Coq Marianne) ought to have a rudimentary working knowledge of the French language. Regarding Thomas Numismatics, I should like to point out three things.
1-  Cash/currency is not an acceptable payment option of any country. (When I sent a USPS money order, which is for domestic use only) to a U.S. seller, he balked and I realized it was not a negotiable matter according to the terms of eBay and their bosom buddy, PayPal.
2-  So how did T.N. handle this potential international incident? With finesse. Look at what they recorded for posterity in their records above for "Method of payment": "Autre," which is French for "other." That's classy and clever.
3-  As I mentioned either earlier in this column, or on another, I got the impression the seller conducts business only with people they know.  So how were they able to reconcile this sale professionally without my logging in? Simple. They arbitrarily assigned me a User Name and intricate Password which looked like something you would need to access nuclear codes.  An Auto-fill function was provided with the advice that should I choose another it be sufficiently garbled and enviably incomprehensible.
Incidentally, I knew, after conversion from USD to €uros the price (exclusive of what Customs will surely exact from me) and what with a volatile market, the Grand Total would be between $1700 and $1900, hence the $2,000 remittance to cover all contingencies. I guess I differ from other buyers in that I feel any discussion of price or reimbursement of excess funds is beneath me.  Notably absent from the "invoice" was any mention of the remittance made and the difference between it and the final price. In the general scheme of things, it amounts to petty cash. I don't sweat the small stuff.

...do u find this to be true for both US collectors n foreign collectors or is it more one way than the other?....

I don't know how or why I let this unobtrusive assertion slide by me unchallenged. If what you've written here is true, than @Just Bob deliberately lied to me.  He figuratively offered to show me the ropes in this business, including the etched-in- marble correlation beteeen supply and demand.
I believe I am owed an apology. From someone. No one at anytime in all the years I have spent following the hobby, ever extended to me the courtesy of bringing this indispensible variable to my attention... "listing unrealistically low prices for moderns to avoid offending their customers: boomers."
Is this thing on?!  Why was this critical information withheld from me?  I don't want to hear any apologies! I am 72! I've got one foot in the grave!  Inexcusable!  🤣

As my faithful followers -- and my biggest fans, those who've keystroked me into oblivion (my army of Ignorers) know -- it has been three (3) years since I added a coin to either of the two Set Registries I own, here and "there".
I seriously contemplated acquiring what one "house of coins" with a sterling reputatjon to match, called a "Counterfeit Forgery," but  the backlash on the Forum while not intense, was nonetheless persuasive.
I thought rising gold prices would prompt French peasants, long believed to hoard considerable numbers of gold roosters (see article by fellow member GF1969 upthread) to shake their trees.  That failed to materialize.
I settled for the next best thing and sent the proprietor(s) of Thomas Numismatics in Meylan, France an amount in physical U.S. currency, to cover all anticipated costs for an odd test "coin"  The details regarding this transaction that no one in their right mind would engage in -- an arguably "sight-unseen" purchase from an establishment I have only heard of and a contact I have never met, do not know, have never spoken or written to, is described in more detail in the Topic: "Sending Cash Through the Mail."
In a few words the "coin" is a uniface (one side only) hexagonal planchet, PCGS-certified SP-62, Highest grade (the only example) Top Pop., 1/0 UNIQUE; unlisted in reference books - unpublished -- undated (ND) Not Determined, with no mintmark (basically of unknown provenance though my guess is circa 1898) and the work of Jean Clement Chaplain (Marianne type) whose name appears in small print on every 20-Francs gold rooster..
It cost me all of $2.40 to send T.N. $2,000 in U.S. currency through the international mails, unregistered, uncertified no RRR with no tracking number and uninsured in a greeting card, so as not to attract attention.
The cost of shipping this test "coin" to me is $60.00. It took them two weeks to acknowledge receipt of my order and will take another estimated two weeks to send it to me, privately insured.
The link is:  https:www.//pcgseurope.com/cert/42188163
The precise cost involves their conversion of USD into €euros as well as the fluctuations of the metals markets -- and there is no question in my mind the shipment will be intercepted by CBP which will exact a customs duty fee and subject me to a long intrusive interrogation. To give you an idea as to how unsettling this can be, imagine being "ordered" to provide your full legal name, date of birth and Social Security Number over the phone to a total stranger under penalty of having the shipment returned in five days if you decline to comply.
There is no space for the encapsulated "coin" on any Set Registry but for all intents and purposes, acquisition of this example will figuratively crown the already complete set I have maintained on the West coast for the past five years.
A Note of Caution...  I would not encourage any collector in his right mind to duplicate my feat. I take calculated risks which remarkably turned out better than I expected.  I would not advise anyone else to do the same. Collect with your head, not over it.   🐓 

🐓:  I see where your Topic dropped to 23rd place. Looks like the Forum wrote you off, as in, "a fool and his money are soon parted."
Q.A.  Oh ye of little faith... That's before the phone pinged at 4:41 a.m. this morning confirming my status as the Greatest Evel Kneivel of the coin world Of All Time!
If you, gentle reader, failed to reply to this Topic in a timely manner, you're too late. I received a confirmation that the twenty benjamins I placed in a greeting card had been received in France, is being converted to €uros and processing of my order is proceeding. Truth be told, it does not even matter if I receive this essai (test) pattern... described as uniface, undated, unlisted, unpublished -- and UNIQUE. I am now its proud new owner. As a practical matter this means no air travel, no extended car drives, no overnite hotel stays and no, I don't care how many real numismatists or artificial ones pay a visit whether to every roadside stand in the Commonwealth of PA or auction house in the country. You're not going to find it because it's mine and it's being prepped for shipment from overseas.
Is there a slot for it on any Set Registry?  No, there isn't and I couldn't care less. You don't see EC complaining about lack of accommodation for his '33 D/E on his set, do you?
So to all the Danny (and Debbie) Downers who long ago wrote me off as meshugana, I'M STILL HERE, STILL STANDING, STILL STRONG. I now hold a few records: member who owns a #1-ranked set registry of a series few ever heard of;  a [certified] pattern your average numismatist never knew existed; most disciplined member who clawed his way back from multiple deportations; and, as far as I am concerned, the only person to send a stamped envelope stuffed with U.S. currency -- uninsured, unregistered, uncertified, etc -- to a stranger I never saw, met, or spoke to before in my entire life. I am going to close this with a quote Kurt dislikes intensely:  "you don't have to be smart in this business. You just have to pay attention." I would add, it pays to broaden your horizon, use a little ingenuity and be resourceful.  Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
(Posted at the discretion of Moderation.)

Which is PRECISELY why any TPGS would be reticent to grant that upgrade. This is not some academic exercise. A top TPGS could be on the hook for the extra $10K. People forget that. 

Oh well, then I guess nothing ever happened there. That’s the standard, right? If you don’t have (retained) documentary evidence, then it didn’t happen. That’s been your “jam” all along, right?
Pfffft.

Many different Buffalo mint mark varieties are known. Check out David Lange's book on Buffalo Nickels.

1795 Flowing Hair half dime, NGC graded AU Details, cleaned and "damaged", although the cataloguer in 2014 thought that the "damage" at the edge is a planchet flaw, as do I:


Photos courtesy of Stacks Bowers Galleries.
 

PCGS PR-67+
 

What? Are you stupid? The Robert Lecce estate funded this scholarship IN FULL, there is no ANA revenue involved. The Robert Lecce estate wanted this to go to an adult who possessed the desired curriculum vitae. This is the application site for all ANA Scholarships:
https://www.money.org/ana-summer-seminar-scholarships/
 
The Lecce is awarded based on (must be an adult):
60% - involvement, leadership, and accomplishments 
30% - essay and other written answers
10% - overall impression
Know what’s NOT there? Yeah, vanity publishing regurgitations from a NARA. Know what ELSE is not there? Perpetually trying to substitute YOUR UNINFORMED OPINIONS for legally binding actions of others doing their jobs. And yes, that applies to basically EVERYTHING you ever write. 

ANA should not be wasting potential revenue on the likes of VKurtBS, me, or any other old person unless there is some clear plan to make immediate use of the information. (A message on a tombstone does not count.)

But only YOU are entitled to make that determination for the whole hobby, right? Get bent. The estate of Robert Lecce decided who they wanted to benefit and chose adults over 18, while everyone else chose youths. The criteria were requested by the estate and approved by the ANA Board of Governors. It was ANA staff who encouraged me to apply BECAUSE of my volunteer work over many years. That is a criterion that counts highly for the Lecce Scholarship. Wow, Roger, there really isn’t ANYTHING you won’t f**k up, is there? Do me a favor and get lost, you creep.

I’m sure many denizens hereabouts regard the internet as something close to a necessity, FOR THEM, in order to enjoy this hobby and/or conduct transactions. I submit to you that such is a purely voluntary CHOICE, and nothing resembling a necessity at all. As such, it represents either laziness or cheapness. 
 
I have looked up authorized NGC dealers within 100 miles of my home. There are five. Five. Only one has a brick and mortar shop. I clicked on the links here at NGC, including the shop’s website, which is “parked” at GoDaddy and does not even exist. Apparently he exists ONLY in meatspace, and has no perceived need to operate in cyberspace. 
 
Clearly, this site is AWASH in Internet primary or Internet exclusive users. The newbie section alone reveals that. My point is this. If’n ya ain’t at least dabblin’ in meatspace every once in a while, in my opinion, you’re just playin’. The Internet is one poor 🫏 substitute. 
 
I drove, recently, 709 miles each way to Pittsburgh. Next month I will fly 2400 miles round trip to Colorado Springs, for the 2nd time this year. Then in July, I’ll drive 715 miles each way to Orlando. Then NEXT summer, I’ll drive 715 miles to Oklahoma City, after another Orlando round trip. What do I buy online? Almost nothing.
Face it. These are two completely different hobbies, not one.

COURT:  No, not cool.  The jury is directed to disregard, in its entirety, all testimony following the words of the original last line of the court reporter's transcript:  "Object lesson: sharpen up your writing skills."
Infractions of this kind, covert tampering of witness trial testimony, shall not be tolerated.
SO ORDERED.
(Posted at the discretion of Moderation.)

I absolutely would not rub ANYTHING on the surface of a coin no matter how "light" the perceived pressure may be. Regardless of it seemingly being a "soft" cotton swab, it is still a fiber and any kind of fiber can produce minute hairline scratches through rubbing or rolling.
I just went upstairs and pulled out from the deep recesses of the upstairs cabinet a bottle left behind that is acetone nail polish remover. I shall describe the back label word for word as to what it actually is.
                  INGREDIENTS : ACETONE, WATER, PROPYLENE CARBONATE, DIMETHYL GLUTARATE, DIMETHYL ADIPATE, GLYCERINE, FRAGRANCE, DENATONIUM BENZOATE,                                               D&C YELLOW NO.11
Whether or not your bottle contains these same ingredients is moot as manufacturers only have to list the quantities significant enough as required by FDA that pose a potential hazard from use and different manufacturers will use different ingredients, but the point is that acetone nail polish remover is not just 100% acetone.
There is a reason why NCS uses proprietary methods none of which anybody outside the company will leak or divulge. And conservation alone cannot remove stains or discolorations from the metal. Conservation by its definition according to NCS is to remove harmful surface contaminants, stabilize and protect a coin's surfaces, and improve eye appeal. The improving of eye appeal is not a magic wand however to make a coin look as if it were just struck.
To those reading this thread, I would only choose NCS to conserve my coins, and I would not use the OP's method described here.

...all in time....