Henri Charriere

The second most outrageous comment I have ever made is the one I am about to make now: In the absence of evidence of obvious chicanery -- and being brought up to question everything -- I have little choice but to gravitate to RWB's camp. For example, what hidden motive or axe to grind would he have for simply stating, "the materials available do not support the descriptions." ? Everyone in Dealey Plaza that November day is entitled to say, "I was there. I saw everything." And yet, eyewitness testimony has been challenged and, in recent years, found to be unreliable. Survivors have stepped forward and claimed: "It's him! I won't forget his face for as long as Iive." That is, until the DNA evidence is introduced. I have read our Grand Master's writings for years now. I waver now and then, but am not in a position to dissect his methodology. Accordingly, I give him the benefit of the doubt. I seriously doubt anyone would have a motive for seeking to pay him for a contrarion opinion. To the contrary, his views delivered with complete confidence, if anything, inspires further consideration. I also do not believe the honorarium, "Numismatist of the Year," is bestowed lightly.

No! Stop it! F U L L S T O P ! ! ! (Is this thing on???) Give me a break with "nice information" or "an appreciation for our coin heritage... and the very worst thing I thought I would ever have the great misfortune of seeing in print: ".... overpaying isn't the worst thing in the world." ARE YOU MESHUGGAH ? Have not you ever heard of "price goughing"? IT IS A CRIME! I don't care about this giving a hobby hobbling along a shot in the arm by any means necessary. Not by hook or crook! Only fair and square. Prevailing FMV, whatever. I couldn't care less about the costs related to running the infomercial. (Matter of fact, they're way to-o-o long to begin with.) Long after I am gone, I would like the piece of knowing the hobby is robust and above-board in its dealings with the public. The snake oil salesman and shysters can find something else to do. I don't ever want to hear that the hobby I spent practically my whole life in, stooped to the level of the various Public Administrators of the City of New York: those public servants charged with the responsibility of seeing to it any of a decedent's survivors are diligently tracked down to the four corners of the earth to insure equitable distribution of all their personal possessions and property, only to skip the investigative stage to line their pockets.

Alright, okay... the Double-Eagle I bestow upon you will be one of my choice. I give you my word it will not be the '30-S lowball. 🤣

Respectfully, the hobby lacks direction. Coins are being submitted because Newbies (and not a few Oldies) seem to feel "that's what hobbyists do." Very very few newly-minted coins require certifications. Newbies to the hobby are bum-rushed by exasperated long-time collectors who have neither the "bedside manner" or inclination to provide meaningful advice in a non-hostile manner. Collectors are being charged fees by those whose simple glance at below-par submissions ought to compel them to pick up the phone and review the manner with the very people responsible for their existence. One negative experience is all it takes to have a prospective hobbyist reconsider his career options. If I won a billion dollars (which would yield a few hundred million dollars, after taxes) I would reimburse all collectors with a legitimate grudge as well as victims of scamsters and those [mainly older folks] who lost their life's savings to those without a conscience. I am a pauper by choice. What more could I possibly need than food, clothing and and shelter. I have no debts. I would share my largesse with those whose sympathies lie with mine. If I am unable to compile the "best possible set" in my area of interest, I will devote my efforts to those who have a good shot at compiling the finest set of tokens and braided half cents. No more Butcher Hollow for Headhog; a tankful of premium gasoline for Kurt; an offer no reasonable person can refuse to upgrade Just Bob's tic-tac-token boards; generous research funds for RWB, a double-eagle of choice for GF1969 and operating funds for Sandon. And... a Petty Cash endowment for NGC to cater to those who suffered the the cost of making an ill-advised choice through no fault of their own. I remain optimistic. ATTENTION: MODERATION. Feel free to move this post to an appropriate topic, or edit, or scrap, as you see fit. No hard feelings. We are all friends here.

I would love to weigh in, but malhereusement, you've been around long enough to know my reputation lies in tatters, my credibility is shot and I believe I hold the unofficial record for most expulsions, deportations, and being forced to undergo a mock execution in Vladivostok. While I have never suffered the good fortune of being wrist-slapped, I have been sent to bed without supper for thirteen days. If you have a bon-fide "variety," I am very happy for you but am unable to meet your $1.2 million asking price. 🤣

I am afraid that is not possible. By your own admission, you date back to B.C., i.e. Before Coins. 🤣

That's all well and good. Now, on to the more important stuff... a). Does this vindicate our venerable globe-trotter @VKurtB and his old-school vintage Speed Graphic and the rest of his repertoire? b). Enquiring minds want to know, too, if viewers can expect a change of heart, publicly expressed, on your inflexible, ironclad stance on fluorescent vs incandescent lighting. 🤣

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!.... 🤣

A clearly characteristic example of the classic well-documented cohort: nattering nabobs of negativism with an ample helping of defensiveness that adds nothing to the body of knowledge. To quote the late, great sportscaster: "Let's go to the videotape." 1. If one were to declare the more precise figure is 37%, who would challenge it? If anything, no one could because the figure is transitory and in a perpetual state of Flux -- which forever, thereafter remains because no one is equipped with the irrefutable artillery: the cold hard facts. 2. A neither-here, neither there, self-serving, autobiographical statement if ever there was one. The latter part of this statement is impossible to prove or disprove and in the highly unlikely event in can, what statistical data or marketing data would the author rely on or care to cite to support this incredible, fantastical prognostication? 3. ABSOLUTE CONJECTURE in its near-purist form: 99.44% 4. SELF-SERVING ASSERTION ANY SELF-APPOINTED KING CAN MAKE TO HIS INTRINSICALLY UNWASHED UNINFORMED SUBJECTS. 5. "placed"? Not lent per legal codicil. Disavows "constructive possession." Left? Purposely left vague. Intrepretation: that is for me and the recipient(s) to know; and for you or the --- to find out. 6. A curious comment: "nor do I expect them to be..." Wishy-washy terminological inexactitudes. Do you not know the state of your own mind or those mythical creatures you entrusted your treasures to and periodically entertain us with? 7. Inherently rude but a polite Board Guideline- approved way of saying: "Have a Nice Day." UPSHOT: A SIZEABLE BANDWIDTH OF MEASURED BABBLING THAT ADDS NOTHING AS A "REPLY TO THE TOPIC." 🐓: I concur.

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! 😎

I rarely venture onto this Forum and Topic -- now over TEN YEARS OLD, but I have a legitimate question: is there a provision somewhere, apparently unknown to most viewers, that specifically prohibits contacting an auction house that states it is unlawful and illegal to submit detailed glossy photos to them for the purposes of running them by their specialists in an effort to ascertain their correct identification and chances at auction? What other alternative is available after search engines come up blank and with the absence of store-fronts, there are few other means to determine what you inherited from family generations ago, undocumented, has hit dead ends? I would be willing to go to Myanmar but the reception U.S.military assets received when they arrived to deliver emergency supplies in the wake of the flooded Irawaddy Delta: "What are you doing here?" was less than hospitable. I seems to me the only logical choice would be to offer "this coin that was handed down down from generation to generation, request a reference to a source and indicate a willingness -- absent sentimental value -- to sell it? What' the worse that can happen, "LIFE" on Parchman Farm? It's worth a shot... and if subsequent posters discovered anything substantive in the meantime, feel free to share it here -- or risk suffering thr abuse from other members who suffer from extreme allergies to resurrected threads.

UPDATE: IT'S WINGING ITS WAY TO ME IN NOO YAWK CITY. Respecting your privacy, feel free to PM me with any entity you are reasonably sure will receive this. I do not plan to do anything more than slap a new label on it and forward it to the address you provide. Re: whether a: dodecagram, dodecadon, dodecagon, dodecahedron or dodecagonal, rhombus dodecahedron or rhombicosidodecahedron, I leave to minds greater than mine.

To Goldfinger at el. Malheureusement, with Johnny Carson, and his Carnak the Magnificent skit gone, that leaves only z to give us professional numismatic advice. My uninformed guess is, the size of the Rooster, just under a fifth of an ounce, the French Revolution which ultimately resulted in losing Haiti due to a slave revolt ( and imposing sanctions on them to avoid war) and sale of what became known as the Louisiana Purchase, France its affairs, followed much later by WWI "encourged" hoarding, melting and surreptitious exportation of gold to foreign countries. (If a "sad" emoji appears following this post, I am sadly mistaken in my assessment of French gold.)

I don't protest. I see a coin, and think, "Is it possible to do better?" And if the answer is, "I believe so," I check it out. And I did. No matter what, it's too late now. The seller sold the coin to the buyer. Me. Becsuse there were 5 potential buyers watching, no bidding -- but only one avaliable, I had to move fast. You don't have to like it. It'll be yours. I had no idea it was part of a set. I have had a very, very long day... 18 hrs. It's FREE! It's YOURS!

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.]

Both question and answer are

...more like lucy and esther tap-dancing their way through a grape-filled mosh pit....if nobody liked 'em, they'd be as populur and sought after as the wild-haIred birch cent...(apologies to Sandon) 🤣

This dated comment deserves a reevaluation and update. In the Gold Rooster series, two dates, both older "originals." have never been certified above MS-64. The number of MS-65s and MS-66s can be counted on one hand. ALL ARE TOP POPS. At least tentatively until zadok & Co. unseal their reserves. 🤣 Several "restrike" dates have been certified MS-67+ -- and two, initially certified at MS-68 at P---, are now listed on the NGC census. I abandoned the + graded coins to avoid the drudgery of [inevitable] ungrading. It was a futile gesture. Then, reports leaked in abroad suggesting certified coins would continue to be sold, but new material would remain raw and graded using scales developed. adopted and used locally. For the French 20-francs gold rooster collectors, as a practical matter, this would mean -- barring personal, in-hand examination, one would have to acquire a coin from France adjudged to be embraced by the "la creme de la creme" line which falls with the FDC designated range, MS65 to MS-70. I did not elect to retire; that momentous decision was made for me. Tomorrow, a whale cruising in the shoals off Sarasota can gobble me up, Rising Star Henri Charriere, serving at the pleasure of NGC's top management, and I shall be relegated to but an unconfirmed rumor in the annals of TPGS history...

Most reasonable collectors can expect to hear absolutely ridiculous or outrageous comments from me from time to time. With this post, I dare not disappoint them, particularly those who have me on"ignore" but are, nevertheless, intensely curious as to what I have to "say." Some of you who live on the West coast are familiar with unrelenting drought, the threatened survival of the Giant Sequoia trees, wildfires and the tsunami that slammed into Crescent City, CA., after an earthquake in Anchorage, AK in 1964 (not long after it became a state.) As distinguished member zadok is sure to come across this comment, I should like to introduce briefly the topic of "atmospheric rivers" which the majority may memberd have only heard of, but Northern Californians have actually experienced. I do not wish to assign blame but merely advance a theory: it is my contention that mega-tons of water emanating from the skies north and west of the state, saturate the ground and, with no place to go, sit atop unstable ground. With all that pressure bearing down on fault lines, including the SAN ANDREAS, it is my feeling something must give and, when it does, depending on evolving conditions underground, it would not be unreasonable to expect that the state, riddled with tectonic plates unused to accommodating sudden unyielding pressure from above, and with nowhere to go, will yield likely at a most inopportune time time. To my knowledge, this threat has not been acknowledged much less addressed. Re Topic: great reminder some 118 years, after the fact. As Bob Hope would say, Thanks for the memories, Mike! Great job!

I appreciate this insider knowledge. I am not a haggler so when, say, a buyer speaking in stentorian tones with the requisite aura of power says, Take it, or Leave it, I very likely would. Looks like your lifetime of selflessness is going to yield a handsome dividend for your family.

I would be willing to bet the average collector never gave this much thought. I was not aware collections being prepared for sale at auctions are done so at greatly reduced fees Then again, that cost is ultimately passed on to buyers.

To: N. N. A little assessment from the street...you ain' no neophyte... that's a bit played out now. You were, however, smart enough to know the difference between a shiesty (note correct spelling; also spelt sheisty, and shyster which still carries a pejorative connotation. And your crowning achievement was being savvy enough to focus on a coin series few collectors, including myself, were barely aware of. I truly regret our fellow member missed the whole point of making a user name change and chose something that will only marginalize him further. He's a neophyte sho 'nuf, sho 'nuf. Plenty of time to learn the ropes.

If an obituary or epitaph were written for philately, I never came across one. Surely someone in that field of endeavor must have foreseen the future and assessed it as bleak. I wonder what tools they employed to gauge the health of the hobby? Deltiology, too. How does one define the beginnings of a precipitous decline or sudden invigoration of a hobby? It would be interesting to review what the doomsday prophets foresaw as regarding those now low-profile pursuits. Not surprisingly, "Debbie downers" are not encouraged to provide the proof true hobbyists would demand. Coin collection, and it's related offshoots, has changed and I would argue in some ways for the better. Others may feel abandoned. There are a number of collectors here who have self-reported an aversion to formal grading. My question to those of my esteemed colleagues is, Fine, you have mastered the art of the grading. Problem is, those who engage in this religious practice have also indicated they have no inclination to sell. Malheureusement, without hard facts gleaned from bona-fide sales, how would one be able to distinguish whether self-appraised coins [where allowed] have performed as well, or better, than those that have been formally certified and enshrined in plastic? The recurrent refrain is those perilous waters will be left to to their heirs to navigate.