Henri Charriere

I associate coins with dates and denominations. This is one of the famed Bullion family's stepchildren which are related to the Bars and Ingots. 🤣

Well... Gold has again surpassed $2,000/oz., by a nose. Silver has crept past $25/oz., by a nose, too. My gut instinct, unsupported by a single historical fact, is while this may not seem to be a good time to buy, the collector has no choice but to buy because high prices tend to loosen miscellaneous stocks. You will get what you are looking for as hopefully will I but we will have to pay through the nose 🤣 for it--should this trend continue. Excelsior! Ever upward.

So both your mind and butt are back up in South Central PA. for a short spell. Nothing like home. Congratulations! 🤣

As to my opening comment/question, recently posted above, it appears it was answered by an item I inadvertently came across checking out the latest "NGC News & Announcements" which revealed the recent visit to Sarasota's headquarters of former congressman Mike Castle who championed the State Quarters program and was honored with the recent release of the New Legacy Label. He was shepherded about by NGC's project manager, Ronnie Abberzhon, and the news submission contained several interesting tidbits including the former legislator's relation to a distant relative, Benjamin Franklin, as well as the fact that the State Quarters program attracted the interest of 100 million people many of whom were drawn to other aspects of the hobby. An interesting read!

Slightly off-track but I would be curious to know if any TPGS threw its doors open to the press the way the U.S. Bullion Depository did years ago for cursory examination of its inner workings? I envisioned an assembly line at work with coins which stumped all the experts shunted off to a resource center for referral to senior consultants. Two more questions: a). Was an exception made by PCGS to grade this based solely on historical records, and b). Does the edge bear traditional milling?

For some of us older collectors, tastefully reproduced classic coins are right up our alley. In recent years, perhaps due to changing clientele, the pandemic, sales... the I-mint has modified their emphasis to include Molon Labe material and lately UFO's while continuing to offer collectors old classics. I wholeheartedly recommend them and want to emphasize look-alike U.S. coinage are, or were, very often "minted" in 1/4 z, 1/2 z and 2 oz sizes, exquisitely rendered with great detail (sometimes made available in "antiqued" silver versions) and micro-printed with the Intagliglio imprimatur. The collaboration between members @Buffalo Head and @Lem E is unique! These guys are the best!

(Comment withdrawn).

The coin's primary saving grace is its smooth undramatic surface unencumbered by pedestrian post-mint damage. Great thread!

At the risk of incurring the wrath of the more virulent strain of anti-counterfeiters amongst us, I would like to suggest this scam poses a far more serious threat to the collector... and do so politely.

(Parenthetical Note... The following comment, scratched from PP # 4 on the foregoing line-up for routine review, has since passed Moderation's stringent standards.) Welcome to the Forum! I see you lost no time in getting right to the matter at hand: a grading concern I daresay few hobbyists had ever heard of including myself. If I may I should like to suggest you consider all the comments offered, and, using the search engine of your choice, investigate the matter further. There is an ANA contribution, "Grogu's Blog," a line to which may be all you need to get a good handle on where the INB stands on the TPGS continuum. [It is rather curious one would choose to house coins (some described as rare) in shabbily assembled slabs and offer only general descriptions of coins in lieu of dates and formal grades, but if it were part of law enforcement initiatives involving seizures and asset forfeitures (as has been contended elsewhere) that would explain the amateurish attempt to clothe the merchandise with a veneer of respectability to facilitate sales. Caveat emptor!

The movie line that comes to mind looking back over the years is "you're either very smart... or incredibly stupid." And then there are the Bernie Madoff and Hunt brothers types who thought they had it all figured out. I am partial to the hysteria generated by the pathological liars: "Buy now! Don't wait! Gold is going up, Up, UP!!!"

... as well as a plethora of grinning faces and a cryptic note which may pique the interest of @RWB : " .... this is how you kill the [presumably feral] cats...." 🤣

A look back... [Yes, gold crossed $2,000--and has since re-crossed it and retreated. All I know is while the supply of certified gold has increased along with the number of devoted collectors, my feeling (shared apparently by no one else) is their physical or constructive possession, by owners or heirs of owners, in and of itself, has no bearing on one's standard of living or net worth.]

My only regret is not knowing what the member another has characterized as speaking ex cathedra, at times, would make of all this. He was not only unimpressed with the unveiling of the Mint-sealed canvas bag containing 1964 silver halves----filmed live for the benefit of posterity, he fairly well scoffed at the very idea the spectacle proved authenticity of any kind. To the OP: I am inclined to give you the benefit of the doubt based both on your documentary showmanship and spunk as a newly-minted member. After all, if your evidence could not withstand scrutiny, the loss would be yours and ours. Thanks for the follow-up.

That's one way of looking at it. The other is there was a gentleman who was prepared to make you a very attractive offer for it. Ah, such is life.

I do believe, IMNSHO, that any discussion concerning the ANA would be incomplete without a broadside or two from the venerable VKurtB.

I only have two questions. Both impertinent; neither irritating. 1. How much did he pay for this artifact? 2. How long had this gentleman been a member when he posted his query? (multiple choice) a). Five minutes. b). Five months. c). Nearly five years. [Note: I should like to take this opportunity to thank long-time member @James_OldeTowne for delineating in plain language the critical distinction between buying "sight-seen" and "sight-unseen."]

Why is it so important that a bunch of people you've never gotten to know over the past five years, much less had the pleasure of having opinions spewed at you so skewed they fail to hew with the line you're looking for mean so much to you? Who cares? You've got a written receipt, a return policy----even a coa. Would it make you happier if we started a GoFundme shtick and reimbursed you for every dollar you paid for that thing? A social media forum is by no means a suitable substitute for an opinion rendered by an experienced, professional and practiced grader.

No, he does not! The owl is neither here nor there and can be debated much the way we do counterfeits. But how does anyone spend more time here than I have (four years) and not have an inkling as to who is who in the arena? Brief biographical sketches are fine but it seems what's needed is a program guide on Who's Who on the Chat Board.

I would not expect you to understand this but in characterizing me as having "maturity," I am quite flattered. My credibility here is shot, my reputation (or what shred of it remains) is tattered and I have been exiled with names which cannot be repeated here in polite company. Needless to say, you gave my many detractors a good, hearty chuckle. Records indicate I have 6,000+ posts. I appreciate the compliment and feel my restricted comment quota for the day/week was well spent.

If I may, I should like to answer your rhetorical question. Let's say representations by a seller were made, and on the basis of those [plus, say, a "no returns" policy] you took the plunge and despite a considerable cash outlay, questions began to arise which, with frequency over time, caused you to doubt the very instincts you relied on in making the purchase. You ask for a proverbial "second opinion" which elicits a torrent of negative responses. Pre-purchase replies are usually taken in stride but a post-purchase review may result in a mix of emotions including but not limited to denial, belittling, challenges and outright insults. That's not particularly egregious because you've been here only 10 days and haven't gotten to know who's who. Interestingly, Northeastcoin.com is featuring one it sold on its website, sans price, which is user-friendly and easy to find in the absence of a link.

Prologue: Although the expression, "my name is mud," is commonly associated with that of Samuel Mudd, the physician who set the broken ankle of President Lincoln's assassin besides being charged as a conspirator, it continues to have a pejorative slant. I believe my User Name has suffered the same fate. Question: Absent any ulterior motive such as to deceive or defraud, is it permissible, possible or legal to adopt a new User Name with all legal and financial information remaining constant?

If there were even a remote possibility of hearing a reasonable explanation to the reply as heretofore presented by @RWB I would certainly be interested in hearing it.

This is a snippet of a video of a chimp, named Bobby Beausoleil, most famously known for discovering a cure for smoking: lung cancer.

Yeah, except they're called dust covers and when they're shelved all you see are unremarkable spines. 🤣