Henri Charriere

But, but, gentlemen! One of you says there were no such things, while another confirms their existence and provides provenancial itinerary. So which is it, irrespective of who's got it, how he got it and whether it can be obtained or not?

Don't mind if I do... Welcome to the Forum! My first impression is "mottled." A member with more experience will likely conclude, post-mint damage [with a request for better photographs].

This appears to be a common refrain on a recurring topic. Here is my take on this: "An educated consumer is our best customer." -Sy Syms. The problem, as I see it, is not the overseas production facility pumping out laughably obvious products any lurker not well versed in the series can thumb his nose at, but the individual who finds himself stuck with a piece who must then find a way to palm it off. He's the culprit! But who can blame him? The seller, the first person who should be consulted, is unavailable or inaccessible. So the buyer pleads his case here. Would an authorized dealer or reputable business sell a coin like this? I seriously doubt it. But, interestingly, there is another side to this story that is seldom explored: What prompted you to buy this coin? What do you believe a 1927-s Saint is worth? How much did you pay for it? [From whom?] My condolences.

...true, but back then, pre-red book, collectors collected on their own terms, unencumbered by terminological inexactitudes, and experienced something that appears to be in short supply today: the sheer joy of coin collecting as a hobby...

Yes, I would like to cross-examine, briefly, the person who sold him that?

If I may, I should like to "cut to the chase" here. You are basically asking a live studio audience to level with you and tell you whether the coin you have posted is counterfeit, or not. I get that. However, just so that you know, while the Chat Board Guidelines do not expressly state so----and I know this would ultimately matter to me----it will greatly upset certain of our fellow members whose names we are forbidden from mentioning, to speak to the overarching unasked question, which is, "If you feel it is inauthentic, would you please be so kind as to tell me why?" So per unwritten edict, I can state my opinion and volunteer I may not be qualified to render a verdict----despite ninety-nine (99) years of collector experience, in Ancients, for example, but I cannot and may not tell you why. Now, I have a sneaking suspicion I might know who would know, Nick Vagi, the gentleman who could be seen rendering a quick on-site examination of Ancients at Rick's pawnshop of "PAWN STARS" fame in Las Vegas, as the Director of Ancients at NGC, but is it bad form to publicize this rather public fact, or bad form to do so? I don't know. However, I do know I would not be satisfied with a simple yes or no answer rendered by any viewer who just happens to be passing by, with or without the requisite experience for making such judgments [based solely on the photographic evidence presented]. You may, treat this as bad or unwelcome news from a mere messenger, as you wish. I understand. 😉

Classic wait-and-see "High-Wire" act. I cannot see it happening, but if the bids on "my" Saint were to surpass those of "yours," your Saint would be sold right quick. Then again, maybe not. It would still have to pass the in-person "sniff" test of VKurtB. 🤔

Actually---and I may be wrong!---a certified simpleton with money, absent knowledge and experience, will do just fine.

Thank you, Roger, for elucidating, in a nutshell, precisely why I had become disenchanted enough with the hobby to step out of it back in the 1960's. Someday, perhaps, coming to a theater near you, a highly-acclaimed Horror flick, entitled: "Rise of the INVESTORS!"

... will concede '58 star is larger...

UPDATE: What I call the "High-Wire" Saint is now up to $24,012, with 62 bids; the Franklin proof is up to $18,500, with 30 bids. Though I have to maintain the guise of neutrality and claim I am partial to neither, it will be interesting to see how this plays out. 🐓: [He's not being truthful, guys. Last nite he told me if he'd had his druthers, he'd put his money on the Saint, hands down. Rickey never lies!]

Q.A.: Is it safe to come out yet? 🐓: Not by a long shot. The sides are still being drawn. Maybe later.

@Fenntucky Mike: Any hint of punishment of any kind was assiduously avoided by the Inspector General's report. I believe, departing from bureaucratese, this is colloquially known as getting off scot-free. And yes, the word is "kustered," a fine example of which was displayed recently on another thread.

[Modest prediction: bison and brumeys are OK, but the first member to post an image of a small carnivorous animal suggestive of a, dare I say it, feline, will likely be asked politely to take it down. Someone has to protect Roger's sensibilities and who better than me?] 🐓

Eureka! This ought to be a featured option for members who do not wish to have their threads reviewed in the future by the retread guy: Me!

Shakespeare: "What hempen homespuns have we swaggering here..." 🐓: I am inclined to cut Roger some slack here. Had he dared to include "strike" "luster" "color" or what is generally referred to as "eye appeal," I would dissent, but he did not. Me thinketh it past time to bury the hatchet. Q.A.: Don't look at me!

As a public service to the virtual army of lurkers out there wondering where ol' Q.A. stands on the latest numismatic developments unfolding with breath-taking speed out there, herewith my thoughts... 1. Last year's Denver Mint theft of 182 "error" coins by an employee. The Office of the Inspector General has released its report, but questions remain as to why the employee wasn't prosecuted and/or his employment terminated. Funny how an official report released by a watchdog agency raises more questions than it answers. 2. King Charles III. The official unveiling of his portrait reveals the Royal Mint has apparently made a colossal error: His visage is a dead-ringer for FDR's on the dime. They are virtually indistinguishable. [First up circulating 50-penny coins and commemorative 5# crowns.] 3. The new ten-dollar bill set for release on the nation's sestercentennial (2026). A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to effect meaningful change has been squandered with a questionable, enhanced, raised tactile engraving. You kidding me? Currency you can, ahem, feel? That's it? Yup, Happy Anniversary! That 1-oz. gold bullion coin from the Perth Mint commemorating the centennial of the discovery of King Tut's tomb... truth be told @cladking's got a shot at the Mint for unauthorized use [trademark infringement] of his avatar. I got a greater thrill watching Steve Martin do his King Tut skit on SNL. As to that new sawbuck slated for release in 2026, I'll quote here from our old stand-by, Shakespeare: "You scullion! You rampellian! You fustilarian! I'll tickle your catastrophe!" My sentiments, exactly. 🐓

I can tell you what the difference is. The 64+ I believe you described elsewhere as having exceptional luster differs from the higher-graded examples in one noticeable way: The 67's are subdued in a dignified sort of way with a good deal of "original mint luster" which is a smidgen more sedate. I have always cautioned members, particularly those who may be new to the hobby, to try and acquire or gain access to the finest examples available if only to get a good sense of exactly what their coin is supposed to look like. With say, a 6FS Jefferson Nickel (yes, I will stick with the traditional spelling) you would never be able to appreciate a nickel without them. They appear as a blur.

Don't forget the [unmentionable] one who had his picture taken with former President Carter's wife, Rosalynn.

I seldom review auction offerings, but this one by GreatCollections Coin & Currency caught my eye: 1907 Saint-Gaudens Gold Double Eagle, MCMVII, High Relief, Wire Edge, PCGS-64, and 1950 Franklin Half Dollar,, NGC-PF-68. So what's the attraction? Simply that the Current Bids for both, frozen at a moment in time--right now, are identical: $17,055, with 51 Bids recorded for the former, and 25 Bids for the latter. There was something else being offered that caught my eye: Printing Plates from the American Banknote Company Archives. For those unacquainted with the A.B.C., it printed a wide variety of banknotes for other countries and its name could be seen on the various denominations it produced. I believe I am probably the only member who can claim to have been to the ancient, forbidding, fortress-like structure which once housed the concern because any other member would have to explain what he was doing one one of the most dangerous streets of the South Bronx. 😉

❤️

Yes, even maybe so, but does it approach the level of a "scam"? Something about the site has apparently upset a lot of people, and yours truly, who hasn't even begun his investigation yet (slated for beginning this weekend) intends to get to the bottom of it. Big Bonus: I do not believe anyone here will care a whit if the "retread man" conducts his meticulous excavations, off-site, elsewhere.

@coinsandmedals: I was new at the time I became a member but I always enjoyed reading your accounts and the obvious affection you had for your coins and the hobby. Great hearing from you!

No, near-ancient.

[Responding to a post I had made on my all-time favorite thread, "Violate the Guidelines and you will be Suspended or Banned," one fellow member remarked, "Way to pucker up buttercup. Lol," which I took good-naturedly as a compliment.]