Henri Charriere

Question for your friend and mine from Alabama: No over-the-road-trip necessary. This member's taste is impeccable, his photography skills top-shelf, and his bison is above reproach. No need to travel, right? I am sure he would be amenable to supplying you with an affidavit attesting to its pristine clean edge. How 'bout it?

How ever did you know it was my birthday yesterday? [Even the submission number has my two lucky digits up front!] Great stuff!

Hi there! The mintmark looks incomplete. I am going to start a rumor that @rrantique has the only Morgan produced at the Charlotte mint!

[I have taken the liberty to capitalize coin, COIN, in a feeble attempt to lend credence to my specious claim that crypto constitutes a form of numismatica.] I am sorry you posted this question, in fact, when you did, a fleeting thought passed thru my mind: "Quintus, you really did it to yourself this time. I hope the surgeon you were referred to tells you the same thing the nicest Federal judge in Brooklyn wrote one of the two Mafia cops who had requested a reduction in his sentence: "I am sorry, there's nothing I can do for you." Perhaps I will fare better with you. I know nothing about bitCOIN (that second syllable is emphasized to allow me to save face.) May I quote some extracts I read in an Opinion piece in a "paper of record" only two days ago, with the implicit understanding I shall abandon this thread forthwith at its conclusion? Thanks for being a good sport! "BitCOIN mining may be responsible for about 65 megatons of carbon dioxide a year, comparable with the emissions of [Potugal] or Greece, according to a new study in the journal Joule, [and Digiconomist, a website that tracks cryptographic energy consumption]. 'Merge,' a Watershed Moment for Crypto, Comes With Risks "This is the first big step in Ethereum's [E] big journey towards being a very mature system...." "And many crypto fans hope that it will turn things around for the crypto movement, which has been besieged in the last year by trillions of dollars in losses, a string of major scams and hacks, and a new wave of scrutiny." (Emphasis mine.) "I'm not sure it will. But before I tell you why, let's review some of the reasons that crypto supporters are celebrating. First, it was far from a given that the merge would work. Switching a blockchain's so-called consensus mechanism--the way that it processes and verifies new transactions--is terrifyingly complex. (Some crypto developers have compared it to swapping out a spaceship's engine in midflight.) Before the merge, nobody had tried such a maneuver on a crypto platform anywhere near E's size, and it took years of testing and research (and many, many delays) for developers to get confident enough to attempt one. "E, which is open source, hosts hundreds of billions of dollars' worth of crypto currency transactions, NFT collections, and DeFi protocols, all of which could have been irreparably broken if the merge hadn't gone according to plan. "The second reason... more environmentally friendly. E used to be secured by a network of high-powered computers that competed against one another to solve cryptographic puzzles, burning vast amounts of energy in the process. Now, it will be secured by a process known as 'staking,' which involves investors agreeing to deposit their crypto COINS in a shared pool in exchange for a chance to earn financial rewards.... "Third, ....For reasons that are too complicated to get into here, running the E blockchain requires destroying (or 'burning') billions of dollars' worth of Ether every year. The new E block chain will still burn Ether, but it won't need to create as much new Ether to pay out rewards to participants. That means that the overall supply of Ether could shrink, increasing the value of existing COINS.... "Right now, the biggest threat to crypto--in the U.S., at least--is that the people in charge of regulating the industry seem to want to ban it. These regulators are worried about stableCOINS, Ponzi schemes, state-sponsored ransomware attacks and investors losing their money to opaque crypto lending schemes.... The merge doesn't address any of that.... (BitCOIN, which runs on a proof-of-work system, has no plans to switch to a new consensus mechanism, so it's energy consumption is likely to stay high, at least for the foreseeable future.).... "And, of course, the merge won't put money-losing crypto investors back in the black or recover the assets lost by investors in failed crypto projects like Luna and Celsius Network.... but crypto will need more than a successful merge to turn its fortunes around. Sorry to take the fizz out of the champagne." *** Note: This will be my last comment on this Topic. NGC management, with my consent, may pull this thread at any time as they see fit. My thanks to long-time member @numisport for bringing this errant thread to my attention.

Based on a single post he made when challenged, I believe this to be the province of our over-the-road, frequent-flying, globe-trotting member/photographer. He is the granular expert, without equal.

What is PCGS' policy re varieties? Do they recognize them in your series? I would be academically curious as to how they approach the matter of world coin attributions.

What is PCGS' policy re varieties? Do they recognize them in your series? I would be academically curious as to how they approach the matter of world coin attributions.

In all fairness, neither do the vast majority of collectors who collect them from dealers who utilize a standard "range" of grades, for example, FLEUR de COIN (FDC) which comprises a coin graded anywhere from MS65 thru MS70. I bought such a coin, graded FDC, hoping it would grade MS66, stateside. My hopes were dashed when it was graded MS64+ by a TPGS. It remains my all time favorite which never appeared in a Set Resisty, and which I vowed I would never sell.

Varieties abound in the French 20-franc gold rooster series, but none are formally recognized. "Restrikes" have been found sporting the circumferencial edging of old mottos, and vice versa, "orginals" series have been found sporting the newer motto. Brief mention is made acknowledging their exisntence, but no overseas emporium is going to cull their stocks looking for varieties or irregularities because a collector wants one.

I should like to single out this truly splendid coin as displaying a notably superior character. All the edges and denticles are intact. Of particular note are the fluted "columns" comprising the I I I, or denomination of the coin. I know of one other comparable example, a shield nickel dated slightly older which, too, features a pristine surface within the "shield" which I urged member @tigerbait to submit which found favor with NGC graders good enough to post recently, returned with an exceptionally high grade, which I would hope he would consider honoring us with a post here. If one were to consider all the things that could have occurred to the I I I-cent piece with a nickel alloy over the course of 1-1/2 centuries, it is truly remarkable none has. Outstanding example, NN!

Again, let it not be said Q.A. has never contributed anything of a numismatic nature to the "body of knowledge."

[Is it safe to assume this is precisely the point the OP was addressing on his timely thread relating to any preparations collectors may have made for their heirs? (It will be just my luck I divest myself of all my coins only to find out my doctor has given me a clean bill of health suggesting I can expect to be around, bereft of Roosters, for the next 20 years.)]

[With the OP's indulgence, What enquiring minds want to know--okay, mainly mine--is who can provide a breakdown of major coin attendees... by age? Me thinks, judging by the photos roving correspondents have taken and transmitted via posts while on site, that the "population" is noticeably older and grayer. I realize this information is of the highest security classification attainable, but I am curious as to any extrapolations that may have been done. With many of the numismatic greats having retired, how much of an infusion of comparatively experienced new blood is needed to carry the hobby well into the mid-point and toward the end of this century? Is it really true, the Greatest Collectors of all time can now be counted on one hand? 🤔

[There's got to be a newbie sitting out there somewhere thinking, surely the U.S. Mint was not minting coins and distributing them in cardboard? Yes, mate, and not a quality cardboard either! The closest equivalent I can think of is repurposed or recycled cardboard, with all four sides folded up, and taped together. And that's the way it was. Nobody I know, excepting strict constructionists objected to the inevitable substitution for more traditional lucite display cases, if for no other reason than protection of the coins from the ravages of inhospitable (less than ideal) storage conditions, and exposure to the elements of heat, moisture, and gases. There is even a question today as to the suitability of slabs for long-term storage.]

My reason for boycotting the poll: No way in heck anyone is going to get me to believe the 1806 Half Cent depicted, is of the small six persuasion! Look at it! It's gargantuan! Granted I am unfamiliar with this species of animal, but if that six is "small," I dare you to post a "large" one! Q.A. is adamant: it can't be done! Right or wrong, N.N., right or wrong? Other enquiring minds may want to know.

Greetings and Salutations! A peripheral observation... if you could capitalize Game of Thrones you could just have easily capitalized St. Michael, no? (Rhetorical) 🤔

Me thinks one of our members tried to pull a fast one on us with this one. Too bad, I called you out on it! You've got awesome coins, no doubt about it, but I don't know if I can let you slide on this one! [Minus the incriminating backdrop, I would have.]

The reason why 1936 sticks in my mind is because in Red Books from the 1960's that's the first year listed under Proof Sets, if I am not mistaken. My brother acquired a 1950 set; that was his year of birth. I picked up two, a 1952, for $60., and a 1954, for $30. I distinctly recall they were flat packs (w/o carbon spots). I have no idea what they would be worth today. [Edit: Correction... The assertion my brother picked up his birth-year set (1950) was based on faulty memory. Neither of us could find our birth years, 1950/1951, and settled for the '52 and '54, as brought out in a subsequent thread circa 11/20/2022.]

[What about that guy running around with the Leica or Hasselblad? Do I really need to see a story with a picture of Q.A. on the front cover: "Notorious Former Troll Unveiled!"?

Your point is well taken. But I believe I would look ridiculous pushing a walker i/f/o me at a busy coin show. Just sayin.'

🐓: Is this the reason why you stopped collecting? Q.A.: Ricky, please! Not here, not now. The gentleman's name is Galo, not Gallic. This is his thread. Respect his space! 🐓: Sorry. Carry on.

Your guess is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but. 🤔

Well, I was right!

Gentlemen, I wanted to call the race, and even had one member ahead with a nose, but I quickly realized this isn't about winning or losing, but how the game is played. Absolutely fantastic! I am going to suggest a new term be introduced into the numismatic lexicon: positively "electric!"

That guy's got some awesome skills!