Henri Charriere

... and so it came to pass. I am going to have to yield to Coinbuf on this one. (By extension, that will also necessarily require I reject the WW I poster depicting a "1915" 20-franc gold rooster 🐓, or is that just artistic license?

Thanks, @World Colonial, for speaking for me. Consider the source. Now, to paraphrase Virginia O'Hanlon, "Papa says, 'if you see it in The New York [Times], it's so.' (Zimbabwe's interest in gold--in view of its long running inflation--is credible and perfectly understandable.)

That's what I get for stepping out of the hobby for so long.

Thanks. Your counsel is sound and I shall make an effort to take it to heart.

[I believe it incumbent on any pilot or would-be pilot of a small plane to study the conclusions reached by the NTSB on the crash of Kennedy's plane enroute to Hyannisport, MA. Now, that's a real eye-opener!]

[I will go further... why not jettison "business" strike and revert to "circulation" strike. (If I knew the 2016 gold Mercury dime was nothing but a "circulation" strike in a fancy presentation case, I never would have gotten one. I was had, but good.)]

Excellent recitation of the salient facts and back history. Having never heard of sutlers prior to your topic post, I wonder if they were overlooked, forgotten, unrecognized and unappreciated. The 1837 Feuchtwanger cent and three-cent pieces, neither of which I have ever owned, caught and held my eye. I wonder now whether some of these low-key pieces were consigned to "bargain boxes" in coin shops and whether I would have recognized their possible historical value. There were stacks of Civil War-era "Harper's Weekly" papers in antique shops back in the 1960's and their apparent ready availability diminished their importance in my then teen-aged eyes. I am guessing metal-detectors are not permitted on historic grounds. That's where a lot of history lies buried. Great find!

@zadok: I have furnished the closing bracket. Enquiring minds like mine want to know if you, a gentleman of few words, would be able to survive these chat board jousts without the availability of the Sad or Confused options? 😉

[What a difference a year makes. With the market for 20-franc gold roosters all but dried up, and my "wordsmithing" tiresome to at least one member, this diploma program has rekindled my interest in a hobby I have followed for 60 years. I was collecting off-and-on since Marilyn Monroe's death in 1962. The very last time I went back to school, a sharp-eyed Registrar discovered I had been attending off-and-on for nine years and had accumulated roughly 160 credits, well more than the 128 needed to graduate. She barred me from enrolling and told me curtly, "Come back in June to pick up your diploma." I did as I was told but, all kidding and ribbing aside, I never lost my love of learning. So this diploma program poses the right kind of challenge for me and is right up my alley. While I am no longer able to recite the entire Periodic Chart of Elements, in staccato fashion from memory, I do believe I can tackle this endeavor with ease. My thanks to @Dylalliams for reviving this thread!]

This only confirms for me what a member related to me in a fit of exasperation and resignation: I had no inkling of what the Census (or Population, elsewhere) really meant as a practical matter. I ruminated over that a long time and finally experienced my Eureka moment. I should like to add that @DWLange is not only correct, but instinctively so. When I joined as a member, there was some lag in reporting these numbers, particularly for foreign issues. Then the Covid-19 pandemic struck (with the latest Omicron sub-variant posing a new threat and challenge to turn-around times and routine administrative tasks and recored-keeping. I'll bet your coin looks mighty fine in NGC's distinctive, signature white holder!

The term is defined in different ways by different people at different times. Nobody seems to like that. All five 1913 V-Nickels are described as specimens. The other day I learned for the first time that Snakes and Mules co-exist peaceably in two different realms of "numismythology."

You honor me with your presence. Just to set the record straight, this thread was inadvertently revived by a new member whose faux pas was compounded by yet another new member. Being true to my nature, I simply took advantage of the mayhem to create a little of my own. It should be noted that only one fellow member lobbed criticism my way [MM] who stated quite frankly he did not think much of my proclivity for trolling. Ouch! Now that hurt!

A courtesy call 📞? Well, there you go! Me, I got swatted like a common gnat. And got flowers from the Great Z for my trouble. Man, I love this place!

No need for that. I believe you've established well beyond a shadow of any doubt that you enjoy unconditional immunity on the Forum. 😉

I would say a sizeable portion of the Forum is in an uproar. Brace for impact! The pontificators, always looking for a reason to unleash the fury of their Gatlings, are on the march and we should be experiencing the first barrage of their lectures shortly. A 1908-s V.D.B. Lincoln! Positively diabolical! I love it! 🐓

JULY? Already? BACK ON TRACK!

That's a risky stance and a path fraught with peril. All who've sided with me in the past have sacrificed some measure of their credit worthiness and credibility. Following me is akin to receiving the Kiss of Death.

@Oldhoopster: The Forum, on occasion, plays Guess the Grade. Although this is an old thread, that has been revived creatively and is still ON TOPIC, my answer would be yes, ideally, the membership would have a much better idea of the relic being assessed if we were afforded access to it. Barring that, a good photo--obverse/reverse/edge--would serve as a point of departure. At this juncture we have little more than @Judy B's assertion and @JamieE's query. The former can be helped should she choose to offer photos in support of her position. Not so the latter, as the status of that coin remains unresolved nearly two years after the OP took a powder. Capiche?

I am not inclined to dispose of the problem so neatly and quickly. What you've got there is a legitimate work of art I happen to like immensely. But my opinion carries no weight. Now, if founding members of the anti-counterfeiting chapter allow it to pass muster, as is, I am all for it. To my brain, still in infantile mode, it is not a true legitimate authorized counterfeit because that cannot be achieved within the specified date/mm range specified for the Lincoln Cent. I like it. I'd be curious to hear what Chopper One has to say about it. He's the cent's biggest fan. 🐓

@VKurtB: At least you are brutally honest. The member I privately refer to as Chopper One had publicly declared he would never be a slave to any sarcophagus and that's been my guiding philosophy. Besides, cross-dressing is costly. I accept, without question, the fate accorded each and every one of my coins. Que sera, sera... (whatever will be, will be...) 🐓

I stand corrected. (It does appear this gentleman speaketh from experience.) 🐓

To quote Otter, one of the frat house characters from "National Lampoon's Animal House": "I think this situation absolutely requires a really futile and stupid gesture be done on somebody's part," -- and that somebody might as well be me. I have no quarrel with any TPGS, and in point of fact, based on information and knowledge as provided via an interview, found J.A. to be quite a likeable, affable gentleman in his own right. But the proof re CAC's is in the pudding. Let's not kid ourselves here. I picture J.A. sitting at a table with his beaming daughter at his side. He doesn't have a loupe; in his line of work he doesn't need one. Over 99.99% of the work involved has been done for him. All his daughter wants to know is Yes, or No. He gives the artifact sent to him a quick once-over and issues his proclamation. In his profession there are no losers. Only winners. He gets paid, regardless. And his daughter gets an extra scoop of vanilla ice cream. [If I am wrong, someone will gleefully say so.]

For those partial to errors, I refer you to a recent (June 28, 2022) Coin World contribution by Bullion Shark, entitled: "Two Dramatic U.S. Mint Error Coins in the News," A sneak preview... very rare 15% off-center "Grand Snake" 1882-CC Morgan dollar.... NGC graded it, MS65, and placed it inside an oversized holder "while still in the [black] GSA holder." The second error coin is a 2000-D Sacagawea dollar obverse that was paired with a South Carolina quarter reverse graded and authenticated by PCGS (MS64)....the first time this [mule] error has been graded. (If you, gentle reader, are mechanically-inclined, and can provide the applicable link, I would be much obliged.)

Speaking strictly for myself, dignifying your contribution with a comment, automatically confirms my rank amateur status. The joke is on me; I get it. Moving right along now, I was going to suggest the "B" in "V.D.B." looks more like the "P" in "PLURIBUS". I like the elongated left arm of the "V" in "V.D.B." and believe yours is the first Lincoln Cent I've seen with an open mouth at the top of the left ear of wheat. None of the foregoing should be construed as a provisional acceptance of your offer to sell the coin to me for $10 mil.

[Here's a thought that may ruffle a few feathers... if J.A. is as great a grader as coin lore claims him to be, he would grade raw coins, of any make and model, and then sticker them with his Good Housekeeping seal of approval. Otherwise his imprimatur is no more meaningful than slapping "Jordache" onto a pair of jeans... at the end of an assembly line. IMNSHO.] 🐓