Henri Charriere

Danny Downer in the House! I fail to see why any damage sustained over an illustrious near-40-year sojourn in circulation should come as any surprise to anyone.

Not sure what you mean by finding a brand-new coin in a sealed bank box. My uninformed, uneducated case is No and No. And if the comments from those in the know, sure to follow are any indication, I will likely be right...

Finally a near consensus on surface preservation rendered by true collectors I can agree on. Not sure what you saw that prompted you to low-ball your coin, but those with experience have weighed in. A little difficult to get a good idea of where "E PLURIBUS UNUM" stands but the well-defined stars and denticles suggest a nice strike with acceptable wear. It may not be a Mint State and I assume you need an 1885, but if there is an appreciable difference in recorded mintages for graded examples between CENTS and NO CENTS, don't squander the moment with purists. If a private mint feels there is nothing wrong in electroplating gold on the NO CENTS, I cannot see why you cannot do likewise as long as you do not misrepresent the denomination of the coin. Then again, having avoid meteor showers in its 140+ year existence, it may be best to leave things well enough alone. This is a truly special find with an incredible state of preservation!

Effective today, Thursday, August 1, 2024, 1200 hours, I shall no longer participate in this column.

Effective today, Thursday, August 1, 2024, 1200 hours, I will no longer participate in this column.

MODERATION OVEREACH... I believe everyone takes for granted Moderation is accorded a great deal of discretion in what gets posted -- and what does not. Yesterday, I conducted my annual surgery of certifications under the Topic of "French 20-Francs gold roosters." i spent the better part of the day reviewing records and reporting results. The information I had at hand affected not only me but had implications for the scores of collectors who maintain Set Registries both here, and across the country. I delved into a topic few, if any, were aware of and reported what I found as it currently was. The information is readily available. Anyone can check my source if they are so inclined. I struggled against great adversity. An ailing wife, lack of air conditioning, high heat and humidity and lack of hot water. It was also a day that I had to marshal all documents needed for recertification for housing. I proofread the post, and satisfied I reported the unusual developments accurately, pressed SEND. With that one split-second action, I assumed it was held for review, but mindful of Moderation's application of certain tools with a heavy hand -- FONT SIZE -- predominantly, I let the matter slide. Many hours later, my labor of love is gone. I do not specifically recall ever expressing dissatisfaction with concerning a matter that was essentially inoffensive, unobjectionable and deserving of outright censorship. I am therefore absenting myself from further Chat Board proceedings. It is difficult to compose one's thoughts coherently when there is no assurance what I have to say will be heard.

Earlier post re-posted here for the benefit of my colleagues, @J P M and @VKurtB .

Att: @J P M and @VKurtB : I believe the forgoing post from cell-page 13 of this thread will confirm the information as set forth in the two volumes you cited.

(I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW HOW MUCH I APPRECIATE YOUR REFRESHING THIS TOPIC WITH LATE-BREAKING NEWS.) I AM SURE THIS MUST HAVE SOME EFFECT ON MEXICAN CENTANARIOS (which weigh 1.2 ozs.) AND DOUBLE EAGLES, BUT THUS FAR, WHILE GOLD ROOSTERS ARE UP, I DON'T NOTICE IT AS MUCH BECAUSE MY COLLECTION AS I ENVISANGED IT, IS COMPLETE. I DO FEEL BAD FOR THOSE WHO JUMPED IN LATE BECAUSE THE TRUTH IS PAYING SOME OF THE PRICES I HAVE SEEN IS AGAINST MY RELIGION. 🤣

Welcome to the Forum! Seeing as how you've been a member now for about an hour, you will forgive me for feeling you are eligible for a little humor before the serious collectors bum-rush you... Ready? The twenty dollars you paid for the entire lot of coins was solely for the coin depicted above. The others were simply thrown in as a distraction to make you feel you got something, for basically nothing. I don't know if anyone would be able to identify the coin without some context which could be provided if you were to let us know what they were mixed in with. Are they all from the same country? Not to worry. Someone, undoubtedly, will come up with a credible explanation.

Just a moment, Patman! In all these "feel-good" posts, bear in mind the phenomenon you've observed, whether caused by a formally-attired fedora-wearing Mighty Mouse or Creature from the Black Lagoon, constitutes post-mint damage, or PMD, as mentioned, almost as an after-thought by @Fenntucky Mike. While in and of itself, the oddity does not command a premium, I do not believe it is as common as it once was and you may consider holding on to it as a numismatic-related oddity.

Thank you very much. FYI: USPS Money Orders clearly indicate "For Domestic Use" only. What I was unaware of is, like ebay, when you accept an order, payment does not have to be immediate. Another I was unaware of is a bank wire transfer is not immediate! It May take up to a week! Why? I really don't know. In a way, they're all the same. No one is required to ACCEPT a personal check, a postal money order -- or your cents. Some places charge you a quarter for a roll of quarters. Two-dollar bills are universally reviled. CoinStar will reject damaged or patina-coated cents. I know in some countries, travelers may not take that country's money out. In others, there are limits. If I had to do it all over again, I wouldn't. There is a Link to the 1913 Rooster I bought posted on the dedicated Rooster thread. I believe evert collector reaches a point when they arbitrarily decide, one and I'm done. I may have reached that point. 🐓

🐓 : I would have suggested spray paint. Q.A.: Ultimately, it wouldn't matter. The query is timed-barred by the Statute of Limitations. Why the concept hasn't caught on is simple: • The coins featured do not sport Wheaties on their reverse sides.. Translation: they have little or no intrinsic value; Q.A. does not consider them to be "real." Bad enough they have never, do not, and will not ever contain a single grain of precious metal • Being "new," and unreal is the least of their problems. Worse, tens of millions and eventually billions were made. Big Macs aren't real either but they taste better. • The legal concept, which no one accepts is rejected for two reasons: a). Members enjoy banging their collective heads over nonsense which gives them an unprecedented, socislly-accepted way to agree to disagree -- endlessly, and b). The authors are universally disliked and Moderation's got their back. This time next year anyone who still remembers them will be besieged by a bumper crop of Newbies innocently inquiring, "Who were they?" In light of @Coinbuf 's, @The Neophyte Numismatist 's, and @zadok 's past remarks, I would hope they would respond, "Quintus Who?" Man, I love this place! 🤣

Holy cow! Whether my money got to Paris is more important than every text msg I got from NGC winding up in spam? As Robert DeNiro remarked to Joe Pesci before he shot Spyder in the foot, "What's this world coming to?" 🤣 Yes, J P, the money got to Paris. The president of cgb.fr was so shaken by the sight he took a photo of it, the red envelope with the two Inverted Jennys it came in, and the Greeting Card with my order, and sent it to me. Cash from any country is not an approved form of payment. Normally, you Iog-in. I gave them my old Client code # and I believe the whole episode was a bit of a shock to them. I never even placed an order and wasn't even sure if the item was still available. Highly irregular. But as George C. Scott, as Patton, remarked to Karl Malden when he reminded his boss Congress had not yet approved the placement of additional stars on his uniform: "Well. Congress has their schedule, and I've got mine." Man, I love this place!

Q.A.: Is this the Newby Forum, Ricky? 🐓 : I am afraid so, Q. Q.A.: Alright then. Danny Downer here. This coin vastly exceeds consideration for the possibility of ERRORS. ACCORDINGLY, it is time-barred by the Statute of Limitations by the only authority willing to speak up on the matter for attribution: ME!

Being a certified ignoramus on such matters, there is nothing I can add to the conversation. I can however cite tw"o important points upon which the entire "controversy" pivots. One is the fact they have, according to the OPs account which no on thus far has contested, that the two coins have made their only joint appearance together in one hundred years, the greater part of which occurred in their natural RAW state. What exactly was said about them during that extended interval, and by whom. Any initial impressions became important in this regard. Researchers tend to consult "original" sources when developing a narrative and, unfortunately, perhaps unavoidable, there is a predisposition to co-sign or rubber stamp others' findings and conclusions. Those, like Roger perhaps, are the exception, not the rule. It takes a free spirit with an open independent mind, to go against the weight of the "evidence" and considerable courage. In 1600, Giordano Bruno called bologna and said it was the sun, and not the Earth that was the body around which other celestial objects revolved. He was given a chance to recant, refused on principle, and was promptly burned at the stake. 🐓

You are on the wrong Forum, son. You're here all of two hours. Have you got your "Red Book" yet? What's with this preoccupation with value? Everyone must go thru an initiation. You have studiously avoided the Newbie Forum. Why? Sandon doesn't bite; he gives good advice. Invaluable advice. He has saved hundreds of collectors from squandering their hard-earned fortunes on scams, some obviously crude; others so well polished if you didn't know better you'd get whatever was being offered -- and probably beg for more. Start at the beginning. Forget value, possible varieties and stuff that looked like it escaped from one of Robert Ripley's Believe It Or Not museums. To the knowledgeable, coin collecting is a hobby. To the uninitiated, it is a virtual universe whose paths are fraught with peril. Pick up a Red Book and flip thru it's pages. Find out what appeals to you. Beginners usually start out with a particular coin they like and acquire more of the same. If something in a finer grade comes along, they have to make a judgment call. Every aspect of a coin must be considered from compararive rarity to one no matter how desirable, features too many defects. You make mistakes. We all make mistakes. The only crime is not just losing money but failing to learn from your mistakes. You'll get the hang of it. And there will always be experienced people around to help guide you down the right path. Concentrate on the basics and as you develop knowledge and expertise, specialize. My best advice to you is develop an eye for quality pieces. Ones you will never feel obligated to explain or minimize its flaws. A good coin needs no sponsor; it sells itself. 🐓

SNEAK PREVIEW... On the West coast, they couldn't care less if you spent a million dollars on a coin and have the confirmation number to prove it. It's not going to get posted on a Set Registry until you accept delivery. I felt a distiction ought to be made between individual sellers and reputable, well-known institutions. So I would cut corners and text them a copy of the invoice marked PAID IN FULL and be In Like Flint. It was just my luck that I had gotten a text from a gentleman I hadn't heard from in a long time who, of the three coins I desperately needed, had the one I wanted most. The only problem no one could have anticipated was we were in the midst of a "global tech outage" which meant, the coin I would be happy to surrender my broken right leg for had as much value as being left without the means by which I could conclude my FINAL transaction: No bank wire transfer, Western Union or PayPal. Not all alternatives were acceptable payment options. I paid USD 900. for it. Yes, in cash. Did I see the coin? Surely you jest! The text said 1913 FDC/PCGS MS-67. That's all I needed to know. I figure I should have it in hand by August 13th. I think the folks at cgb.fr were so startled by the transaction that it's president, impressed with my dogged commitment, sent me a photo which unfortunately is buried in a mass of paper that has been accumulating on my desk now for six years. What follows is a helpful link; https://www.cgbfr.com/20-francs-or-coq-liberte-egalite-fraternite-1913-paris-f-535-7-fdc-pcgs,fmd_938618,a.html If it is withfrawn, the PCGS Certification No.: is 5039 0783 (split for clarity). Generally speaking, I feel if you've seen one Rooster, you've seen them all. I make an exception for this one. This one (I haven't seen the reverse) is Exceptional. Two have been certified at this grade on the East Coast. Two have been certified at this lofty grade on the West coast. This makes #5. Over 12 million were keystroked in Paris. The one unique characteristic, actually two that I know of, is it is encapsulated with a computer chip. Does that work like a GPS-equipped Lo-jack? I have no idea. The other is it has been adjudged to be a "Refrappe," or restrike. Is it? I would say so. That obverse is unbelievably flawless. If I should ever have the privilege and enjoy the honor of acquiring it, I will want to carry it everywhere I go, but knowing the boss as well as I do, being married to her for 8 years she will not allow me to. Is there a Life after a Set Registry? I not only don't know... I have no idea. If I find that photograph, I will post it and defy anyone to find fault with it. Sitting at my table, bad left leg crossed over my good right leg, wife's cell in my left, right thumb combing every corner of the globe, I have never seen a finer coin about to risk its life flying crossing the North Atlantic solely to sate one man's insatiable thirst for perfection. None of the coins I have acquired will ever return to France if I have something to say about it. 🐓

To the Membership... So there I was minding my own business when I decided to conduct, what I call, a Block Party. Trash had built up but spam appeared to have gone haywire. I had a few and readily dispatched them. All was fine, or so I thought. The next morning, I noticed there was nothing in my INBOX from NGC. I thought nothing of it until I inadvertently trashed a few items -- and found 202 lodged in SPAM, each of which was preceded by a heading reading: Youblockednoreply@invisioncloudcommunity.com. followed by, Be careful with this message below which were an oval marked "unblock sender" and, below it, a message that read "report spam." Below all that was NGC's logo, perfect in every respect, color, size and proportion Has anyone else experienced this? I spent a good part of my day off wrapping up a deal in Paris and attending to my Block Party, which became an Unblock Party. Lately, Moderation has been using a heavier hand with me despite the fact I disclosed my departure schedule to all, but this type of intrusion mystified me. If anyone can shed some light on this I would appreciate it.

🐓 : You used to be real good, Quintus, but you're all washed up. I'm getting with @Zebo . Q.A.: HOW'S THAT FOR GRATITUDE! SHEESH!

I call BS! I do not believe in "mistakes." For that matter, if it were simply a mistake in numismatics, they why isn't a gargantuan "mistake" like Inverted Jenny's Air Mail stamps similarly referred to in disparaging terms in philately instead of being hawked on auctions sites for gazillions of dollars? Nope, sorry! A mistake is a typo on an insert in an encapsulated product. THAT'S A MISTAKE! This is a bona-fide ERROR! Not a metallic key on paper, BUT METAL ON METAL. Easy to invent a credible alibi when you don't own one. And who's to say what its FMV is? I want to go on record as stating in no uncertain terms that this member has discovered something of numismatic relevance and significance. if this happened today -' I know how agencies of the USG work -- they would politely request (DEMAND) its return and if the collectors stands his ground, pump out a few million more. AYE or NAY? Henri Charriere responds unconditonally, definitively and unequivocally with a resounding Aye! It's a legitimate error which falls well within the Statute of Limitations. I did not like the coins, do not and never will like the coins, but I'll be d----d if I allow this injustice to stand.

Very simple. Member Abuela posed a similar question and when I responded with an answer a certified nincompoop could plainly see was humor -- I bolstered my answer with the movement of tectonic plates and a build-up pressure which resulted in massive damage @Oldhoopster rode in on his white horse and castigated me in uncharacterically graphic language. I believe I was decribing how lamination occurs. @Mike Meenderink is simply being provocative. To each his own. To show you what a good sport I can be, the other day when you used the term "bespoke" incorrectly, I let it ride. Most members would not know what any of this means anyway. Besides, in my eyes, you can do no wrong.

@Coinbuf & @Sandon : Thanks for the courtesy of your respective inputs. I have a question of my own. By any chance did this query wind up in your inbox festooned with a SPAM banner the way it did mine? There is a disturbing quality to the OPs itinerary. The finest piece of advice I got came from @Oldhoopster before he departed for parts unknown: "Look it up!" The second came from a member still amongst us: • Read more, • Submit less, and • Question EVERYTHING! (Emphasis and Exclamation point, mine.) SOURCE: @Woods020 12/15/2020.

Or in the case of former comedian, Bill Cosby, the New York Daily News, famously ran a Banner Headline on its Front Page, that read: "He said, she said, she said, she said..." 49 consecutive times filling every space on the page. Moving right along, I learned a great deal about the graders art at PCGS. So much, in fact that I decided to skip buying RAW entirely and going straight to encapsulations and upgrading with yet newer encapsulations. Though you didn't mention it -- and being a dated thread this matter is water under the bridge -- I can assure you the fact that a coin was ejected from a chute into a gloved hand does not insure a flawless strike of perfection. In point of fact, there is a gentleman who has been collecting for over a half-century who claims he has never seen an MS-70 anything, that exhibited no flaws whatsoever. My approach is simple. When you have a toothache, you go see a dentist. When you break your arm, you go see a doctor. That's what you pay these people for. Same thing with coins. You don't take them to a shoemaker. You send them to a TPGS for an evaluation. That's what they get paid to do. Don't agree with the opinion? Go to another TPGS. Have I ever been upset (or gobsmacked) by a submission? Of course. But rather than rant and rave about it, I clear my desk and study the coin in question at length. The advantage I do not enjoy over a TPGS is I have not been exposed to untold numbers of similarly graded coins, above and below the grade assigned me. On those highest possible grades, I would urge tolerance -- and study. 🐓

POINT-BLANK QUESTION TO THE OP What was the "grade" accorded the coin when President Truman famously displayed to reporters a local newspaper's premature banner headline, "DEWEY DEFEATS TRUMAN," and what was the grade you were hoping it would get after submitting it?