Henri Charriere

I do not collect 10-Franc gold roosters but there was one for sale for well over $10,000 on the web yesterday. These coins are presumably half the size of the 20-Franc gold roosters which contain less than 1/5 of a troy oz of gold. Paying that much 💰 for less than a tenth of an ounce of gold bullion is not my idea of coin collecting.

There are 7.8 billion people living on this planet. Of that number, there are only 40 🐓 Set Registrants. Here, and "over there." There is only one serious contender here and he is ranked #3. (The other two are unaware Honolulu has issued a major tsunami alert and are busy sitting back on their laurels collecting awards.) Likewise, "over there" there is only one serious contender. ME! The handful of others -- and I want to emphasize I am saying this respectfully having observed this phenomenon over a decent interval -- are dead in the water, beyond resuscitation, revival and recovery. If, as My Cousin Vinny, the Honorable VKurtB, maintains, that I am merely a collector of modern bullion coins, he has conveniently overlooked the fact that a distinction must be made between those who accumulate random date/condition coins at little more than melt price from run-of-the-mill bullion sources, and Set Registrants pre-occupied with dates, condition, scarcity and numismatic value. The pickings are slim and the competition among the real contenders is fierce. In the past two years, every dealer who has sent me entreaties regarding high-tier 🐓 has thrown his or her hands up in defeat. It is not possible to sell something you don't have. I have resigned myself to the fact that though my collection is "complete" "current- and all-time finest," it is not the "best."

I anticipated this question and I do not have a definitive answer beyond 🐓 in general are 90% gold and 10% copper. The older "original" 🐓 are noticeably darker (much like old wheaties) with certified MS grades beyond 64 for each of the years from 1899 to 1905 so scarce they can be counted on one hand (with the exception of 1906, of which, over two dozen have been certified in varying grades up to, but not including, MS-67. By contrast, the "restrikes," or "redistributed" 🐓 reflect the bright yellow color of U.S. gold bullion coinage certified up to, but not including, MS-68. Why a change in alloy was made is generally attributed to war but until I can get my hands on a single authoritative source, the mystery surrounding this last in a long line of French 20-franc coins will endure.

The visual discrepancy is due to the tinkering of their gold, silver and copper content.

@J P Mashoke I like the Vincent Van Gogh, that went and got itself into a whole heap of trouble the best. Of particular note is the pothole which sprung itself a leak and became a waterfall. Funny how nobody, NOT ONE MEMBER, bothered to mention that despite the steady bombardment, the figure of Lincoln seated between the columns is the clearest representation of him ever seen on any coin -- MS or PROOF -- bar none.

No complaint, sir! 🐓

Gentlemen, don't give me that malarkey! New York is one of those states where claiming a state lottery cash prize -- which has routinely made the most expensive coins ever sold on this planet seem like chump change in comparison -- is subject to the laws of the state and its lottery rules and regulations. While every ticket sold is a "bearer instrument," it does not explicitly state the bearer cannot claim the prize anonymously or with a modicum of confidentiality. Billions of dollars have been so dispensed, without incident. (Kindly do not refer to the series of tragedies which ensued after Jack Whittaker won his ill-fated Powerball ticket in West Virginia. That was primarily of his own making.) There is suspicion which, if left unchecked, may develop into paranoia. Simple but notable transactions of gems and jewelry in the millions of dollars are conducted routinely every day and concluded with nothing more complicated than a handshake, the equivalent of Paulie giving his brother Toody the nod in the film Goodfellas. My sincere apologies to my fellow member @GoldFinger1969 for obliterating his thread much the way the D'autremont brothers wreaked havoc on the Southern Pacific line in 1923. We're not talking about buying or selling; we're talking about a routine viewing by a qualified member anointed one of the 100 most influential men in Numismatics. Any suggestion to the contrary alluding to security concerns flies flatly in the face of a need to know and an element of surprise. What we have here is a wholesome case of carefully crafted hooey. To My Cousin Vinny: I hope you recall this column the next time someone tells you, "We have what you want, but cannot let you see it."

I believe my last submission for cross-grade consideration sat in receiving for little over a month before it was officially logged in as "received." There was no question it would "cross" as I sent them the better of the two I have. 😉

I wish to make clear my remarks denouncing the shabby treatment of RWB, a noted scholar, researcher, published author... refers to the above excerpts, posted earlier, and no other coin.

Valid question... An inconsistent policy city/state policy which mandates masks in subways, supermarkets, banks, the post office, doctors' offices, etc. When the cable guy showed up to reconfigure my equipment and program my Spectrum remote for use with my RCA TV (which required punching in 16 sets of 3-digit codes for a total of 48 numbers!) he came wearing a mask and my wife and I immediately donned masks as a simple courtesy. (I know for a fact you have a mask to be used on an as-needed basis in your glove compartment.) I believe masks will be with us a long time as the pandemic plays itself out. I have noticed they tend to be a burden to asthma sufferers and I myself get headaches if I wear them continuously due to carbon dioxide. Ponder this... EVERY train arriving and leaving Grand Central Terminal, with or without diesel locomotive propulsion, on the Metro-North commuter line, rush-hour and around-the-clock, spewing exhaust and steel dust along with high-decibel horn-blowing does so within six car-lengths of my building. The invisible vs the visible and quite audible. I consider myself lucky: I spent virtually my entire life next to the LIRR's main line and directly under La Guardia airport's primary flight path. ✈️

This is the first time I have heard a complaint about eBay. It's (expletive deleted) PayPal which seems to do all the dirty work on behalf of their host. About a year ago, I started getting rather direct orders from PayPal threatening me with this and that unless I paid NOW (using a font size even our own VKurtB would be envious of). I had the pleasure of informing them I had sent the payment for an overseas purchase a week ago via bank wire transfer at their request! Because of my miniscule area of interest and insistence on acquiring the top grades, many of which I've freely acknowledged do not as yet exist, I eschew raw coins and potentially unpleasant surprises. 🐓

If it were, with my luck, it would be written in impenetrable highfalutin French.

Nope, there have been about a dozen deaths in the 93-unit building we live in and, life for me, has never been better. It's as quiet as a cemetery in here. The streets are empty, the supermarket and local stores are sparcely patronized, the busses and subways are empty, the banks have greeters, guards and tellers. No platform assistants. Few die-hard tourists. To quote that old commercial: "Who could ask for anything more?"

I find the very thought anyone would say, No! to someone of RWB's caliber unconscionable, and quite frankly, ill-mannered, unacceptable and offensive.

[Not exactly sure where this fits in following the earlier brouhaha, but that article published today in COIN WEEK about bullion coin auctions to be held by the U.S. Mint suits me just fine. Kudos to the anonymous back-office worker who came up with that idea.] 👏 🐓

[None of my business, but personally I'd be much more impressed if you were to gain access to the coin that got away. No, not the Walton "specimen" but that coin @RWB was effectively barred from seeing for unknown reasons.

I'd love to but who's going to pay any attention to a 70 year old, illiterate, rag-picker and roostermeister living on a fixed-income in subsidized senior housing in East Harlem, New York?

Gentlemen, like I once said, the entire history of the French 20-franc gold roosters -- known and referred to by a variety of names is shrouded in mystery. There is no question as to the series minted from 1899-1906 referred to, apparently by all concerned, as the "original" gold roosters. After that, things become hazy. Americans refer to the 1907-1914, as "restrikes" though at least one reference I consulted referred to them as "redistributed." A variety exists, akin to finding the Lincoln Memorial on a 1958 cent, but is rarely discussed. @VKurtB is correct in implying the "originals" were used in general commerce and the later ones as a convenient store of bullion. Any roosters sold in quantity (as at AMPEX, et al.) are all, without exception, the newer "restrikes." In the absence of evidence suggesting otherwise, I am inclined to believe the Mighty Conder's hypothesis. 😉 🐓

[I might as well come right out and say it: I love War nickels! Period. Those over-sized mint-marks are special and hint at a small number of years. Philadelphia, prior to this series, hardly if ever appeared on any U.S. coin. And let's not forget their 35% silver content. The universe of such coins in respectable condition is limited. You've done very well with your finds. Thanks for sharing them with us.] 🐓

@VKurtB. Kindly add the above highway interchange, graciously provided by a fellow member, to the list of no fly/no drive locations I am busy compiling for your benefit.

[ @Treeman Little point in dignifying this soliloquy -- skewed unabashedly in favor of the speculator -- with a response, when a squad of Sanitation street sweepers are poised to discard the droppings.]

@VKurtB My lung 🫁 function is very good. But I can definitely sympathize with those who have asthma, COPD, the obese, and others experiencing breathing problems. I take a long, stepped incline carefully. I will know in a few weeks whether my 4.2 cm has, for lack of a better word, "ballooned," or remains stable. All the money 💰 in the world does one no good if you lack freedom of mobility or poor health.

@Just Bob Oldie but goodie... great stuff!

True, remember that feature in Reader's Digest called "Points to Ponder?" Well, this is one of them. Ironically, the more 🐓 that get certified, the more "degraded" my compilation becomes. At P- they maintain two lists: both the "current" and "all-time" finest. I checked the latter going back to caveman times (no offense to @GBrad) and was frankly surprised the majority of names listed are practically the same as those listed today. Interestingly, either no one had been collecting them, or the concept of lists are recent. It has occurred to me that if I were to sell them, nobody would show up and interest in them would be minimal. 🐓

@J P Mashoke I have a feeling the book your daughter bought for you was opened, propped up and photographed specifically to taunt me. In all fairness, I must admit you have succeeded beyond your wildest dreams. Technically, the 1907-1914 line are called "restrikes." The French call them "rrdistributed" coins and note some were minted in 1921 with the rest minted during the 1950's and 1960's. That page, which does not provide mintage figures for 1907-1910, only deepens the mystery. In fact the entire Rooster series, whatever the reason, is shrouded in mystery. I am greatly indebted to you for providing yet another glimpse of this enduring mystery. 🐓