Henri Charriere

@VKurtB In point of fact, it was your line, "Is Ratzie33's name on it?" referring to the 100 Most Influential folks in Numismatics, that was probably the best line ever used.

You cannot rule out unanticipated hardships be it due to financial considerations, e.g., loss of home or life (tornado outbreak) or job, foreclosure, eviction, pandemic, including health, etc. Dealers can detect the distinct scent of fear, panic, desperation, ignorance and a whole host of attempts to sell at what would outwardly appear to be imprudent times to sell, from a mile away. The very fact that someone would consider selling to a pawnshop or include a "best price" option on an on-line listing is akin to blood in the water to a shark. 🐓

Unfortunately, for me, the 🐓 fanatic, I have already upgraded my small line of sixteen coins to the stratospheric limits and when you are dealing with people who have a pop 1/0 coin, they are the "market" and they call the shots. Say No, and you will live out the rest of your days with a hole in your collection (heart) that cannot be filled.

The up and coming generation(s) of coin collectors are our hope and future. They are the ones who will have wrestle with matters regarding ethical considerations and truth. Hopefully, they will peruse these posts and resolve to be credits to the profession by resolving to do what is right ✅.

I had to come back and take another look at this fine example of classic silver coinage. One day I can only hope a 99-year old life-long numismatist will sit down with me and reveal the most closely guarded secrets of the profession. Take this treasure, for example. I would like to know exactly what it was the grader saw that disqualified it for consideration as, say, an MS-67, MS-66, MS-65, MS-64, and MS-63. I see minor brushes and bruises but no chatter. There is a suggestion of light toning that appears to have shaded what vestiges of original mint luster may have remained. The stars are well-defined. The denticular structure is intact. If anyone were to suggest this coin merited consideration as a MS-63, would anyone have a violent objection? Generally, in all respects, this is a very lovely, well-preserved gem any collector would be proud to own. Thank you, Walkerfan, for taking the time to share your possession with us. 🐓

@Modwriter Very lovely Proof! Incredible price! They don't make 'em like they used to (and I am not saying all this because I don't want the old man's ferocious dogs chasin' me down the street.) Bad enough I gotta dodge bullets.

It looks like something Arnold Schwarzenegger's adversary would have in one of those Terminator movies, i.e., molten metal. 🐓

YMMV. (Incidentally, anecdotal evidence suggests the highest quality rubber used to produce long-lasting, superior bands resistant to deterioration was Malaysia.) 🐓

1). Whichever of the two has greater eye appeal if you see no distinction between the forbidden subject of technical vs marketing grading. 2). Yes. 🐓

Very thoughtful of you to supply photos of a nice UNC silver dollar. If the weight is within acceptable limits -- and the methods used by mad scientists to enhance appearance do not apply, there is still the nagging suspicion of wear on the most vulnerable high points, and of particular note to me: Lack of well-defined denticles uniformly throughout as well as something else no one bothered to mention: the unknown milky white substance between the E in ONE and A in DOLLAR on the bottom of the reverse. 🐓

I think we'd all be interested in the outcome.

An excruciatingly detailed account of the Walton "specimen" may be found in a Wikileaks summary headed: 1913 Liberty Head Nickels.

Unsolicited Editorial Comment... With the advent of the internet, the concepts of anonymity and confidentiality are dead. * * *

@Woods020 Hate to sound like one of those Gypsy fortune-tellers, but if it all boils down to Mylar, there's only one, actually two ways, to find out for sure: 1- Gently tap the side of the holder closest to the void gently on its edge to ascertain whether the "cosmic chatter" migrates, or is on the coin, or, if inconclusive : 2- elect to take the more intrusive path and carefully remove the coin from its holder. 🐓

True indeed. To be filed under "necessary evils." 😈

@numisport Have to hand it to you. You're one smart cookie!

@JoseDores Oh, I get it. Sorry for the delay in properly crediting you with being the first member in NGC history -- pending official recognition by the Guinness Book of World Records -- of joining the premier TPGS in the world in the wee hours of the morning and posting a comment only two minutes later, with a margin of error of mere seconds. Welcome to the Forum!

@Mr_Spud if it is not an imposition, I am sure those of us who have followed this thread would be curious as to its outcome. We have the "before" photos; now all we need are the "after" shots... if you are pleased with the results, and are so inclined. Much obliged! And a special mention of Just Bob's good-natured cooperation!

@Just Bob 🐓🐓🐓🐓🐓

@errorist Not particularly. They lack old-time definition. But they are unusual and that's what makes them special unless, of course, my perception here was distorted by a photographic effect.

@errorist As much as I would like to, I can't. My Cousin Vinny is looking over my shoulder and to some extent he and I (I believe) do not ascribe any significance to hits, runs and errors. I personally think some are interesting but that does not make them more valuable.

@errorist. You've got seven, count 'em! Morbidly Obese letters between 5 and 7 o' clock on your reverse and you want to talk about a hairline die crack at 9:00?!

It's so close to melt, it's not worth making an issue of.

No. I just didn't think anyone would notice. Of particular annoyance to me is "woke," and "baby mama." Is it really expecting too much of people to accept the overall utility of the apostrophe in "my baby's mother?"

I reported the miscreant for a number of reasons... No. 1: misspelling nickel. No. 2: Lack of a single bid recorded or even an offer being made. No. 3: the Mint mark was not crooked or misplaced; it was missing entirely unless you believe in the theory of nocturnal mintmark migration. No. 4 : as hereinabove stated, no coin I saw was encapsulated. Assigning it a grade allegedly certified by a TPGS is, to me, a worser crime than counterfeiting. No. 5: if there were any reviews, I did not see any. Eternal vigilance is an invaluable tool to use to shine a glaring spotlight on scamsters -- but it requires responsibility as it inevitably reflects on a seller's reputation, and livelihood. 🐓