Henri Charriere

Honest answer: I don't know. The fact of the matter is grades, as one member noted elsewhere on the Forum, "are all over the place." I was reminded of that when I compared one gold MS-67 I was offered with five others I own none of which have toning or distractions of any kind, and found the one offered to be clearly lacking. In fact, a grade of MS-66 would have been overly generous. What numismatics needs, going well beyond CAC, is an accredited appeals board with the power to order TPGS to raise or lower their grades on questionioned grades -- or justify their actions based on previously graded examples. All else are selling points.

Regarding the theft of the bag of the 1928 gold dollar. If the government is still interested in recovering them, they will get the inside story on someone's deathbed likely inadvertently from an aged female patient, via a spontaneous declaration, who was told: DO NOT SPEND THEM, and, KEEP YOUR MOUTH(S) SHUT! I experienced that dream last nite and was left with the impression they were buried, hopefully, with instructions to their last location.

Take a guy like me with no axe to grind and no reputation to lose owing to ignorance... Question: would one make out better with standard encapsulation using high tech, space-agr plastic and chip technology or use very virtually inbdistructable tempered glass featuring an "unreakable" glass, to maintain glass coins in conditon originsl condition interred? Related question to our learned colleage: is there any trutj to the fanciful thinking I seemed to have developed that U.K. coins experience far fewer deficiencies durjng the course of production. -- across the minting spectrum -- than their U.S. counterparts? Maybe what's needed is a Trials of the Crypt (my joke) to maintain consumer confidence. I am still a Closet believer in the virtues of plastic currency as used first in Australia.

A well-known member who apparently dislikes toning, period. 😉

Twins? Alright then, I double-dare VKurtB to say something about these tastefully toned examples!

Good question. The only ones I am familiar with are strictly bullion class. The U.S., U.K., South Africa, Austria, Australia, etc. There was a 10,000 gourd honoring Francois Duvalier which I had never seen before for sale on eBay and last residing in China of all places, but I am sure it was a limited edition struck for ceremonial purposes.

My periscope is aimed at you-know-what exclusively. Little by little, the long arc of all things numismatic, is embracing encapsulation for their coins. I regret to say that to me, personally, choice- or gem- B.U. is -- as VKurtB has made clear -- not very helpful to anyone seeking upper-tier coins. To quote that old musical, "If I were a rich man..." I would probably take a chance -- and have -- but am reluctant to do so after a gorgeous specimen with absolutely no fault to my eyes, described as FDC, a range of MS-65 to MS-70, came back MS-64+ by PCGS. (As a favor to you, I will check the tony shops with top shelf merchandise in Europe and have a definitive answer for you tonite.)

I agree.

From the looks of the end coins on the twelve rolls of 1776-1976 Ikes (120coins) I picked up at a local bank (I assume never wants to see them again) I really ought to confirm my theory they were held hoping they would appreciate some day. And, who knows, I may very well discover hitherto unknown varieties and mutants and barring that, be compelled to offer to donate the most presentable Ikes to young collectors who've never seen them on that post where such random acts of kindness are encouraged. Coin, padded envelope and postage on me.

For some reason, I find that I can find no fault with that reasoning which means any coin collector who manages to acquire red encapsulated cents deserves a premium.

The peripheral toning on the Buffaloes are superb. I dare VKurtB to say one unkind word about any of them!

The one thing I haven't mentioned is the rise in popularity of TPGS. European coin emporiums have acknowledged U.S. collector demand for their services and have responded accordingly. Bear in mind, coin prices overseas already run higher.

Which, of course, begs the question: What does one in pristine clean condition go far? I guess the answer to that is whatever a collector or investor or speculator is willing to pay for it at auction.

I long ago resigned myself to the very real probababiliy that I will unlikely to recover my total outlay. I base this on the fact that certified coins on what I regard as the top leading economic indicators, census figures, continue to climb, dashing all my hopes for landing a unique example. That, and one other thing... An unknown member (to me) who quietly assembled a collection of Top Grade roosters which, but for the exception of thirty-plus collectors, debuted at #3 on NGC, effectively knocking everyone one else down one notch. I am still #1 @ PCGS, but his strategy and commitment cannot help but give the rest of us pause. This is the risk one takes when using titles like, "all-time finest" and "world's finest."

But what do you sat to a seasoned veteran like VKurtB who last year outright questioned the "desirability" of any collection that can be assembled in 90 days, or less?

[Thought I'd bait you with something Weegee used whose name, understandably, would be unfamiliar to new and younger coin collectors. 😉 My childhood friend had a nice Leica. With the advent of cell phones, they had a good laugh about seven years ago when I walked into a CVS and asked what happened to all the disposable one-use portable pocket cameras. I believe Willoughy and Peerless are the only survivors of Photography Row In the Penn Station area.]

I love the all and the dark backgrounds on some accentuate the positive aspects of all. That Jefferson is something else. Fantastic find!

What does the guide book say were the years of circulation for this coin? If there are signs of wear, I don't see any. This is one of the more interesting [generic] tokens I have seen. If you have to ask, Which 'coffee shop?, you're obviously not from the area. Never seen anything like it. Nice find.

😂 My understanding of this pandemic is with or without the vaccine. -- there are so many variants to the virus and varieties and errors to the vaccines developed thus far -- that you will still have to wear a mask. On a side note, I cannot recall the last time there was a coin show in New York City and that's probably why I have never been to one.

That rules out aluminum which is what I thought it looked like, however unlikely. Thanks for checking!

I agree.

[I never heard of either designation or the reference to "Appalachian" nickels in the link.]

[I am still trying to picture you running around with your 4 x 5 speed graphic at coin shows.] 😉

[Not to belabor the matter but there was an earlier reference to "white metal." Anyone know what a genuine coin's composition is, or is supposed to be?]