Henri Charriere

As regarding the theft of the contents of a USPS Priority Mail parcel shipped from Kansas to California... I do not see how this shipment could have been targeted, so that leaves a blind, hit-or-miss theft which then raises the question of what does the thief do with thousands of old Iranian Rial banknotes? Any attempted sale of something so specialized would surely stick out like a sore thumb and I fear, unless the thief has a ready outlet, it may be discarded or destroyed. I have to assume your average thief wants goods that can be quickly converted into cash. I seriously doubt this was a steal-to-order job and, if that is the case, the purloined shipment is likely a total loss. As a collector, I find this to be absolutely shameful and heartbreaking. Some of the other thefts involve inventory that is heavy and not easily portable. Evidently, the thieves came prepared.

Me neither. I cannot tell anyone what's supposed to be on a high tier coin. I can only tell you what shouldn't be there. An MS-67 in my series? I know it when I see it.

In the study of law, they have the "The Uniform System of Citation." To numismatists, a standard reference,The Red Book, two words, should be of assistance to a collector in identifying coins by their proper name.

🐓 : Any thoughts, Q? Q.A.: Just one... the gentleman from the Magnolia State, rather than contest the assertion made by the OP, validated it, and then elaborated. He basically opined if the observable characteristics do not fit the diagnosis, you must not submit. Bag city, not Slab city. No Sale. Good call.

🐓: So what do you make of all this, Q? Q.A.: Ultimately, the OP's question, "How much would this [raw, uncertified] coin go for?", is unanswerable, as worded. Things went south after a helpful member posted an MS-66 example, for comparison. How else to explain a thread that progressed quickly from a possible MS-68, which appeared to be "flawless" under a "microscope" to maybe an MS-67, to an outside consultant's verdict of "AU" worth "$20." (Someone saved on formal grading costs!) The collateral consequences are most regrettable: one member "ignored" another dispatched with an insult. And a surprise career change, to boot: from coins to precious metals. 🐓: Is the OP aware that posts made by ignored members are still legible? Q.A.: I don't know. However, I still feel a newbie ought to wait a respectful interval before taking the plunge onto the Forum. You know, get to know the players, seniority, and any perceived pecking order. Get the feel of the place. I hope anyone bearing a hatchet quickly buries it and forgives all trespasses from whatever quarter they may emanate and starts over on an even plain. After all, no one just leaves the Forum. Once you join, you're in for life. Might as well make the most of it, I always say. 🤣

Further to the above, while certifications at MS-68 for All dates in the series (1913-1938) total 271, there are a few outliers which perhaps only a devoted collector can explain... For example: 1913 Type I - 44; 1913D - 2; 1913S - 4; 1937 - 40; 1938D - 88.

FWIW... If it'll make you feel better, no 1929 Buffalo Head nickel in the annals of NGC certification history has been graded as MS-68. (Only 3 have been graded MS-67, and only 1 has been graded as MS-67+) While it is possible an example may be submitted, it is unlikely as the circulation strike process, likened to a fast-moving assembly line, militates against it.

Welcome to the Forum! This is an old thread posted by a member who is no longer with us... It's okay. You'll get the hang of it.

Looks like you're going thru a lot of time and trouble to persuade us, but why, if you've conferred with "experts"? What is it about their findings you find lacking in some way?

No harm done, but in the future for a quicker reply you may want to post general inquiries of this type on the "Ask NGC/NCS" forum.

In the days before currency was revamped with the introduction of security threads and watermarks, you would come across [mainly twenties] which had been swiped with an anti-counterfeiting pen leaving a dark mark behind. It is becoming increasingly more difficult to counterfeit U.S. currency. One hand "stamp" I thought was creative bore a website where recipients of a one-dollar bill could enter the location of their bill while seeing where "George (W) had been." Dollar bills have a circulation life of about eighteen months.

Once in a while, I come to my senses and have something intelligent to say. This is one of those times. I know that suggesting an incalcitrant or recalcitrant member submit a coin, clearly lacking in any redeeming physical characteristics, is the national pastime on this Forum, but I have never indulged in this sport. I believe it to be cruel and insensitive while serving no useful purpose. There are better ways to get one's point across. Some members opt-out. The rest of us understand. One member helpfully provides figures for what the sum-total cost of a submission entails. It isn't cheap -- and not entirely risk-free. (Viewers will recall one member's promising find (an old Victorian something-or-other was lost in the Twilight Zone that the mails have become). I believe the responsible tack to take is emphasizing the good advice that has been given while noting a submission may not be cost-effective for all coins. We all come from different walks of life, backgrounds and schools of thought. We share, however, one thing in common: our love of collecting. We should cherish every moment we have here and count our blessings. And we should be more patient and understanding with those who are new to the hobby. 🐓

In my hardscrabble neck of the woods, crime is par for the course. I would not expect a crime of this magnitude to occur in Helena, the capital of Montana.

Now overseas, we do not know when that "mark" was applied or where -- or why. I don't know about intrusive surgery and shaving, but that is why bullion coins are reeded. A shady dealer I offered to sell my silver bar to stated he was going to drill a hole in it. I asked him what he was going to do with it then. He said, melt it! I said, "What for?" He smiled and pleasantly lying thru his teeth said, "We melt all scrap." I pointed out he was holding a bar with a universally-recognized hallmark (Engelhard) whose precise weight (100 ozs) fineness (.999) and specifications are known and available to anyone who inquires. I retrieved the bar and walked out. My feeling is the Double Eagle was defiled outside the country, a long long time ago.

Alright, alright... we see it.

(Just curious to know why you render the words, "I am," consistently and correctly as the contraction, "I'm," but decline to extend that courtesy to "I will," which you render inexplicably as the contraction, "il," -- with no capital letter i, no apostrophe, and only one l and not two?)

I am inclined to agree. There are ways to authenticate coins today that were not available years ago. Incidentally, when's the last time a TPGS defiled a coin in such manner to prove it was genuine?

(I must be losing it... I do not recall having written this post. I don't deny its provenance, but the "voice" did not resonate with me. I do not recognize it. I read it and then looked to see who wrote it, and was startled to find out it was me. It's not even a month. Whew!)

This same type of damage has been deemed "acceptable" by numismatists on Trade Dollars. My guess is, on a Double Eagle it would be unacceptable, but seeing as how the damage inflicted was intentional -- and somewhat unique, its value would similarly pivot on the focused demand of those who find the damage to be beguiling. In the absence of a back story, one pitch would be, as follows... Damage. What damage? Oh that! That's a rarely seen assayer's mark!

Thank you! My uncle z would beg to differ.

But, but... when I did a search, there was the name of the book, followed by "reviews." I should have "clicked" on it. There were a number of "error" books, but not that one. Great title!

Opening paragraph, notwithstanding, you can't leave everybody hanging... What was the "unexpected source"?

🐓 : What are you doing, Q? He said he doesn't want to hear anybody's life story, remember? Q.A.: You're right. I guess it's time to keep it moving.

Rank amateur here. In the absence of an official coroner's finding, here's the take from my perspective... All the numbers in the date appear to be "vibrating" suggesting machine doubling. The numeral 1 in the date, is misshapen; both the top and bottom appear to be skewed right. The leg of the numeral 7 in the date, appears to have been truncated. Re the D... You "read" that the D mintmark was stamped three separate times? If I may be so bold as to inquire, Where?

Is there a difference? Yes. Is it worthy of a dedicated New Topic? Probably not... Technically, little more than a convenient reference term, "A Guidebook of United States Coins," is universally referred to by the coin collector community, as the "Red Book." (It has a "companion" volume, commonly referred to as the "Blue Book.") Published annually and continuously since 1946, it is now available in a number of formats. In contrast, "Redbook" is the name of an American women's magazine [that terminated print publication about 5 years ago.] Red Book vs. Redbook magazine. That's it in a nutshell. (No difference in pronunciation.)