Henri Charriere

Stinging comment. By far the worst leveled against me. I tell you what, I am going to allow my army of ignorers who also happen to be my most avid followers review our exchange. Me? I'm going to "Ask Alexa" and see what she has to say.

I never knew that. I always thought the backlash was due to its ostentatious display. I believe your average non-collector is not aware they are even there. (When VKurtB is not peering over my shoulder, I examine the initials with my 30-power loupe and marvel at the sharp, perfectly formed incisions made under great pressure at high speed.)

What can I say? You've got that je ne sais quoi quality. Let's just say that there is more to you than meets the eye, but you're upsetting the people who expected you to keep your promise to ignore me. 😉

You're doing just fine. Everyone appreciates a bright and cheerful person. Especially the moderators!

[Hear that, Ratzie? No law! "We're-in-the-mo-ney..."]

A nylon bristled toothbrush and toothpaste used on a collectible silver coin and she cautions against using -- tap water... Huh?

Minutiae. Without that "e" you've got a genetic mutation.😉

"...rotate the bust....move the stars." I am very very late at this, granted, but here is what this procrastinating self-described rank amateur thinks. I have yet to investigate the link thoughtfully provided by our highly esteemed OP, but have taken the liberty of reviewing Christian Gobrecht's impressive biography and inadvertently noted his death which occurred only a year after the controversy you have chosen to discuss. Me thinks in the absence of a definitive explanation, those so inclined and equipped may want to investigate the state of his health, generally, as well as the cause of his death. In the quest for truth where symmetry, balance and proportion figure prominently, nothing should be ruled out.

[One graffito; two or more graffiti.]😉

Maybe. Let's be honest here. Have you never, not once, come across a CAC-stickered coin and sat there wondering what all the CACkling was about? Simply amazing how one grader gets paid to render an opinion -- which rises when the goddess of FMV deems it to be a factor -- and another grader is paid to say, "Yup, sure looks like one to me" -- or not. I am not an investor and I am not a collector. Many strive for perfection but for various reasons do not, will not or simply cannot achieve it. "They" say my collection is complete but I won't be satisfied until every crooked path grade-wise is made straight. Regarding the Albanese interview. . . He is a gentleman who appears to have been groomed as a businessman to hold his cards close to his chest. He will divulge information he may deem to be personal or confidential on a need-to-know basis only. I have no problem or opinion on that. We are free to speculate but can't argue with success.

I second that emotion. Tell ya what, refuse to ENABLE COOKIES, which is usually conveyed to you in various pop-ups conceived by entrepreneurial types and presented a s an outright order, as in, ACCEPT with no other tab made available for NOT NOW or REMIND ME LATER, then come back to me and tell me whether the arrest and unprecedented immediate release of Mexico's equivalent of a defense department minister was a bribe, a gesture of friendship, or an accelerated case of let bygones be bygones. Re: Alex... institutional memory is indispensable; your use of emojis is inoffensive and you're the only person on the Forum who has mastered the art of saying a lot -- without uttering a single word. Now, that's saying something!

Herewith formerly a legitimate 1881 Morgan Dollar, reeding intact, two outstretched wings bisecting UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and E. PLURIBUS UNUM inside the one-inch diameter coin beneath which appears a curious seal pup. I believe it is a Size 12 men's ring whose very existence, utilitarian though it may be, flies directly in the face of the federal criminal code.

I am going to defer to our resident expert on PMD and PTS. What enquiring minds want to know is: the nature of the offense committed which warranted such punishment, and how much of that thirty-five year stretch did this offender do in the Kingston pen?

[A most regrettable misspelling of a former governor's name.]

Complicating matters is the fact that the two top TPGS have submission centers all over the world. As you may know, I collect French 20-franc gold roosters and it stands to reason I will trust those who grade them frequently than their counterparts in CA and FL who come across them only occasionally.

Great piece of advice. I've used a Brillo pad -- but I had my reason. That was 40 years ago. Look at the result now. Clearly cleaned. Originally caked with mud. Diameter: 2"/5 cms. Quarter-inch thick and heavy. I have no idea what it is, where it's from or its age.

Oops! I did it again.

As two of our much esteemed members are fond of saying, paraphrased here: Back on track. We should be on whether there ought to be a Frozen Star of Texas commemorative... If today's weather is any indication, that anamoly in the South will be long remembered but doesn't warrant commemoration, even on the local state level. If I read the OP -- whose unique brand of humor brightens up many a thread, correctly, his intent was merely to good-humoredly share with fellow members a once-in-a-lifetime event rarely if ever experienced in his neck of the woods with those similarly situated. I trust that with spring right around the corner, warmer days lie ahead.

Nice. It's even got a date! Love that "Let Trade & Commerce Flourish."

No problem. I cheated. I looked it up curious to know if the name was an acronym.

Actually since 1997. Echo Bay morphed into eBay (small e, big B). There are several stories as to how this all came about. Regarding photography and lighting... that was the subject of a recent thread here: fluorescent vs. incandescent. Some have a natural knack for such things; others do not and probably never will. You can also tell a great deal about a seller by the manner in which they package their product for shipment to you. My best advice: always look at the reviews and exercise due diligence.

There isn't a collector alive anywhere who can look you in the eye and truthfully say he has never [or never would] suffer a similar fate.