Henri Charriere

[Here's a thought that is sure to rile up some folks. Imperceptible to all but the most attentive is the thought that numbers on coins are larger in the hotter summer months and smaller during the frigid winters. This principle also explains the clickety-clack of train rails.] The serious collector would do well to familiarize him/her self with all aspects of already authenticated examples and consider too that the FDC (fleur de coin) you seek will find you, before you find it.

I believe the mintage of '09 "S" V.D.B. cents runs twice that and have always been considered scarce, no?

Was numismatics called the "Hobby of Kings"? Yes. Was it once, was it ever, the "Hobby of Kings"? No, never. Any chance it could become the "Hobby of Kings"? Considering the hobby's apparently irreversible and increasing vulgarization, no. Not by a long shot. Coin collecting neatly embraces the entire spectrum of wealth and where you stand on the continuum of mental illness vs. eccentricity is largely dependent on who you are and how much money you have in your pocket.

True, but would not the weight reflected be skewed and inaccurate?

There is a gaping hole in my Set Registry at the 1912 MS66 position. For esthetic purposes, I long ago decided I wanted to maintain the re-strike line (1907-1914) at MS66. Suddenly, an MS67 surfaced which put me in a quandary: buy it as is and become one of the few collectors to display one at NGC, or cross it and allow it to fraternize with its many associates on my PCGS Registry. The dealer was within a stone's throw of PCGS and I requested he send it directly to them for cross-grading (something I would not be able to do because I had allowed my membership to lapse). With long turn-around times, pandemic sanitation precautionary measures in place and the USPS apparently reverting to dirigibles for air delivery, I promised myself I would allow all parties to proceed at their own pace without annoying calls to Customer Service inquiring as to order status. Eventually, I got a call from a surprisingly amiable Christian at Liberty who told me the coin failed to cross. Just Bob, this has never happened to me in my entire life. My money would be refunded after adjustments had been made complicated by my refusal to use PayPal, my involvement with two separate TPGS, the cost of registering and insuring a coin based on FMV, and ultimately time, postage and resources. Decapsulation/re-encapsulation. What a mess. Naturally, I apologized for putting them through all this a process through which all parties maintained their cordiality and professionalism. [Some trivia: There are presently 619 compilations in NGCs Set Registry for France. Of those, 326 feature 20-franc coins from 1870 - Date. A grand total of 34 French 20-franc gold rooster collections remain extant. [During the last run-up in gold prices, dozens of previously unseen roosters were submitted for formal grading -- mainly in Europe (France, Germany) with only a few assessed at MS 67, all in the restrike (1907-1914) range many of which have since been sold.]

Welcome to the Forum where everyone who "comes correc[tly]', as it is said on the street, gets a fair shake. While I am sorry for your loss, not all fakes and counterfeits are bad. Many, in fact, fetch top dollar and are stunning to behold. Right now, as we speak, the Intagliomint, which bills itself a private, boutique mint, is churning out 1873-CC Trade Dollars that are of exceptional quality and a sight to behold. On the reverse you will find a rather amusing but likely accurate "960 Grains" and ".999 Fine Ag." These "Tribute" reeded edged coins are 6mm. thick and weigh Two Troy Ounces. Now, I am aware precious metals such as gold and silver are weighed in troy ounces while metals such as copper are weighed using the avoirdupois system. Question: is that a tare weight balance you are using for your coin and, if so, why? Ordinarily tare weights are used in connection with the trucking industry at weigh stations and such or is the presence of a "mode" setter provided to correct that?

Good point; my fault... when you purchase a coin from overseas there is the small matter of paying to have your USD to euros. That's where eBay comes in. In the U.S., payment on a winning bid is expected as soon as the clock runs out. You will get something, in substance, like: YOU WON! NOW PAY UP! I had become so programmed to pay up without delay that I had forgotten that I was obliged to wait until all costs had been calculated. In my haste to pay, I tried my local check cashing place. No go. They are contracted to use Western Union to transmit funds to specific individuals in certain areas of particular countries. I then went down to my bank: "That'll be $50, (for a formal bank wire transfer from your bank account as opposed to currency from your pocket.) After all was said and done, I got a polite reminder that there was still the comparatively small matter of 20 euros due for the currency conversion which would cost me an additional $13.45. I told them it would cost me $50. to send that to them then thought the better of it, threw it into an envelope and mailed it. In due course, I received a lovely note saying they could not accept the payment as it had since been written off as a "global discount." I told them, "It's Christmas! The coin is beautiful! I don't want you spending money to send money." And it all ended on a good note though I feel somewhere our seasoned, globe-trotting veteran is sitting there shaking his head in utter disbelief.

One point you have in your favor is never having to say you're sorry.

Eighteen months... and counting.

In view of the fact uncut BEP sheets of various denominations are (or were) routinely sold through the U.S. Mint, their value is strictly in their novelty. Two things we do know are they were not printed in Fort Worth and all were earmarked for the Philadelphia FRB for distribution.

Interesting damage. Too bad we will never know how old this thing is.

Every formerly uncirculated jeton, considering the purpose for which they were designed and produced, is going to exhibit wear.

Re Goldwater. I believe AZ is a designation used by the BOP to designate Alcatraz in California. Goldwater (and "Sammy the Bull" Gravano) are inextricably linked with the state of Arizona.

Kind of like pleading guilty -- with an explanation.

"Formerly" stempelglan can't be too far behind. Sheesh.

That time, as you may have read elsewhere, has come with catastrophic results. There is a part of me that believed (figuratively speaking) if you are sitting in an outside office of a TPGS while the reputable well-known dealer steps inside to have the coin you purchased at considerable cost cross-graded, professional courtesy dictates that you will prevail. That did not happen. In fact, it has never happened to me before though it has happened to many viewers as presented in these threads. Naturally, I bore all the expenses and have nothing to show for my effort. (And the coin, re-encapsulated, was quietly returned to the internet. I don't know what to make of all this but readers will recall the remarks made on this subject by viewers as varied as Mark Feld and NevadaS&G. I was refunded the entire amount minus one hundred dollars. Interestingly, this never would have happened to our seasoned veteran. He refuses to buy a coin unseen and out of hand.

As it should as not a single comment was directed to you personally, right?

[QA used to turn up like a bad penny but no more. Anecdotally, though I haven't been formally so much as wrist-slapped anywhere, I have apparently been banned from every coin Forum in the nation.] All the best!

[I do not believe your average collector realizes how heavy a cubic foot of water or silver or gold are.] I don't know how big your suitcase is, or whether it comes with wheels, but gold comes in at well over half a ton.

Actually, I did, if I may kindly direct your attention to the top of the page [which incidentally remains as true today as the day I had written it 1 and 1/2 years ago.]

Here's an obsession that puts all of you furlongs ahead of me. After they took silver out of U.S. coinage, I took a sabbatical. In 2018 I took a look at eBay and not surprisingly found something that appealed to me: an absolutely stunning 1904 20 Bolivar Venezuelan gold piece with stunning eye appeal. I do not recall what the bidding started at but knew something all the others bidders did not. Though I did not know what it was, did not need it -- or what it was really worth raw, I resolved to make it mine. I outbid 33 others for no other reason than to be the winning bidder. Other than that, I had no interest in it. I paid $333. for it and eventually had it graded shocked to find that PCGS, which assigned it AU58, did not find it to be of Uncirculated quality. That, respectfully, is obsession.

The problem with 1804's is very simple: virtually all have been found, all have been authenticated by the very best numismatists available over the years and each bears an irreproachable provenance. There is, of course, a chance however unlikely that previously unknown specimens have heretofore never come to light. Only time will tell.

I would. If it was good enough for Borat to spend time in, it's good enough for me.

All of the foregoing may make for interesting reading but fails to mention the specific tool used by TPGS to de-encapsulate coins submitted for submission. To my knowledge, this has never been disclosed during, or long after a grader's employment.