Henri Charriere

Not knowing much about the Gaudens gold DE series (1907-1933) I was curious as to whether you, the author or anyone else had any observations to make regarding today's release of NGC's five top and bottom performers.

Gambling casinos are honor-bound to dispense a player's winnings in cash and do so routinely all the time. [In addition, the 1978 expropriation at Lufthansa (unlike the trial run at the earlier $400,000 Braniff job) amounted to five separate parcels containing $1.6 million each weighing 44 lbs. for a total of 220 lbs. in addition to the gold, jewelry and precious gems worth in excess of $850,000. $2 million in cash (denominations unknown) weighing some 70 lbs were stolen from checked luggage at Eastern Airlines belonging to Republic, New York airfeld; Richard Floyd McCoy's payload jumping from the rear of a jet plane in 1972 with various smaller denominations amounted to half a million dollars and weighed approximately fifty pounds; a bucket of gold scrap left on the loading platform of an unattended truck in New York City's Diamond District and stolen on impulse by a short, Colombian itinerant reportedly weighing 80 lbs with no pre-arranged fence for ed him to go door to door traveling the country resulting in his capture.]

(3) Let someone know they have crossed the line. Passions can get high, mostly on coin debates, but if things go off-topic or personal, give them a chance to correct the mistake. [While it may be true as NGC's King Troll I always act with malicious aforethought, and now have scores of Warnings, Suspensions -- and under-handed slights and shots to substantiate my claim, the truth is I would appreciate which of the thousands of slights was anonymously deemed to be the straw that broke the camel's back. To be callously dismissed with the advisory, "You are not permitted to view (or access purportedly objectionable) content is unhelpful. To my (at last count) thirty-six confirmed lgnorers: if ignoring me makes you a better person, by all means, run with it. E.O.M.

The Nazis and KKK are a part of history. If it were up to you, you would demolish the Auschwitz exhibit at the Jewish Museum in New York. Dude? Have you any idea how old our much esteemed colleague VKurtB is? You remind me of those who refer to women as broads and spinsters. You're presumptuous and disrespectful! Calling for "everyone to ignore you," or any member for that matter, is a violation of the Guidelines. YOU MAY NOT ENGAGE IN SUCH BEHAVIOR! Quintus Arrius has one foot in the grave and is living on borrowed time. I believe regular Forum devotees are well aware you criticized Prof. Hill for the same reasons you did me after consulting your well-thumbed boilerplate speech: boring, long-winded -- deriving enjoyment from hearing one speak. Nevertheless, recognizing you are well out of your league, you will always be "pi-guy" to me. Just don't forget: VKurtB was, is, and will always be right. I accept that; why can't you?

With the gentlemanly indulgence of Just Bob, I dedicate the following piece I picked up many many years ago toMAULEMALL who seems to appreciate the more controversial stuff. *** Re: Statue of Liberty Reverse: the legend "Statue of Liberty, NY," and the monument actually more formally known as, Statue of Liberty Enlihhtening the World, encircled by a field of stars which interestingly exceeds fifty in all. Obverse: the center bears the fact: "Same thickness of copper as the Statue of Liberty 3/32".

I've got a multiplicity of aler-egos to choose from to deal with every occasion best exemplified by Alfred E. Neuman's WHAT, ME WORRY? caricature. What I am really curious to see is how seasoned veteran, VurtKB responds to the Administrator's Ultimatum: "Be Nice, or Be Gone!" I myself dislike feedback intensely. I would rather drop in unannounced, do my duty, and beat a hasty retreat. It is impossible to like anyone whose views contradictorily embrace an entire spectrum. Anyway, I'd rather be ignored than drawn-and-quartered publicly. The two, actually three enduring mysteries in life, for me, in no particular are: How come I am deserving of only a paltry three (3) Warnings; why does my wife love me; and whose got all the highest graded French 20-franc gold roosters presently not in any Sey Registry and to whom should I properly direct my inquiries regarding same? Unless your ultimatum effectively supersedes the Guidelines as set forth by Architecht, what you term a reminder is a revision which is in conflict with both the spirit and letter of various provisions relied on by collectors for some time.

With the gentlemanly indulgence of Just Bob, I dedicate the following piece I picked up many many years ago to MAULEMALL who seems to appreciate the more controversial stuff: copper with well-defined "dental" work with a 1-1/2" (3.7mm) diameter

If there is anyone out there who can fathom a guess as to what this is, where it came from, and its approximate date of minting, I would greatly appreciate it. The edge is well-rounded. The dimensions are roughly 2" or 5 cms. in diameter, and has a hefty weight. I acquired it from an old man who spoke fractured English at an outdoor flea market in New Yok City in the 1980's.

And how, may I ask, would you know that???

You have a luxury few people have. If I bought a coin for 8USD, and it was lost in transit, none of what you claim on the submission form would be a reflection on the TPGS you sent it to which never got a chance to see it. This is strictly between you and the carrier you chose and what they charged for delivery. Suppose what you sent in turned out to be an extraordinary find: a 1943 copper penny in very fine condition? Then what? (This scenario reminds me of the time a regular Joe sent in a lottery ticket with a multi-million dollar jackpot to State Lottery offices by regular mail -- no insurance, etc. -- using a regular postage stamp. I would not have done that: no proof of mailing or confirmation of receipt. Too risky.) The only time I took liberties with what an item cost me was when I began with the final cost to me which included prevailing Fair Market Value, the bribe I had to pay a "detective" to convince the owner to sell (with kickback) PayPal's fee for conversion from USD to Euros -- which did not include the Customs and Border Protection I had to pay in the U.S. to prevent the package from being sent back. Then, I had to have the coin cross-graded for my Set Registry. With all my costs added up, I discovered I had paid roughly twice what I would have had the coin been available domestically in the "right" holder. (It is unquestionably one of the top three rarest in my collection.) I belive the suggestion you've received earlier is the more sensible route and may save you hundreds of dollars and needless heartache. Submit two of the best photos you can of both the obverse and reverse sides of the coin and let the talented membership here weigh in as to whether what you have is worth formal certification. Best of luck to you!

The answer to this question is: Look at the car he drives.

I think it safe to say these comments made on your original post followed by an ongoing spirited exchange with the author, as well as other curious and/or knowledgeable types/collectors over the following twenty-plus pages, has made it virtually impossible for me to resist the urge to go out, get a copy of this book and read about a coin I have always admired but never had the opportunity to acquire. Very stimulating thread!

For lack of a more applicable term, this is what someone harboring decidedly un-numismatic tendencies would do.

Make it nine like the U.S. Supreme Court. Problem solved.

Coin collecting in and of itself is fine. Where it turned infuriatingly bizarre was discovering I was already heavily vested in one brand when I stumbled across something called a Set Registry and realized I had no choice but to become the very slave to a brand Coinbuf frequently rails against AND pay the higher prices demanded of its European counterparts because that's where all the earlier dates could be found. And for what, the privilege of saying I had the #1 position? For how long? Until someone somewhere, seized with an obsession to outdo me, changes everything in an eye blink by making one well-positioned, prohibitively expensive acquisition most likely via an auction. That's not only bizarre. That's pure insanity!

I am going to pretend I didn't read this. 😂

The ANA earlier this week announced a 10% across-the-board cut to their operating budget extending into next year. Having read every comment made by the contributors to this Forum regarding the ANA, while I can't put a finger on it and say, Here's where the problem lies, I trust that your contemplated role as a member of their Board of Governors will, without violating confidentiality, give the membership here a fully-struck diagnostic much like they give used cars.

All things considered, I really like this coin. There are some references to denticles, but none appear to have been tickled to death requiring extraction. Some spectators have mentioned the rim/edge damage, regrettable at best, but these are heavy coins and this one wore down nicely. Same goes for what I term "service" damage having been intermittently in and out of circulation for over 200 years! The only enduring mystery left is what event necessitated the radical tracheotomy which is very rarely performed in the field of ornithology much less on a bird specifically chosen for representation on a half-dollar workhorse. 😉

In the same issue Coin World announces their search for the sixty greatest influencers in the field of numismatics -- suggestions they want to compile for a special spring issue they intend to publish in the spring in, you guessed it, their 60th anniversary, comes the news that the ANA will be cutting their operating budget by nearly 10% for 2020-2021compared to 2019-2020. So whose sponsorship of the survey provides a clew as to who is looking for the information -- any why. A few obvious personalities come to mind but that would be akin to listing by name the Chinese laborers who toiled anonymously on the transcontinental railroad, the inventor of the hybrid steam-powered sailing ship that brought gold buried in the fields of California to the Eastern seaboard and the Hunt Brothers who cornered the silver market and buoyed prices to heights in 1980 never seen since. Unfortunately, their most influential trial endeavor would not make the list as would the gentlemen who created electrum and produced the world's first coin. Coin World's tribute seems to have been created for little purpose more than giving themselves a pat on the back. It's too bad some of the greatest engravers the country ever produced will not make the grade. Maybe an enterprising fella on this Forum can start a thread labelled simply who were the most influential people in numismatics, and why -- exclusive of the guy who first thought of stomping out a coin for re-submission.

You may have been the instigator of this heresy, but VKurtB committed on pixel paper to assuming a position on the Board of Governors and ultimately resolving this matter for generations to come, and I for one, once colorfully described as a mere ant on the back of an elephant's arse by a seasoned veteran, shall not submit to the impertinence of questioning his motive.

Here is a wooden dollar the pillar of your community would never have reason to see much less use. It is the equivalent of a "food stamp" which can be "purchased" at a booth with the use of an E.B.T. (Electronic Benefit Card" issued by the state and accepted at any of the dozen or so open-air "Farmer's Markets" participating in the green-market program in the five boroughs of New York. My guess is it is favored in lieu of cash (dangerous to safeguard on the street) and by proprietors who seek to avoid the use of credit/debit card machines and the processing fees exacted in using them. The three features I should like to point out about these "wooden dollars" are a). If your purchase amounts to $4.75, you will forfeit the quarter due: each dollar clearly states, "No Change Given," b). Five-dollar wooden coins are available as well, and c). The dimension of the coins, irrespective of denomination, closely approximates if it does does not equal the exact diameter and depth (thickness) of the so-called Ike dollar. SNAP Is a federal program administered by the various states; I would assume a similar arrangement is available in other states.

If you want an assessment on censorship, you consult a major violator -- not pi-guy whose forte is recording pre-recorded comments. The moderators on this Forum sit before a board which lights up as soon as an offender's presence is detected. The monitoring is so up and personal you can detect their hot breath on the nape of your neck (women prefer loooking over one's left shoulder) words are deleted, substituted, an entire page may be frozen and if you check the spelling or meaning of a word, God help you if, with all the distractions, you manage to recall what you've written, the way it was written. The interruptions continue until every edit/quote/option box is blacked out calculated to prompt your curiosity as to why. If you fail to investigate, that counts as a WARNING. You, of course, will not know unless you acquiesce and investigate. I have never been that curious thus the final admonition which cannot be overlooked: "You are currently restricted from posting content. This restriction will end on [ ]. If you no longer remember what it was you did to prompt the restriction, you may peruse past content until almost magically you will be told in "second-coming" type that you are also not permitted to view the very content which may have prompted the censure to begin with. Now I understand what Groucho Marx meant when he said I wouldn't want to be a part of a club that would have me as a member.

[Anybody want to venture a guess as to how much a gold or platinum 78 rpm by a poupular artist is worth in the market place, with or without its precious metal content?]

If what you say is true, osmium ought to be right up your alley but impractical for everyday wear. Way to heavy.

My only problem, as I see it: is identifying the owner(s) of the highest graded coins, making him/the an offer they can't refuse and hope a young numismatist doesn't walk into a European office of a high-profile TPGS in the meantime with a slew of Roosters, all remarkably preserved and well-deserving of a heretofore never before assigned MS-67 grade in the 1899 to 1906 range, and MS-68 grade in the 1907 to 1914 range. Failure is not an option.