Henri Charriere

With your mention of Whitman, my ears perked up. Just curious, how high a grade of coin would you consider inappropriate for display in a Whitman or, for that matter, a Dansco album? One clear advantage you have over me. You get to handle your coins occasionally; mine are locked away forever in see-thru coffins.

You're right about that. And this was before the S.S. Central America sank (1857) with enough gold to cause a panic. I love these historical tidbits!

Att: RWB Having gone through the time and trouble of posting this fascinating historical extract, I want you to know how much I appreciate seeing the fruits of your research. Clearly, your interest in numismatics extends well beyond the simple pleasures of collecting coins. Only a comparatively short time after gold was discovered in California, it is incredible to see how fast federal legislators could move in the days of horse-and-buggies and steamships -- no transcontinental trains; no planes. Good thing wiser heads prevailed. Thanks much for sharing!

In all honesty, if the site that posted the pictures of the earlier, NGC-certified specimen did it justice and was a fair representation, it didn't look like a proof either. I would be curious to know what the yield was, i.e., the price actually realized on this item, at the closing gavel. IMNSHO, it has no eye appeal, whatsoever. And coming from a rank amateur, I believe that carries some weight.😄

Nineteen seventeen hit this nail squarely on the head. These are precisely the questions the answers to which enquiring minds want to know. Nice shot over the bow, 1917! And I do hope Brian, and, by extension, those whose interest has been piqued get some satisfactory answers.

Nice Belgian block cobblestones. And a beautifully milled street. If the obverse and reverse are the same, it is not a coin, as noted by posters above. Too bad I don't have a Yakuza contact. Interesting piece, nonetheless!

I cannot speak for others but I wouldn't want to rely on "Yes" men who pride consistency over truth and honesty. I would want someone to "give it to me straight." It takes a considerable man to own up to his mistakes.

[Posted from cyberspace] My heartfelt thanks for re-considering! Added bonus: it turns out what many viewers, including myself, dismissed out-of-hand to be residual droppings of malignant tertian malaria, the estivo-autumnal variety, due to plasmodium falciparum, was actually a "diagnostic marker"!!! Who'd've thunk? Wondercoin is wonderful! A breath of fresh air! Thanks again, MarkFelt, for indulging the wishes of the underdogs among us.

The only thing I see encouraging here is it is gold and gold is on a meteoric rise. Even if you were to restore this coin, somehow, some way, I believe a telltale mark would be left of the indignity visited upon it. It was sold to you at or about melt value because someone deemed it to be worth nothing more than scrap. I just don't know if it is worth salvaging in the condition it is in.

I totally agree. Also, stay away from Etsy, be wary of eBay (consult customer reviews) and exercise caution with anything offered for sale from China. One more thing, if a seller says his coin presented in a fancy case was certified by a Third Party Grading service, don't be afraid to ask him about the grade if he doesn't mention it.

[Another 30x user! Very handy tool. Nice to know I am not the only one. Do hope you get the answer you seek.]

[Off-tangent query: any theory as to how baby's mother became baby mama?]

Gentlemen! Gentlemen! Somewhere between Attack Speed and Ramming Speed, with the hortator steadily beating his drum, Coinbuf uttered the "No" heard 'round the world. I was warned that if I lose Coinbuf, I'd lose the ship. Accordingly, I hereby tender my resignation as referee of this match and, having served with distinction, abandon this thread forthwith. I wish my successor luck in resolving this matter amicably. Sincerely, the Troll

There is something, I don't know what it is, that is so unsatisfying about advancing a perfectly legitimate suggestion which would resolve this affair firmly and with finality, and then withdrawing it for no other reason than because of one's belief Wonderland would not want to look at it, irrespective of the reasons cited. What are we all afraid of? If I appeal a matter all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, the VERY WORST that can happen is receiving a "cert. denied" ruling, i.e., "we decline to review the matter set before us." This Wonderland was the most promising lead yet. To extinguish it before it has had a chance to be test-driven is really very sad. What is everyone afraid of? Don't leave us all dangling. Kindly reconsider and follow thru. And again, let the chips fall where they may.

Coming from a place where graffiti is celebrated as artistic expression and not vandalism or damage to property (New York City) I am inclined to carve out an exception for this exceptionally beautiful coin. Had the engraving been non-italic and performed without grace, it would be a different story. Thanks for sharing as I haven't seen anything like it.

I don't know why anyone would compromise his values and feel obligated to dignify anything I have written (usually tongue-in-cheek; often dripping with sarcasm) with a rhetorical rant Viewers know my story well... stopped out after silver was taken out of coinage, dove back in after surgery last year, and while still under the influence of prescribed painkillers, amassed a world class collection of French 20-franc gold rooster which accords me the unprecedented privilege and honor of refereeing skirmishes between the misfits and the one-liners and the has-beens and the might've beens and the would-bes and the ne'er-do-wells and the God-knows-whats of the highly esteemed collector community. My apologies if I left anyone out. Now aren't you sorry you asked?

(Shush! Don't you want this travesty to end?)

Fair enough. (Just about everyone else has been viewing this thread. Why deprive him of the pleasure.)

Re the "loom," I marvel at the ancient mounting marks left by a prehistoric slab at roughly 10, 2, 4 and 8 o' clock. I am kidding, of course! Unique piece. I have never seen anything like it. Nice catch, and thanks for sharing it!

Immense waste of time? How so? How much time would Wondercoin need to make an assessment? How much time did onlookers on this site need to render their condemnations? I say the OP ought to follow through on this suggestion, let the chips fall where they may, and put an end to this vulgar sideshow.

(A rather encouraging development if I may say so myself. Thank you, World Colonial, for trying to help a fellow collector in distress!)

Had to come back and review these postings... I had (still have) a situation where a coin I bought, described as a "frosty" gem in MS-66, arrived with a quite evident latent fingerprint. What to do? I called the dealer but, though he offered to take it back, quickly realized he was not responsible for the grade. Would it have been an MS-67 without the "distraction"? Only a grader would know for sure. So I have the coin and simple courtesy requires me to mention the defect should I ever be inclined to sell it. [If I were the grader, I would have consulted my fellow graders to see if the least intrusive restoration/conservation procedure could be utilized -- as a matter of course, and courtesy, but I guess the very suggestion is sacrilegious.]

Very nice specimen thanks to the responsible stewardship of previous owners.

Very lovely! One of my all-time favorites. Thanks for sharing it!

The epitome of cruelty but you've got me laughing so hard I can no longer see! (Would you hand me a Kleenex, dear.... what are you laughing about?... it's a long story, eight pages, 200 some-odd posts. Ha! Ha! Ha!)