Henri Charriere

Attn: Ratzie33 Quality-control check. As the registered absentee owner of this posting, I assume you check this thread occasionally. Enquiring minds would like to know what you have to say about the comments which have been prompted by your query so far. Thank you for your time and prompt attention to this matter.

Thank you, Idhair. The highly regarded experts, sitting en banc, have handed down their decision. I have reviewed all 377 posts on this thread and found the arguments as advanced by World Colonial, posted in just the past 24 hours, to be particularly compelling and am pleased they were bolstered by brief biographical sketches of the key participants. This matter goes way beyond pedestrian authentication and certification. In view of all the comments made, I don't know that a successful resolution of this matter is ever going to be possible. And unless this thread is taken on a new trajectory with additional information, there would be little point in appealing a unanimous decision.

You may characterize it any way you wish. RichieRich2020 was decimated on this thread for allegedly rejecting the advice of one apparently highly regarded coin expert. I am not going to dismiss the collective opinions of certified experts and professionals who, carrying the weight of the hobby on their shoulders, took the time and trouble to weigh in on this matter, to entertain you and others amused by what has degenerated into a sideshow. They see no point in making the submission. A unanimous finding. I concur. In the absence of cold hard facts, I have little choice. "You've got to know when to hold 'em. Know when to fold 'em. Know when to walk away. And know when to run..."

Negative. Negative. And negative. You do care. You subconsciously seek attention and validation from your peers. And you wouldn't be taking every innocuous fringe post as a personal affront if your motive were simply to share information. The traits you cite more accurately describe ME!

[Thank you for your thoughtful comments offered, as always, with a diplomatic, conciliatory demeanor!]

I graduated in the top 90% of my class in elementary school. Only two? Not everyone is willing to risk all, very publicly, in assuming a precarious position in a decidedly unpopular cause, and so they withhold comment. I am fortunate in that I have nothing to lose -- and would not care a whit if I did. I may have been dismissed as a rank amateur and denounced as a Troll (yes, Capital T) but I had the mettle, the intestinal fortitude, as it were, to rebuff the likes of Coinbuf. There, I feel better already!

If everything you and the quite vocal heavyweight contenders on this thread have opined, is true -- and remember, I am not taking sides in this matter -- what purpose would be served in sending it in? Who on The Forum would vote to send in something all of you, with 150+ aggregate years of expert and/or professional experience amongst you, have deemed to be worth no more than ten cents? None, not a one! Hence the designated disposition: draw. [Thanks, nevertheless, for your complicity in contributing to the longevity of this possibly Greatest Of All Time Thread!]

[It appears to be a copper cent mischievously spray-painted a silver that has worn off in spots... with evidence of an "exploded rim" on the top of the obverse.]

What facts would you cite in support of your horrible allegation -- On second thought, I wouldn't put it past him. I noticed Just Bob asked him a simple, non-incriminatory question on another thread, and he never responded. Now who would not extend Just Bob, with 5,000+ posts to his credit, the courtesy of a reply?

Catastrophic damage. Something VKurtB might be partial to for conducting his laboratory experiments. Me? I would probably carry it around for use as a pocket screwdriver. I doubt any merchant would accept it for payment.

What must a corner man need to know about boxing? The referee is the one making all the calls. This heavyweight championship fight is a draw with no winners. A stalemate, as it were. Capisce? Fuhgettaboutit!

Correction: "I'm the only Irishman here!" (Jimmy Conway, Goodefellas, 1990). I have no opinion on the issue or desired outcome. I am only interesting in seeing that one of our own gets a fair shake on this forum. I believe we have long ago reached an impasse with neither side able to come up with anything substantive to add to the comments previously made.

I am, Sir. (Love that lovely eagle in flight!)

Copper will ban you... and Connecticut is run by maniacs. Huh?

I do not believe a standard, regulation die can produce the wan, undernourished look this copper suffers from. So what's the story, Ratzie33?

You have aristocratic tastes.

Cross-thread contamination. It's not about winning or losing. It's how you play the game.

No need to underwrite the purchase. As I recall, King Tut's treasures were on loan for Exhibit in the United States. Ditto the Mona Lisa. The most comprehensive Holocaust exhibition about Auschwitz ever exhibited in North America now at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York, comprised of some 700 original objects and 400 photographs, are on loan from 20 institutions and private collections from around the world. These are all one-of-a-kind, truly irreplaceable artifacts. I don't deign to know what the successful bidders for the Brasher Doubloons plan to do with their acquisitions following auction but they may very well consider making them available to the numismatic community at large on a limited basis and to the general public on special occasions via on-loan exhibition.

"It is the pre-occupation with possession, more than anything else, that prevents men from living freely and nobly." - Lord Bertrand Russell

Ear? What about the planet Saturn exfoliation directly behind it? Maybe it ought to be "earmarked" for further study.

A shame these will very likely be relegated to a safe deposit box somewhere, out of sight out of mind. These unique, rarely seen specimens ought to put on public display for the enjoyment of numismatists and interested parties alike.

I hope Just Bob is watching. This is one of his creations (the vintage sounds about right) produced when a Long Island Rail Road commuter train flattened it on the now abandoned spur to Rockaway Beach during his formative years. Such exemplars differ from the traditional rolled out specimens in that they are usually unevenly struck while in motion due to the vibration of the rail. A talisman now with great sentimental value.

This is a remarkable thread. The OP is adamant about what he believes he has, and for his trouble the thundering herd has run roughshod all over him. But the task that lies ahead is daunting: putting out an APB for a specific edition of coin with similar markings and I don't know that the OP, in view of his debilitating injuries, is equal to the task. The vast majority of his posts are pleas for help presented in his own inimitable fashion. There was one post, however, that stood out from the rest and in it he was jarringly lucid. I don't know if the vast majority of replies were posted while under the influence of painkillers or not, but negotiating a complex thread without them is difficult enough, and so, I should like to recommend rest. When he has recuperated sufficiently, we can all take up arms again in furtherance of his cause.

This pretty much sums up why I, with a few exceptions, "stopped out" of coin collecting altogether sometime in the mid-1960s.

Damned if you do, damned if you don't. Since you are always welcome to jump in if only to invigorate your thread, why not adjourn the matter until such time as when you get sufficient rest, heal and recover your strength. You will be sorely missed by all in your absence but recovery from serious injuries cannot be rushed or willed away. Get your rest and feel free to rejoin the fray when you feel your ready. You've made lots of friends on this site and together we can figure out how to address the matter of tracking down other coins with the unique distinguishing marker. As a fellow collector, I wish you all the best!