Henri Charriere

39 minutes ago, l.cutler said:

Many people do use aliases, my user name is not my real name.  There is a huge difference though between an alias like this, and getting booted on one name and then using another to get back on.  This is clearly a violation of the rules on 

2 hours ago, MarkFeld said:

We don’t all use aliases. And Idhair mentioned that the poster in question had two different usernames on Coin Talk.

Yeah, you're right. (That's got to be a Federal felony...)

3 minutes ago, MarkFeld said:

We don’t all use aliases. And Idhair mentioned that the poster in question had two different usernames on Coin Talk.

Oh, for Chris'sake. DNA, Title III wiretaps, electronic surveillance, user names, passwords. No room for creativity. Once when I complained to a private mint that their check-in procedure was dictatorially coercive, they lamely responded, "We don't do that."  I said, Yes, you do! "User and/or Password must be 12 to 16 characters long, must have at least one upper-case letter, must use a number, must use special punctuation, i.e. *&$!,"ad infinitim, ad nauseam. (That's why people forget; too much to remember what with all the different rules.) He said setting up an account, done by an outside contractor, was out of his control. I have fond memories of being able to walk into courthouses and airports unmolested, and Social Security, without being asked (forced) to remove my footwear. I am certainly not going to get all bent out of shape over someone's use of ten different usernames over a hundred sites. You, and the community at large presumably put your two cents in; we're talking chatroom here, not a breach of sensitive National Security information. Our bosom buddy engaged in questionable behavior. Big deal. It was perfectly legal, wasn't it? Who cares. As one of our number observed: "Life and coin collecting are unfair. Get over it."  Water off a duck's back. Onto the next interesting troll...

2 hours ago, ldhair said:

The OP came here after he was booted over on CT. He had two different user names over there and both were booted. Same dime and he got the same answers as he got here. 

That's okay.  We all use aliases.  Mine is Quintus Arrius.  I expect that one day, someone watching the old movie classic, Ben-Hur (1959) will suddenly exclaim: "THAT's where that rank amateur got his moniker! Lemme Google that... see, Q.A. was that tribune (Jack Hawkins) that Judah Ben-Hur (Charlton Heston) rescued from a sinking Roman galley slave ship. I thought that name sounded familiar!  He's also on a set registry. No, not ancient Roman coins -- I don't know where he got the unmitigated gall to name his compilation the 'Herostratus Hoard.'  Historically, that makes no sense. What does Herostratus, the guy who destroyed the second temple of Artemis in Ephesus back in the 4th- Century BC, have to do with a modern set of French gold coins?" Hmmm...  We all have an innate need to preserve the characters among us.  Ratzie33, his sidekick, Rizzo37, are all welcome to join the fray if they, and the community at large, have the stomach for it. With other viewers comprising the once cited 150 years of numismatic experience, encompassing all facets of buying, selling, grading -- and unclassified experimentation, every one has a shot at re-arranging the pecking order.  And those who cite the site for its unparalled entertainment value, will not be disappointed.  Participants are responsible: they take a deep bow in the beginning, enter the fray, and exit -- some triumphantly, some licking their wounds, others with tails firmly tucked between legs, again with a deep bow. A resident porter comes by every so often to sweep up the debris and haul away the carcasses, and that is as it should be.  Water seeks its own level, I always say.

8 hours ago, VKurtB said:

.... no "design work" is ever done at Denver.

This is an incredible, er uh, assertion [I, again, am absolutely unable to contest]!  I mean, if we were talking Dahlonega, I would be inclined to accept it.  But Denver. DENVER? Meaning what, Philadelphia is King? (And S.F. is a mere footstool?) I, the rank amateur, never knew this. Such esoteric thoughts have never even occurred to me. One thing for sure, on this site, forum, chatroom, you VKurtB, are a mighty contender! There are comments you have posted here, in casual, off-handed manner, that reflects a deep, intimate first-hand knowledge of operations I am definitely not privy to.  Insider knowledge.  Stuff that only an investigative reporter can uncover stated, with steely confidence. My hat is off to you!  Every time I see your byline I go, Whoa! Like in the old E.F. Hutton commercials: "When [VKurtB] talks, people listen." Remember? I have learned things from you I have never dreamt of. Again, my hat is off to you!

4 hours ago, Alex in PA. said:

To those who post in this forum I wish to express my heart felt gratitude for providing this amount of entertainment.  

My sentiments, exactly!

4 hours ago, Coinbuf said:

No body is suppressing his ability to express his opinion, although by now I suspect many here wish for that.  When you show a coin and experts have rendered opinions biased on many years of research and experience and you throw that knowledge away in favor of your own fantasy you lose any and all credibility.  And at least two very real and plausible explanations as to what and how the op's coin came to be have been put forth which the op has also ignored; well regardless of what you think the op not only deserves but has asked for every bit of the animosity and ill will he receives.

Well, I for one am going to let the gentleman practice his religion as he sees fit.

41 minutes ago, VKurtB said:

Soundly and firmly in the "experimentation to figure out what people are doing" category. You see, I'm not only a collector, but a researcher as well.

Research, you say. Just curious... do the mining companies use cyanide to leach precious metals from the ground in open-pit operations because the alternative is markedly more expensive, or because there isn't one? (Been reading up on the mining going on in a small town in Mexico.)

3 hours ago, VKurtB said:

A few historical points that argue against this coin being what RR2020 says it is:

1) There have been no, repeat no, sandblast coins EVER produced at the Denver Mint. P, S, W? Yes. Denver, no. Denver is a tiny Mint without room for experimentation. They don’t even have a die shop. They BARELY have room for a gift shop.

2) The very first one produced and released is the 1994 nickel (note: NOT a clad coin) in the Jefferson Coin & Currency Set. This is a year AFTER the 1993-D dime here.

3) That 1994 nickel was UNANNOUNCED, completely. No mention of its finish was in the sales literature. The hobby was unaware of it until an article about the special surface was published in Numismatic News. The author of that article was, wait, I’ll look it up, oh yeah, ME!
4) And if all this weren’t enough, the “fact” (as if...) that the reeding is unaffected is irrelevant. I have Matte Finish coins I have made, with a mild acid and an ultrasonic jewelry cleaner, and their edges don’t look to be affected either. 
 

4a) THIS is my acidic solution. It takes about 24 hours to get a finish like the OP’s dime.

5) I shouldn’t have to go to all this bother to prove anything to a newbie troll. Frankly, my word backed by my experience should be enough. 

Regrettably, there is nothing in my vast arsenal that can effectively counter what you have coughed up here today. To think there was once a time when collectors were chided for taking pencil erasers to coins! Acid? Where does acid fit it in on the restoration-conservation continuum?

3 hours ago, VKurtB said:

A comparison between the OP and you. He uses YouRube as a weapon.

Ha! Ha! Ha!  Highly entertaining, this back-and-forth. You've "coined" a new expression I've never heard before, but to make doubly sure, somebody get me Forensics!  Ha! Ha! Ha!

4 minutes ago, VKurtB said:

Cleaning? No cleaning or conserving will remove that. It's argento-sufide family toning. No cleaner will remove it. Enough acid/thiosulfate contact will lighten it, but it is there, and the hobby not only doesn't downgrade for it, they actually upgrade for it. We are currently in Bizzarro World, where early stage corrosion on silver is considered a positive thing. It's all just a waypoint on the way to "black".

Short of throwing it away, I would apologize profusely before bestowing it upon an innocent bystander.

1 minute ago, VKurtB said:

The grade on that '21 Peace is about its lack of contact marks. The "junk

', because it is technically toning, is either a neutral or positive factor in this market. I don't like that look, and it seems you don't either, but it is what it is, and the lack of contact marks makes it a 65.

Melt value, notwithstanding, to me it has no numismatic value. Absolutely none... then again, I would nominate that coin for a "professional" cleaning however distasteful I find the entire subject. Like you said, it is what it is.

3 hours ago, VKurtB said:

This OP is basically a troll.

He has such a loveable, endearing aspect to his staccato posts that I seriously wonder why some of his biggest critics do not make greater use of the other end of the "Notify me of replies" spectrum, if it bothers them that much. (I just can't see getting all worked up about something nowhere near as ugly as that '21 Peace Dollar in MS-65, reportedly offered on eBay, prompting not a single viewer to courageously exclaim, The Emperor Has No Clothes! It looks like something that had been rescued from a sewer!  Negative Three Eye Appeal! There is room for everyone on this forum. Live, and let live.

Kind of explains that slab I recall seeimg somewhere, with just one descriptor: "LACQUERED." [I found the reference provided, LCRC, to be most illuminating in this regard. Kind of explains the '83-D my brother and I found as kids with an absurdly large "D" that, in hindsight, suggests a coin we merely found "interesting," had more of a story to it.  Our collections comprising two Whitman albums, virtually complete but for the few key dates which prudence dictated ought not to be pushed into a hole in cardboard, were dispersed years ago.] Thank you, Ratzie33 for bringing this fascinating resource I was hitherto unaware of to my attention. (I am afraid I lack the expertise to render a definitive ruling [opinion] on the matter of polished edges/rims.)

The cold hard truth is, where there is a profit motive involved, nothing anyone has to say here will make a difference. The boogeyman man out there doesn't care about what is okay and not okay, where money is involved. Last year, I did something nobody would do. I entrusted my life to a surgeon I had never met and, after a no more than five-minute consultation, said yes to a hip re-replacement. Re restoration and conservation, etc., there are surgeons at NGS that are practiced and well-versed in such matters. I would entrust them with my treasured possessions, unconditionally.  You are never going to stop someone intent on doing the wrong thing.  Instead, what you can do is protect yourself, defensively, by familiarizing yourself with all aspects of coin tampering thereby limiting your exposure to fraud, and worse. To think, there was a time when I actually vowed I would never give in to the encapsulation trend. The gradual, almost imperceptible, demise of brick-and-mortars and the advent of the internet forced me to reconsider. Accordingly, that recent item in Coin Week (I believe it was) regarding the couple that waltzed into a coin shop in Ohio with three St. Gaudens double Eagle, one of which turned out to be the rarest of the Carson City's in VF condition -- was, to me, a breath of fresh air. Who'd've thought a truly serendipitous surprise like that was still possible in 2020? Now that's a coin worth certifying!  And if it needs sprucing up, that's a decision better left to the experts. (Let's not forget... someone had to re-do all those classic coins carelessly glued to boards at the world-renowned Smithsonian.)

1 hour ago, RichieRich2020 said:

You know what ... I really feel a little embarrassed and ashamed if it ended up turning out that I was wrong this entire time . Especially since I know that alot of people on here probably secretly hope that Im wrong... But then again I'm not really to worried about it since I feel like the blind is leading the blind and because I know for a fact that theres alot of people on here who care more about Recognition then they do about FACTS AND IMPORTANT DETAILS  ... 👨🏻‍🦯👩🏼‍🦯👨🏻‍🦯

Honestly, I am not really concerned about whether you are right or wrong. I am, however, obligated to defend, with my life if necessary, your right to express your opinion in a public forum. For the sake of keeping things on an even keel, I am going to assume all this animosity and ill will, some latent, most blatant, is simply a by-product of the heat and humidity we have all been experiencing of late. Tomorrow is another day I always say.

This is one thread I hope is never shut down. Unravel? Maybe. Shut down? I hope not. Where anyone else -- including myself, would have long given up the ghost, RR2020's irrepressible style, irreproachable virtue and enduring stamina comes shining through.  Bravo!

On 9/24/2019 at 1:11 PM, Just Bob said:

There is a typo in this article.

Quote " The most commonly seen counterfeit 1856 Flying Eagle Cents are actually altered date 1856 Flying Eagle Cents. "

The legend "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA" is also referred to as a "motto."

True indeed.

With so much ire in the air, I would like to try a different tack.  You said all this stems from a remark made by a "local coin and antique auctioneer."  Fair enough.  Would it be bad form to simply return to that gentleman (or lady) for further elucidation on exactly what it was about the coin that led him to make that observation? I am not taking sides and would prefer to reserve judgment until more information can be obtained. Is that still possible, RR2020?

Is this coin really deserving of this one-drop-of-blood in the center of a shark frenzy which really ought to be reserved for outright, blatant, tricksters and fraudsters? I don't think so. Besides, what about the "chilling effect" this rat pack attack will have on the uninitiated who may be considering submitting their own specimens for review?  I challenge any reader reading this right now to view the offerings presented at buyuscoins.com and state unequivocally that they found absolutely no problem with any of the grades assigned therein. [The Red Book used to advise that "Proof" refers to the special unique process the Mint uses to produce its line of not-for-circulation coins. I am strictly old-school in that regard. A proof, is a proof.] Constructive criticism offered in a spirit of good will, minus the condescending, wholly superfluous, negative verbiage, is always welcome. In the interim, caveat emptor!

18 hours ago, Just Bob said:

I would be surprised if the half graded higher than MS 62, judging by the pictures.

They didn't take any special care with these before they packaged them. You might think a coin sealed in the mint and mailed to a collector would be pristine, but with the older mint sets that is not the case.

Not to mention those older proof sets from the 50's, packaged in flimsy cellophane, stapled once at the top and distributed in flimsy cardboard boxes. Anybody remember those? Carbon spotting was nothing unusual.

5 minutes ago, l.cutler said:

I have heard that the TPG's attribute coins the same way, by standing them up in chairs!  That clinches in in my book!

You "heard?"  C'est impossible! [Perhaps not as consequential a sieve as that afflicting the U.S. Supreme Court] but that flies in the face of what one forum user swore to, presumably on a stack of Bibles: what happens in the grading room, stays in the grading room. 

I have heard of flat tires, but flat rims?  That's a new one on me.  

I love Wheaties, always have, always will, but this is not my area of expertise. I wonder what a true aficionado would have to say about all this? Someone ring up Coinbuf!

48 minutes ago, Morpheus1967 said:

Perceive as doubling?  Where is that mentioned?

Wow, my lying eyes have deceived me! Apparently, in post surfing I confused one with another. My sincere apologies. (Staying up so late in this New York heat wave I am beginning to unravel.) Oh, and thanks, Morpheus, for the heads up. Now where was I?

Pardon @Maurine for my hasty and intemperate remark. In all fairness, what you perceive as doubling appears to be a nuance of vibration.  On balance, I believe Just Bob's assessment is just right: Low mintage, apparently little demand coupled with a most unfortunate extended interment in an open casket (a/k/a a brooch) exposing it to all manner of potentially harmful elements. Thank God the gold market, presently, is in your favor. All the best!