Henri Charriere

Impossibly beautiful specimens! (Funny how I never noticed the "M" in AMERICA, as rendered, looks hauntingly familiar to the "M" in MACHT on the sign at Aushwitz.)

Had to come back and look at this fine specimen what with rumors flying that the Mint is considering suspending production of pennies in the face of COVID-19 and the two cents it is costing them to maintain mintage of this classic coin series...

I don't want to be contrary, but it's gotten to the point where China has developed such a questionable reputation that if I were offered a 10,000 Gourde limited mintage gold coin commemorating Haiti's former dictator, Francois Duvalier -- from a seller in China, that would be enough to extinguish my interest. RWB is correct; there would be little point, value-wise, in authenticating such a coin.

That's my cue... alright, if I win the lottery someday I'll treat myself to an electrum from Lydia, land of my forefathers, and throw you five grand to go get your aureus. Interesting choice!

What would be the point of cleaning a coin if you leave cigarette burns as prominently featured on the obverse at 8, 11 and 2:30 o' clock? Fugazy cleaning job.

(To paraphrase one of the Duke brothers in "Trading Places," (1983?): Well done, World Colonial. Very Well Done!)

From the comfort, safety and relative anonymity of a chat room, the rather vocal poodle taunts the older bulldogs. I say let the underdog have his fun! (And be prepared to make RR2020 an offer he can't refuse if he pulls an upset.)

Absolutely the nicest Carson City I have laid eyes on in my nearly 70 years on this earth. Good for you! For reasons I have never understood, the cornerstone-layers of many of the older buildings in New York City took literary license and departed from the rules of formal "grading," as it were, preferring to render, 19--, MCM, as MDCCCC, and 90, XC, as LXXXX. The correct rendering, as you've noted, is MCMXCII. (I believe the '07 St. Gauden's Double Eagle also conformed to this scheme, likely for effect.) Nice Barber!

Talk about the desirability of assembling a collection in short order! To think I was derided by one of the heavyweights on this forum for simply stating my intent at the very outset of assembling a collection of French 20-franc gold roosters in 90 days. The fact of the matter is we are talking a grand total of 16 coins, half of which are generally unavailable in any grade, with plenty of room for upgrading. I can hear the naysayers now: "Aw c'mon. If we wanted to bust your chops, we'd've told you to go home and get your shinebox." THANK YOU WORLD COLONIAL FOR VINDICATING ME! While I have the No. 1 compilation elsewhere -- with plenty of room for upgrading as specimens become available, it would never occur to me to deride another collector's niche fixation. If someone were seized with the compulsion to complete a set of $4 gold Stellas, I certainly would not begrudge his choice. To those who enjoy tearing down, try uplifting instead. Bear in mind, there may be Young Numismatists watching!

(Whatever else must be said, you have to admire the tenacity of a guy who, intermittently, and reportedly over two years' time, is willing to hold his own against an aggregate 150 years of cumulative collective professional numismatic experience. The worst that can happen? Much ado about nothing. The best? Yet another contribution to the hobby. The alleged seven-figure valuation? What did that entity claim you had and what did he charge you for his written appraisal? We're not talking sensitive Top Secret disclosure that would compromise the national security of the nation here.)

No, the statute of limitations resolved those indiscretions. "Mister 880" (Edward Mueller) the man at the center of a ten-year Secret Service counterfeit currency investigation -- the agency's longest and costliest, when finally caught in 1948 responded with a toothy grin and the remark: "They were only one-dollar bills." True indeed, but nevertheless unlawful and illegal. Like I said, a polite reminder.

May I politely remind the numismatic fraternity at large that defacing coins produced by the various U.S. mints is a federal offense: see Title 18, U.S. Code, Section 331.

Looks like VKurtB was right. Again. Certification is but one factor to consider. I myself did what I had to do and took the plunge after I decided to "sleep on [a buying decision]" on three separate occasions only to discover the seldom available offering had been snapped up at a price not much more than that I had agonized over. You had to have it. Perfectly understandable.

In the absence of once ubiquitous brick-and-mortar establishments, and your understandable reluctance to put yourself out there with photographs, you're only other option is direct submission to a TPG such as NGC. (How much you ought to insure your parcel for is a valid concern; I rely on Registered postal mail and a nominal amount of insurance.) An auction house is going to want to see something, anything, to substantiate your claim that you own a particular item worthy of their attention and that means certification, or detailed photos they can check. Even those Pawn Stars rely on experts to render an opinion -- with the item in question right there in front of them.

(Why do I feel this splendid 1943 Lincoln is going to turn out to be made from steel and not copper? If you have car trouble would you jump onto a chat board you never knew existed, or take it to a mechanic? You're going to have to be more forthcoming. What are you going to do when you win the New York State lottery which bars claiming a prize anonymously? Contact a reputable, NGC-authorized local coin dealer, like Stack's, which has been around since well before the advent of clad coinage, for authentication. One more thing: condition matters. Just giving you a heads-up here.)

(I don't know that I would have the audacity and endurance to challenge your recitation of straight-forward, no-axe-to-grind, immutable facts. How does one come back from such punishing blows? You've effectively made short work of that constant refrain regarding the unmolested edge. As Archie Bunker said to his wife Edith, "You [Coinbuf] are something else!").

I am with you on that. One of the major reasons why most Set Registries of French 20-franc gold rooster coins stagnate is the unavailability of NGC-graded material for the earlier (original) years, 1899-1906. Not sure whose fault that is. Sadly, the coins I seek -- which can be counted on one hand -- exist but languish outside the Registry in an inaccessible Twilight Zone.

(I am still hoping someone will step forward and claim responsibility for this desecration even going so far as to concede extra care was taken to protect the edges.)

I don't know about Saints but that recent announcement from the People's Bank of China re the Forbidden City gold commemorative sets has gotten me to thinking, Who can afford a 1-kilogram gold coin? Talk about deep pockets!

Hate to say it but that matte finish and the so-called "business strike" of the 2016 centennial gold mercs -- which had the undesirable (though possibly intentional effect) of muting all semblance of detail -- appear similar. Mildly disappointing, to say the least.

Fair enough. Five years? What a mensch!

Here I was, all ready to throw my two cents in having been derisively dismissed as a novice and self-proclaimed coin expert, my reputation still intact after a knock-down skirmish with the heavy hitters, when suddenly the obvious occurred to me: the coin, ultimately, is of no value and submitting it for grading makes no economic sense -- and, worse than squandering perfectly good money, would end this hot-and-bothered donnybrook with an unsatisfying lost-by-a-nose finish. I am going to wait patiently for VKurtB to chime in. Nice try RichieRich... "now go home and get your shinebox." No Sale!

Walkerfan, as DJ Khalid said in those commercials, Don't give up! Who knows, if you're young, suddenly win the lottery, and still have the fire and inclination, you can reclaim your #1 spot. Never say never, I always say, and yes, all those top tier collections are lovely. (The only Walker I have is a 37-S in VF condition I've held onto for sentimental reasons.)

Maroon discoloration? Maroon discoloration? Never heard of this. Kind of like the Binion Hoard only with a less precious metal. Sad.

There is a blasphemous, somewhat sacrilegious quality to your assertions which I strongly suspect are unassailable fact. Somewhere there is an owner of such a trinket quietly exclaiming, C'est vrai? (It's true?). Yet another instance where due diligence must be exercised. I must admit I am not a fan of ER/LE, etc. A First Edition book means something because it represents the original text not unlike the Dead Sea Scrolls. At the risk of running afoul of the die-break fraternity, and those who assiduously study such arcane matters (some going so far as to stake their lives, fortunes and sacred honor in pursuit of same) what say you in rebuttal to the contention that these coins are essentially one and the same but packaged with a prettier dress and a clever, catchy designation?