Henri Charriere

🐓: unfeasible, adj., not capable of being done or carried out. (no...) infeasible, adv., a problem that has no solution. (not quite...) unviable, adj., not able to work as intended. not able to succeed. (probably.) Q.A.: You know Rickey, you're pretty cocky for a rooster! Don't forget, this guy knows how to play hardball!

Very well put. I can confidently state I agree, and am in complete accord.

Thanks Mike! To quote Kurt: "Is this thing on?" The video has been posted now for four hours. What's there not to Like?

Troo dat! The only alternative is unpalatable: incapacitation in a strait jacket for life.

Numysmatism. An affliction characterized by a prolonged, sometimes lifetime proclivity or insatiable fascination with what numismatists regard as an inordinate amount of time collectors, so mesmerized, spend in the obsessive, compulsive pursuit of their specific flight of fancy: coin errors, their discovery, acquisition, identification and classification by the applicable formal terminology used e.g., "proof die cracks," etc. To my knowledge, no effective cure has yet been found.

True. No harm done.

Mine is: TBSOL... "TIME-BARRED by STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS.™️

Comment: Had I known @powermad5000 was going to play hardball, I would have rephrased the question, "How many graders should it take..." but that option was quickly taken off the table by the stentorian voice of Roger the Elder who effectively thwarted my intent and demolished the thread, such is his standing, stating in so many words, "it doesn't matter." That had a chilling effect, I believe, on Newbies on whose behalf I posted the question on their dedicated Forum. [Aside... It takes 23 members to make a grand jury. (A quorum of at least 16 who must be present and 12 to vote.) It takes 12 jurors to enter a unanimous vote. It takes 10 to make a minyan; 3 judges sitting en banc, on a Federal Court of Appeals bench; 3 to make a good marriage (per the three fold cord) and the 3 that bear witness. Elaborating is verboten and a violation of posted Guidelines.] I know what the publicly available literature on the number of graders says, but with bulk submissions running amok, not to mention Monster boxes, and wildly undulating turn-around times, I suspect a disconnect between a nebulous number of graders contending with an ever-burgeoning volume. Is it even possible with rotating tours of duty absent round-the-clock operation? How many minutes should a grader devote to a single submission? What if it requires specialized knowledge, then what? Some professions require a license to practice law and medicine. Others, like journalists, do not. For members who feel two graders are sufficient to evaluate all of the world's coinage, I would suggest even three is insufficient, if not impossible. And for those who've bought into the two-man concept, kindly provide the rest of us with figures regarding how many graders total, are waiting in the wings on-deck, or on-call. (Posted at the discretion of Moderation.)

As a rank amateur with an admittedly overgraded Negative Three (-3) I.Q., and no familiarity with Large Cents whatsoever, I am inclined to fall in with the group that assessed it as Very Good. I believe Fine would be pushing the envelope for the reasons as articulated hereinabove by a bevy of collectors better acquainted with this series. There are resources I assume you have consulted which I have not set eyes on in 50 years, such as the industry-standard reference known as the "Red Book," and possibly Photograde, or I suppose you can cheat and pore over eBay listings which presumably feature Large Cents which closely approximate the condition of your coin. Malhereusement (yup, look it up) the bad factors [the various elements falling under the umbrella acronym, PMD, (post-mint damage)] outweigh, some may say, overwhelm, the good. Overall, with this acquisition, you've done very good. Oops, I meant well. Very well. 🤣 Posted at the discretion of Moderators.

By your account, the coin had lain on a window sill for 15 years. This much we do know: that coin did NOT reside on any such sill of a window within the five boroughs of New York City. But we face a far greater, insurmountable obstacle in rendering an opinion: I do not know how much our Grand Master knows about such matters, but he is waiting in the wings ready to pounce on anyone who can go beyond mere conjecture and state conclusively, without a shadow of a doubt, exactly what happened in the case of your coin absent not-up-for-debate, conclusive proof. Consequently, any idle comment I may or may not have an inclination to express, shall have to await until he has spoken, ex cathedra, after which I can come out of hiding, and state with complete confidence: I agree... [for any number of credible reasons I can think of at a moment's notice].

This may seem like one of those questions preceded by a discreet inquiry, What is your religion? or Where are your parents (or grandparents) from? followed by an answer someone would find offensive or inappropriate, but this is not a joke. It is a legitimate query. When I became a member I automatically envisioned an assembly line of graders sitting at a long conference room table examining coins under table lamps. What would your off-the-cuff answer be?

I don't want to seem ungrateful but I would not hesitate giving anyone my [broken] left leg for the privilege of owning a unique, visually provocative coin like that. Great acquisition!

@Zebo : Our frequent-flyer has cleverly sidestepped the fact, elicited by a member elsewhere, that he had flown to Berlin and, bottom-line, wound up purchasing a British coin minted in the U.S., or something to that effect. (I cannot cast any stones because I took a young lady to the Plaza Hotel over 50 years ago for "tea for two" and "petit fours." The check, proffered on a silver platter by a waiter decked out in a crisp white uniform on a silver platter, came to $12.50. The prevailing minimum wage was $1.25.)

A suggestion to the OP: I believe "Who were the 8 most..." is a helluva lot more interesting than "Who are..." IMHO. 🐓

[Aside... in NYC, automobile drivers honk their horns. Fire trucks GRONK!]

Troo dat! This is a far more sinister contagion and insidious. Forget the mask. Register your complaint with your feet. Stand your ground!

This is the kind of set that takes the wind out of my sails. It beckons: "Mira!."

Somebody wanted others' opinions? Careful what you ask for! Here's mine. (Yes, a little levity is coming.) Firstly, there are three stages to this coin: "spinster," "matron," and "dowager." Call me dated if you wish but, date and diagnostics, notwithstanding, this is a "dowager." Secondly, there is nothing noteworthy or remarkable about the first three digits, but the fourth is special: it is clearly challenging viewers: "go ahead, make my day. I dare you to "hit me, right here!" Now THIS is an interesting variety. This is the first time I have ever seen a coin wait two centuries to mock all comers! You can't put a premium on that. It's priceless. That's my take.

NFN (Not for nothing) at least both of you HAVE lives; I don't. Some members cannot separate fact from fiction. I am unable to distinguish among my better half's truths, delusions and outright hallucinations. She is incapable of lying or forming criminal intent. Psychiatric disability. Long story. (Posted at the discretion of Moderators.)

Clad HR set? Alloyed or Clad, and if the latter, with what? Was this the 2014 3/4 oz gold coin. What grade? I spent the past half hour and am unable to find specific specs. More to the point, what was its trajectory to relegate it to Fallen Star status? The 2014-W Proof is selling for $1800.

I do not believe so. I heard a familiar voice tell me, "Look it up," and so I did. They were minted from 1919-1947, have a gold melt value of about $105., but what it is worth depends on the grade NGC assigned it when he submitted it to them and the OP said he "was pleasantly surprised." (FWIW: By contrast, the well-known Centanario 50 peso gold coin weighing in at 1.206 troy ounces has a melt just under $2500.)

Mystery solved! I was wondering why on their website they hyphenated "notable-celebrity" (which I decided not to do in the Topic heading above. Now I know. That little (-) changes everything. Thanks, Roger!

I may not think like you, but I can appreciate your train of thought. You're exactly the type of collector this hobby needs. Kindred spirits abound in the unlikeliest of places. Soldier on!

Fast-moving and very informative. Right up @Just Bob's alley. If you've got the time, Mike the thread-bumper's got the video! A great listen!

AUSA: Your Honor, I object! I ask that you direct opposing counsel to instruct the witness to be more responsive. THE COURT: Objection sustained. I order the witness testimony be stricken from the record and the jury to disregard it.