Henri Charriere

As noted on a related-subject thread. Only 3 coins were deemed to be contenders for the 100 Greatest U.S. coins in the past 100 years; none are in circulation, presently.

@Fenntucky Mike : Take solace in the fact that the market will be the Final Arbiter, irrespective of our individual opinions. Now @GoldFinger1969 has raised an interesting point. A generation of collectors have come and gone. The dedicated book on just DEs may be just what's needed to drum up interest in a hobby that hasn't been updated in reference form in a generation. You never know what may strike the fancy of post baby-boomer generations flush with cash, not to be mention trust babies now largely gown up.

There ought to be a law against anyone enjoying a hobby this much.

Have you a valid license to practice? 🤣

[I believe for illustration purposes, depicting one of the finest examples of DDO available, as in the 1972 Lincoln you've chosen, is ideal. Unfortunately, it seems the examples featured regularly in this Forum are PMDd and any distinctive characteristics are not so easy to discern. That likely explains the never-ending procession of queries. Just my hunch.]

T B b S O L. The coin, first and foremost, is 27 years old. It has presumably been in circulation all that time. There is extensive PMD (post-mint damage). Directly above the date is a crater left by a meteorite. The "T" in LIBERTY exhibits a symptom of the tertiary stage of a communicable disease. There is no telling exactly what happened to the IN GOD part of IGWT. Wear and tear is to be expected in older coins found in circulation. I am not going to bother to ask you what the reverse looks like. I will assume it is in Mint State condition. 🤣 The "9" looks odd, but what would you look like if you went out in a blizzard or sub-freezing temperatures without protective gear of any kind? I advise you again to get a good grounding in your type coin of concentration. Roll hunting is for retirees who can effortlessly separate the wheat from the chaff. Spend more time reading and less time scavenging. Familiarize yourself with the key dates (and the varieties you will likely never see). Above all, collect for the enjoyment and thrill of finding something you never thought you would in the unlikeliest of places. The Forum will always be there for you.

I regard the magnet test to be definitive. All the other considerations, and there are a few, are secondary. If a '43 "copper" sticks, you must acquit. And if you think education via certification is expensive, try ignorance. Second opinions should be sought discreetly. Get into the habit of handling coins by their edges, however damaged they may appear to be. Yes, even yours.

Based upon the comments received thus far, some abrupt and dismissive, sarcastic, unnecessarily cruel and generally unhelpful to someone new to coin collecting, I am going to suggest you get yourself a copy of the latest Red Book (or perhaps wait for the newest edition due shortly) and acquaint yourself with this broad subject matter. And if you wish to restrict your reading to Lincoln cents, by all means do so. Certification is a serious matter. You must have a good idea of what it is you are submitting and whether doing so is warranted and cost-effective. I am going to leave you with the wise words one member left the forum with three years ago: "read more, submit less, and question everything." -W020 I urge you to try and master the hobby well enough to identify coins correctly, how many were minted and their approximate worth. Focus on quality. Do not get caught up in the internet-inspired line that "you too can become a millionaire" by simply looking at your spare change. I personally would leave ERRORS and VARIETIES alone, until you have mastered the basic essentials. I am no expert but experience tells me if your coin were truly valuable, you would have been told so in unambiguous words at the very outset of your post.

Me thinketh you expect too much. I am just sorry it had to end on such a sour, ultimately unproductive note.

I am afraid that won't be necessary. The French "Red Book" covers the entire series in a single page. One-half page devoted to the "Originals," another half to the "Restrikes." Their story may be encapsulated in an adaptation of the Latin words attributed to Julius Caesar: "VENI. VIDI. VICI." They came, they saw, they conquered. [And then they were gone.]

🐓: You know what this means don't you? Q.A.: Yup, a book on gold roosters is but a pipe dream. When we're long gone it'll be every collector for himself.

I am not a collector of the series but my gut reaction is it is absolutely stunning, may be undergraded for a strong strike sporting intact denticular structure with truly minor, easily-overlooked PMD. Putting it at AU-50, practically in EF's lap, seems awfully severe. I don't know from FS-801-- this does appear to be a DDR -- and this may also be something I never noticed before, but the left arrow appears to be noticeably higher, and not on the same horizontal plane, as its right counterpart. I do not believe it should be resubmitted barring exigent circumstances, i.e. monetary considerations. That's one very lovely half!

Correct. Never a Mint. I was in it only once to redeem my silver certificates for a bag of silver granules back in '67. The building still stands, but has since been subsumed by an office tower.

After-Action Report Eighty-six posts spread over three pages in just a week's time. I don't see the margin here. How was this spirited exchange -- rowdy dowdy, beneficial to anyone. For the benefit of senior members, you cannot post a comment until you become a member and to become a member, you have to pay your dues. I fail to see how a member got his money' worth by purchasing a mystery roll of presumably unsearched coins (of different denominations and sizes + a gold-plated coin) all together of which set him back a significant amount of money. Then he lapsed into using street language as his command of the English language was poor. Who won? Who lost? Truly sad. I do hope he is going to be unable to fill out a submission form. That would make his foray into coin collecting truly tragic. 🐓

It gives me great pleasure to inform you you're in too deep, and there is no way you can devise a graceful a way to extricate yourself from the hobby, coin shows, roadside stands, and traveling by air or road.

Your topic and post inspired me to post a related thread provocatively posed as a pointed question. There is a refrain from an old Janet Jackson number which expressed the disappointments and lamentations of a number of members who took that recent quiz regarding what coin designs they would like to see resurrected on future coins.. That refrain, as paraphrased, went "what-have-you-done-for-[us]-late-ly? Here's an idea. I do not know if the Federal Reporters and Supplements are still being published in bound volumes or are now on-line, but the state's Penal Law and Criminal Procedure Law are updated yearly with stapled revisions which are simply slipped into a back "pocket." The main volumes are published only when growing supplements are two unwieldy to insert and handle. The paper inserts, outdated, are discarded. Maybe that's what should be done here. Go ahead and maintain the latest edition, but issue supplements to complement the text. How many significant changes justify the expense of re-ordering a line-up? (Personally, I don't believe 100 is necessary) But the answer to the question of my topic is damning: three. Only THREE coins minted in the past 100 years made the 100 Greatest U.S. coins list. That speaks volumes. The hobby is divided between collectors and investors. How many of the Greatest Coins can be found in change?

Not close enough, alas. I was distracted by Chase Manhattan's secret tunnel, the FRB, the NYAO, Federal Hall, J.P. Morgan's Bank, the old FNCB and the NYSE. My uncle z's comment was short and merciful.

Absolutely not! We are all here to share knowledge from what we have learned or experienced. I personally enjoy seeing your posts.

[For the benefit of those who spent a restless night mulling this over, I have learned three things about this topic and coin: 1. Cuirass is pronounced: kwuh-RAS, with the emphasis on the RAS. 2. A cuirass is a piece of defensive "armor" which, covers the body from neck to wrist, breastplate and backplate, and was originally made from leather. 3. The correct spelling (incorrectly spelt on the label) is cuirassed. Only one 'r," two "s's.] To Ty, the OP: To my knowledge, every World coin has what is known as a "catalog number." As NGC Ancients certified your coin, I would contact them via the "Ask NGC/NCS" topic which is featured on the page listing the various Forums, or write NGC c/o Customer Service, or try their phone line listed on their main page. I wish you the best of luck. The certification number is very important as a reference; have your slab in hand whether you call or write. Best of luck to you!

This is about the most consequential gauntlet ever thrown down on this Forum. I challenge anyone to refute its basic premise. This is the tone of unequivocal authority! Great thread, Error guy! You bring out the very best in everyone. (Posted at the discretion of Moderation.)

On the plus side, fans of this Forum are not going to believe what I found: A dedicated YouTube video on nothing more than how to pronounce "groszy" corrrectly, repeated five times... Groh-zee - Groh-zee - Groh-zee - Groh-zee - Groh-zee. It gets better, next up is "Zloty." Poles pronounce it decidedly differently, but in English it is: ZLOW-TEH. [Never let it be said I am unable or unwilling to broaden the body of knowledge of our members.] Is this place great, or what? 🤣

🐓: I notice you've been a lot nicer to me lately. Rising gold prices wouldn't have something to do with it, would it? Q.A. No. Of course not! 🤣

You may cheat if you like, but ideally, off the top of your head, take a guess, then take a look. @Fenntucky Mike posted a topic on it and wonders whether a contemplated 6th Edition is necessary. He has helpfully provided a link to the lists as featured in the most recent editions as compiled by Jeff Garrett. You may draw your own conclusions.

I stand corrected.

The only case I can think of where conduct of employees was publicly addressed was when the results of an internal police investigation concluded corruption was rife at an NYPD 30th precinct station house. The then Commissioner, Bratton, took it upon himself to drop in on a roll call personally early one morning, unannounced, and literally ripped the badges off the officers involved. The commissioner humiliated the men who hadn't yet been charged and the case was enshrined in police lore, as the "Dirty Thirty." No formal letters. His actions spoke louder than words at the height of a drug epidemic. Posted at the discretion of Moderation.