Henri Charriere

As long as I have you, I don't need anyone else.

Certifiably miscellaneous and a fine autobiographical example of a defense mechanism: projection.

When I scan listings for 🐓's from sellers who are so preoccupied they fail to take note that gold melt exceeds their coins' presumably FMV, I contact them in the space provided for that purpose. Minor fluctuations are normal. It's times of sustained volatility where prices rise measurably in noticeable increments that attract my attention. No seller I extended that gratuitous courtesy to has failed to thank me profusely.

I believe it was Alexander Woollcott, a regular at the Algonquin Hotel's Round Table who famously dismissed a clueless comment a "critic" wrote as positively "miscellaneous." Maybe it's you who ought to get out more...

🐓 🐓 🐓 🐓 🐓

(Looks like hanukkah is coming early this year!) 🤣

Ditto! 🐓

Once, just once, I would like to hear a set registrant's answers to these questions about earnings, dividends and preferential gains treatment. Let's limit the field to the heavyweights: Saints. There are 576 such collectors here (granted, many owned by a single collector) and 1194 sets (again, many owed by one collector "over there.") We are talking about a total of 1170. Never mind the other denominations and any loose coins, here or elsewhere. So what's the point of all this collecting if everyone is simply walking down the up escalator? Gold rooster collectors, too. There are 13 sets here; 83 "over there," 96 total. That's the part I don't get. Gold is over $3,000 z. Silver breached $30 z. Copper was up to $5/lb. But we lost our way. Now if I'd've chain-smoked cigarettes, drank liters of whiskey and sniffed, shot snorted or smoked dope, I would be above reproach. If I held gold, I am okay, but not too smart, investment wise. Must mean I wasn't raised right. 🤣

TRANSLATION: @World Colonial WAS INTUITIVELY CORRECT IN EVERYTHING HE HAS SAID TO DATE... and, to my personal knowledge, as regarding his comments published on this site, he has never boasted, bragged, belittled others, exaggerated, embellished, embroidered, or uttered any statements that cannot be substantiated. His complete transparency allows viewers to assess the member, his areas of interest in coins and modest admissions in his disappointments as well as triumphs. If you were to ask me something about this collector, a flood of information surfaces -- all of it not only plausible and credible -- but resounding with the ring of truth. Ask your average member about the subject of this inquiry and, like a former president, you will be deluged with superlatives and goaded into providing more general information. Your response will most closely resemble the following emoji: Re: GOLD: sad to say but for those who are younger, your best strategy would be to wait and see. You can afford to take risks. Regular purchases at intervals to diversify your portfolio is a wise approach; otherwise Buy Low and Sell High. Do not predicate any course of action you choose to engage in solely on the strength of the muted bark of a junkyard dog enamored of a hermit crab-like approach to fellow members conducted in absolute secrecy. To my knowledge, the Mukhabarat, if active, has no jurisdiction in the United States.

Following is a distillation of five years' experience as an active chat board participant which I would like to share with you to enhance your experience here whether you are new, an amateur part-time collector or a seasoned professional numismatist. 1. First and foremost, Please read the Guidelines of conduct expected on the Board and consult the Subforums to better acquaint yourself with "Basic Resources" and "What you should know" (WYSK) about coins and coin collecting. 2. Resist the impulse to jump in. (Attendees of self-help groups, those engaged in courtship -- and patients recovering from major surgery are advised to avoid making important decisions for various lengths of time, and for good reason.) Chat Board participation is no different. As you navigate the boards, certain coins or coin problems will resonate with you. My advice: resist the impulse, temptation or compulsion to join in. Familiarize yourself with the Boards, paricipating members and the context of posts first. 3. GET TO KNOW THE PLAYERS! Rightly or wrongly, the forums are a one-room schoolhouse. They are comprised of the young and old, the experienced and inexperienced, the novice ("Newbie") and the seasoned veteran professional. Remember, first impressions count! And the impression and reputation you develop will follow you, for better or worse, for the duration of your membership. 4. Cultivate a positive attitude and personality. To the extent you can, adhere to the standards of proper English, grammar and spelling. 5. The Guidelines are key and should be referred to as needed. Avoid feeding into cantankerous exchanges, outright hostility, personal slights or insults. If you do encounter it, "report" it. You can do this by engaging the three small vertically arranged "dots" located at the top, right-hand side of every post. Press on all three, one of which is "report" and briefly describe your problem. The "report" you make will be reviewed when it is received. You may not respond to any violation you may perceive on the Chat Board directly, whether directed to you or others. 6. If you come across a Topic which exhibits a coin and an anomaly much like yours, do not post yours on the thread that follows so as not to confuse viewers. Very often, threads focused on one coin will cause consternation to those following the thread resulting in confusion and effectively "derailing" the thread. You are encouraged to start your own thread. 7. Avoid hit-and-run posts by referring viewers to sites which promote your own interests, or others, for financial gain. The only proper place to sell or trade coins is the Topic: "Coin Marketplace." Posts which promote commercial ventures like research are violative of the Guidelines, fly in the face of ethics and will be reported and removed. 8. Lengthy dissertations lauding a member's most recent acquisition may be addressed succinctly by tapping the appropriate emoji. 9. At times, you may finish writing a post, press SEND, only to see your work disappear. Not to worry. Your post may have been enveloped in a backlog which the Moderators are attending to. One of three things may have happened if you revisit the Topic and tap the space your post formerly occupied: a). your post was rejected; b). your post was accepted but no longer quite fits in within the progression of what may have become a heated, usually fast-moving thread, and the matter, having been addressed, you can tap the x meaning "Clear Editor," or c). your post had been cleared, held for your review and only requires you tap the x on the extreme right to be followed by your pressing send, for posting. 10. If the names of all the regulars, their areas of interest, their likes, pecking order (alliances) confuse you, you may wish to keep a scorecard. It will go a long way to to helping you understand Who' Who, their likes and dislikes, who the contenders are, where they are from, whether they are working or retired, and, while technically all are members -- to post you must be a member -- some are more so than others. Remember, we are all human and come from all walks of life. We also have our good days and bad. It's best not to take things personally. If you wish to contact a member, you may wish to "private message" the person directly via PM, if that member makes that option available. Look for the "envelope" which may be engaged by simply tapping their name on any post. The longest-running threads appear first. Members are encouraged to introduce or maintain topics that are based on numismatic themes. In closing, Happy Hunting and Good Luck! -Henri Charriere, 5/17/2024

To the collector who once asked, here, or likelier, elsewhere; What does MA in MA-SHOPS stand for? herewith an explanation of one of NGC's main sponsors; "MA-SHOPS is an online MArketplace that sells coins through a network of European coin dealers. "It was founded in 2005 by Joachim Schweining and is headquartered in Germany. MA-SHOPS offers one million coins.:

@Sandon : This is the first coin of my birth year I have ever seen. Talk about eye appeal! Simply beautiful! (It's too bad our recently departed, long-time collector, D.L Lange, was never able to acquire a silver or gold bar of his year of birth from the S.F. branch mint) Great find!

🐓 : IF YOU DECEND INTO MADNESS (... uncle z has long ago said you've exceeded the point of return long ago) AND DABBLE INTO FRACTIONAL OWNERSHIP OF COINS, WHICH PART OF ME WILL YOU CHOOSE TO OWN? Q.A. : THAT'S EASY... NOT THE GOOD OR BETTER PART, BUT THE BEST PART. I HAVE TO MINIMIZE MY LIABILITY. Then again, my disposition changes without notice. 🤣

🐓: Spot GOLD is $2,420/z as of today, May 17, 2024. All have my express permission to call this development whatever they will. 🤣

Pray tell, what if any, is the correlation between this reply to this Topic?

An oldie, but a goody! 🤣 For those for whom such matters are of interest, the spot GOLD price for today, Friday, May 17, 2024 is: $ 2,420./z

🐓 : Spot SILVER: $31.48., as of today 5/17/2024.

Truer words have never been written. There I was sitting at my table one day mulling my options. It just seemed every search for my F20FR GRs would yield 90% more inapplicable results that I could use, when: Drawing on the French I learned in high school, I dove in after asking myself which country would most likely have the coins I am interested in: FRANCE... Of course, and the rest is history.

But, but... the way she is seated, her left eye is impossible to view. Very lovely coin! (In the future, I predict any such distractions shall be ameliorated with a technician wielding a laser.)

It is with a heavy heart that I inform you I am prepared to make you a very attractive offer for that, er, proprietary elixir to make my boring coins come to life. If "luster" is one of the things taken into consideration in grading a coin, I want my gold roosters to look their Sunday best. You understand. 🤣

You're a good sport, Roger! I am going to waive the wait period just for you. That man, now deceased was none other than... MENACHEM BEGIN, a former Prime Minister of Israel -- and leader of the Irgun. Mass murderer? Terrorist? Most Wanted Fugitive? Convicted Felon? Ex-convict? Yes, those things and many more, but also the Sixth Prime Minister of Israel. Edit; All of the foregoing facts, with a slew of additional sources, may be found by searching for "Menachem Begin," and the "King David Hotel Bombing" Wikipedia. (I thank Moderation for allowing me to illustrate my point that there are many sides to a story.)

Is Gold too High? No, and speaking for myself, it never will be. What I am secretly hoping for is "profit-taking." Collectors cashing out. Malheureusement, for me, the number of certified pieces I require can be counted on one hand, are owned by people of apparently considerable means -- and apparently many other sets. That's one reason why I chose to attempt to acquire the cornerstone, actually keystone, of my collection. Incidentally, in the course of my many transactions via PayPal (which is becoming more and more unsavory with constant amendments to their legal "contracts" with you, whether buyer or seller, I discovered overseas sources gave both them and TPGS wide berth. I also found out that "bank wire transfers" (the JP Morgan Chase charge is $50) is NOT instantaneous and can take up to a week or more to transact! [USPS money orders are for domestic use only and though good for up to $1500., the maximum you buy is $3,000. If you try a check-cashing place with considerable cash, you cannot transmit it by Western Union to a business w/o a name and street address. Logically, you walk in with a hefty amount of cash, you will be interrogated at length, asked how well you know the person you're sending the money to -- only to be told your transaction is denied. Gold too High? Nope. Not yet. But I would imagine the owners of all those sets on the various Set Registries -- and our Pallett Man -- are quite pleased. 🤣

@RWB : While my reply may suggest political and religious overtones, the ONLY point I wish to make is: there are two (and sometimes many more) sides to every story. I am going to set forth some indisputable facts which I would appreciate your reviewing, followed by a single question and references (which if posted, or moved to "Unsolicited comments," will appear tomorrow, after you, and our armchair historians have had a chance to view it). ● He ordered an attack in 1946 on British military and administrative personnel headquartered at the King David Hotel in Jerusalem, Mandatory Palestine which resulted in the destruction of the building's southern wing and the deaths of 91 people, mostly British, Arabs and Jews, soldiers -- and 3 policemen; (46 people were injured.) ● His face appears on a 1940 prison mugshot I believe taken in Russia; he was born in Belarus. ● The Palestine Police Force placed him FIRST on its Most Wanted Men list, along with nine others being sought. Throughout the period of unrest, the British MI-5 placed a "dead or alive" bounty of £10,000 on his head. ● During the 1950's, he was banned from entering the U.K. as the British Government regarded him as "leader of a the terrorist organization -----." There is much much more but this will suffice and I do not wish to take advantage of Moderation's hospitality. MY ONLY QUESTION IS: WHO WAS THIS MAN?

I never fear the worst, but then again, international mail poses seemingly insurmountable problems. I ordered an item from Slovenia, and after fighting sharks rounding Cape Horn the freighter finally chugged in to New York harbor. I guess I lucked out. When certified, five years ago after receipt, it came in as a Top Pop: 2/0. I vaguely remember the cost was $285 for an Original rooster -- its gold melt as of today is $446.13; its numismatic value obviously twice that -- and while it was packed practically for FREE DELIVERY (a clever euphemism used for SEA MAIL; Last Class Mail in the U.S. -- I had already forgotten about it, immersed in completing my main 16-coin set quickly. Let us know how you make out. (I don't expect to hear from my seller until well into June.)

Thanks for the mugshot! That's the guy that exhibits best the features we were looking for. Can't assign a grade without a face we can compare it with. 🤣