Henri Charriere

No, not yet here, and won't for another year. Europe is a different story: when a grade falls squarely within a range of grades, and the cost of certification reverts to submitters, water will seek its own level. I am afraid I cannot speak for the other continents.

THE RUMOR YOU MAY HAVE HEARD IS TRUE! I figuratively stabbed my most ardent fan, not to mention my legion of Ignorers, squarely in the back. How so, you might ask? Easy. I sent in my membership renewal... [Upon the advice of counsel, Ricky, 🐓 I sent my remittance in, eschewing crisp currency, for the security of a money order.] There is always the possibility that NGC, having weathered my antics, for years, will refuse to accept it, but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. Now for those not quite satisfied with that explanation I offer you the wisdom of our good friend from the Heart of Dixie who once said: "I'd rather be RIGHT, than nice." To my knowledge, no one has challenged his fantastic assertion. With me, I'd rather be fluid and truthful, than consistent and untruthful. I announced my resignation, and save for the few that got wind of it and urged me not to, no one batted an eye. So I ask you, gentle reader, what's the point of leaving, if you're not going to be missed? As Putin, through an interpreter, said to Biden -- who, in substance, had just exclaimed, "I am looking into your eyes, Mr. President, and I do not see a soul," -- "We understand each other exactly." Readership, we understand each other.

@RWB : I will have a reply for you shortly. It is of the utmost importance to me that the membership understand our interaction is cordial, respectful and in all matters, copacetic.

The following comment is nothing less than incendiary and indefensible coming on the heels of my decision to renew my membership, mere hours ago. Consequently, VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED... Now I know how defense counsel feels when they are put in the untenable position of being assigned to an uncooperative defendant who insists on a suicidal defense and must respectfully ask the Court to beg off the case. Imprimis, the Topic is misleading. Do you really expect me to defend you against the barrage of "slings and arrows of outrageous fortune," which are sure to follow by introducing a fossilized missive, relic as it were, to justify your antiquated thesis in the internet era? Where does one even begin to look for plausible justification? That was then; this is now. The horse less carriages with running boards are long gone. "... why our modern coin design and creation is so poor."? Surely, you jest! Did the failure of the Tacoma-Narrows bridge in 1940 deter Othmar Amman, and his team of architects, civil and structural engineers (including my father) from determining the cause of the collapse and devise the necessary improvements for a contemplated Verrazzano-Narrows bridge opened in 1964? When's the last time the NTSB begged off a case saying, "Hey, that [Flight 880] lies in waters ten miles off Long Island's south shore." Never happen. What does then rudimentary state of the art communications, primitive and anachronistic by today's standards, have anything to do with the leaps in technology which have evolved and been implemented since. [The only reason why Macy*s department store has retained sections of their original wooden escalators is to retain a certain charm and ambiance the public finds enchanting.] For a highly acclaimed writer who insists, unceasingly, to maintain objectivity to depart from d3corum by injecting an offensive and personal character assassination on one incapable of defending himself is inexcusable and downright unconscionable. (Posted at the discretion of Moderation; I am prepared to accept my punishment.)

Just another in a string of "none of anyone's business" logorrhea. Come to think of it, you'd be the perfect participant on the P--- Set Registry where an inordinate number of people post their sets anonymously -- you don't know who they are, what their set looks like and there is no way to contact them. Now I know why you were bestowed the honor of President of the Anti-Social Social Club. In the end, no one will be surprised when, despite the incessant boasting, bragging and name-dropping, all you've ever had was that stone from Yap. Funny how those types gravitate to the "competitive sets" site. Contrary to MM's parting shot, I do have my big boy's pants on. I couldn't care less about death or the IRS. My wife? There's enough room to hide from her under my table. After all, I Am a Man.

Obviously, I cannot speak to the motivations of other collectors, but I can say, beyond a shadow of a doubt, I never met any collector of the female persuasion who was not curious as to which mule carried which bag or ore down the mountain. I mean, that's pretty basic stuff. Also, though she may not be consciously aware of it, Penny, Charmy's pet is a critical component of her sales' strategy. In fact most collectors would inquire, "Hey, where's Penny?" first before they'd ask her about some quadrupled-die obverse Lincoln she may have picked up somewhere in her travels... 🤣

Don't feel bad. A postal clerk once confided in me that the Tracking Number is key. My problem was devising a sensible approach to problem-solving. Why would anyone insure, or send certified with a tracking number, a plain old greeting card, and if so, for how much without drawing the very attention you are seeking to avoid? You did the right thing. I believe speed is important (First Class/Priority Mail) packing things properly for shipment is important -- and that tracking number is important.

I continue to stand firm on my initial MS-67 assessment. If this were a PROOF, someone well-versed in this series would have to explain the presence, on Liberty's upper thigh, of the four (4) equally-spaced "dots" rendered NW to SE, as well as the clearly identifiable mark best described as a symbol of freemasonry. This was no inadvertent PMD. Both are precise and distinctive. NOTE: I would not have shelled out $1.37 MM for this coin as I believe it to be prohibitive. 🤣

Very impressive set! (Yeah, I cheated and looked.) 🤣 Set Registrants are notoriously incommunicado. The # 1 ranked guy's got the '13 you're looking for, having upgraded his former one which is sitting around doing nothing. The "gradeline" you've chosen, I feel, makes your set attractive. EF for Extra Fine effort!

Auctioneer to top bidder: "And the cabinet? Would the gentleman be interested in placing a bid on this one-of-kind, custom cabinet?" Top bidder: "Certainly not! Surely you must be familiar with the term 'cabinet friction'?"

By law, I am required to give these representatives of the coin collecting community their props, as it were, but I cannot help but feel their authoritarive pitch is aimed almost exclusively at people who know nothing about the hobby beginning with some fundamentals like Sheldonization which lends itself perfectly to manufactured scarcity, fair market values, long-term trends and precisely what some of the extortionate prices demanded -- conveniently camouflaged by more palatable installment payments -- are really worth when viewers, acting under time constraints are urged to get aboard now or lose out big-time on what appears to be a lifetime opportunity that may never come along again. Old hands view these with knowing amusement. Those who will get fleeced are likely the unacquainted or well-meaning retirees with grandchildren -- and sufficient largely uncommitted disposable income. Caveat emptor! (Posted at the discretion of NGC Moderation.)

Truth be told, I have always loved this coin from the time I was an amoeba. The one important consideration we must consider is this is a private product and not a product of the U.S. mint! Granted, there are quite evident planchet defects but why is it we bend over backwards to accommodate shillings and cobs with shark bites and sizeable parts of metal missing but jump all over a fine creation banged out in a lower Manhattan shop? (In case Sandon is lurking about, I would cite Wikipedia as one source.) Advertised on an auction at a ridiculously high grade a few years back, the example I saw appeared to have had a wooden dowel placed in the center of the coin's obverse which was apparently rubbed clock- and counter-clockwise leaving an unsightly concentric circular marks which was impossible to over look -- and yet described in glowing terms by the "experts" well-versed in using flowery prose as a gift befitting royalty. I stand firm in insisting we extend to the OP the same courtesy old Colonial coinage is routinely extended in recognition of the fact they were all produced by primitive means. As far as I am concerned, if that atrocity I once saw is grouped with similarly defaced coins (like counter-punched Trade Dollars and coins a coterie of coinologists have summarily declared to be forgiven for their defects as being "common to the series") I am going to declare this coin to be likewise immune from such criticism. Grade? Malheureusement, my emotions supersede my deficit in adjudging a coin I lack the necessary experience to grade as objectively as I should. The coin, as noted upthread by JKK, appears to straddle the AU/MS line. (There are members on this or perhaps another Forum who have exhibited fine examples of their Feuchtwangers elsewhere. I believe now would be an appropriate time to post their coins along with any constructive criticism.) (Posted at the discretion of NGC Moderation, with my unqualified assent.)

🐓: Hey Quintus, this is a thread you can post comments on! Q.A.: Thanks Ricky. I have a question for @Sandon ... On a number of threads you have posted coins which have been submitted for reasons you have not volunteered, but which, in many cases resulted in elevations in grade. My question is, do you regard these as examples of "gradeflation" or, for lack of a better term, simply examples of more accurate "right-sizing" of coins graded inaccurately -- or coins which had been adjudged by antiquated, imprecise, but ever-evolving standards?

🐓: Quite a lackluster response, if I may say so myself. Q.A.: The truth is human beings tend to repress bad experiences. Uncle z mentioned legal guardians. I wouldn't go fhat far. Your average member would suggest inadvisable or perhaps irrational, but come what may, my 2.3 followers can count on me coming clean. I expect my ill-advised but not illegal scheme to work and will post my dated postal receipt indicating a cash only purchase as well as a good shot of the pattern (the reverse is blank) right here for all to see. You'll see. Right now, I am awaiting a reply to my order via e-mail. If the artifact was sold, no problem: First come, first served. If so, I am hoping they will issue me a credit. Who knows, maybe a top pop might make its debut. Would I advise anyone on the Forum to do likewise? ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!

🐓 🐓 🐓 🐓 🐓

I have always maintained the only acceptable comparison made would be to post this photo alongside a well-struck UNC which gives the average viewer exactly what one should look like as compared with what one actually sees. One needs a point of reference and baseline knowledge of this series' hight points. There are three things I find puzzling: the area about the cheekbone, the weak lettering in LIBERTY and the headdress feathers which lack definition. Forget the verdigris, is there even a hint of original mint luster to be found in any area of the coin? I may be a certified rank amateur, but to me an uncirculated coin means just that. I hesitate to see what the reverse looks like. Unable to Like in good conscience, no need to BUMP. I'll take a hike.

A few years ago, a gentleman from a foreign land won a MAJOR lottery here and was told he had to mail his winning ticket to the state capital which he did, placing it in an envelophe with the appropriate address and postage... but not mailing it certified, RRR, registered or insured. The fact that he had won was not newsworthy, but his cavalier attitude and absolute trust and faith in the mails was front-page news. Everyone I know thought it to be hilarious. "Who does that"? Today, I emulated his move and raised the stakes. After getting a notification from HA that items which matched my 🐓 want list were coming up for auction, I felt exactly the way any collector of top pops would feel if he eagerly sped thru 15 items only to find they were akin to "parking lot" finds. Apparently, someone who became disenchanted with his Set Registry had dismantled it and was in the process of selling it. [Tellingly, none were the harder-to-find "Originals."] I had listed my interests with specificity and I felt as though someone with a long memory smacked his head, and declared: "Send those pix to that Rooster guy up in New York." Then I re-read the topic regarding hitting the "upgrade wall". Nothing new, not in weeks or months -- but years. In another thread, uncle z made a perspicacious comment bespeaking great familiarity if not experience. In an off-beat comment, I confided I had gotten so disgusted with my forced inertia, I entertained the thought of starting a "kid brother" 10 francs gold rooster set. In so many words, z suggested it would not be easy. Today, I did something impulsively: I sent money thru the mail. Some of you would say, "So what? That's an every day thing." Allow me to elaborate. I took a greeting card, addressed it to a specific person I never saw, spoke to, or wrote to, placed twenty crisp benjamins in it, sealed it as one normal would, and handed it to a postal clerk. She threw it on a scale and listed my options on a reader. I told her No, no hazardous materials, etc. I rejected all the other options (which were prohibitively expensive and might have attracted unwanted attention, "Who registers or insures a greeting card?" and paid her $2.80 (for a letter/greeting card being flown Air Mail) that weighed all of 1.40 oz., and left. To avoid a stampede to the www, I will volunteer only the coin I "ordered" was struck as a pattern on a hexagonal planchet. It is, by the description furnished, unlisted and unpublished.... UNIQUE. I do not know if it will reach its destination. I marked it: PERSONAL & CONFIDENTIAL and followed it up with an email informing the recipient only that I have ordered it and, on principle, refused to use eBay, its notorious counterpart, PayPal, credit card or a bank wire transfer. The number of things that can go wrong is legion. Indeterminate. Right? I threw all caution to the wind. (If I'd've told my wife, I wonder what she'd've said) My question to you. gentle reader, is: WOULD YOU DO THE SAME? If not, WHAT'S YOUR LIMIT? Bear in mind, all of us use the mails to buy and sell coins, currency, bars and collectibles WITH SOME MEASURE OF PROTECTION. This is an experiment in progress. I will not know the outcome even if receipt of my order is confirmed. I know you could. My question is would you, and if you have, what was the outcome? (It is perfectly understandable if you have sworn to the zadokian oath of silence.) I will include one exception: a major TPGS (as indicated in another unrelated thread, makes cash remittance its first option, checking the box off as directed. Forget the money involved. Would you exercise that option? I did, but it was a sizeable fraction of the $2,000 involved here. I am going to assume the outcome here will be ideal. But if you have an interesting tale to share, feel free to do so here. Withhold sensitive details as you wish. Good nite all!

okay... only five months. Stick around and see what happens... Hey wait, did you say "competitive" sets? No-o-o, that changes e-ve-ry-thing. If I am not mistaken, you should investigate "custom" sets, where anything goes and if I should be sadly mistaken, the nice lady will let us both know... Bet? 🤣

@Sandon : ?

Be my guest.

[No comment]

I would have suggested there do appear to be anomalies, but your cultivated tongue sounds so much better than my default gutter lingo.

AU-59. FIRM. MS-60? Sorry, my friend! I interpret the "shaded" fields as representing the dreaded numismatic, by whatever fanciful term used, as wear. There may be members who may suggest magic potions that will dissolve it, but the evidence of "original mint luster" which was captured by the slightly raised rim only serves to emphasize what the coin once looked like moments after being struck, and a liquid bath will eradicate it. Note: if any of the distinguished seasoned members on this Forum drawing on their many fine years of experience contradict my conjecture with firm confident assertions -- beginning with the mythical grade I assigned your piece -- I would strongly urge you to acquiesce to them.

Q.A. WHY, I NEVER... IN ALL MY YEARS OF PRODUCTIVITY... What an ingrate! Just for that, JUST FOR THAT, I am going to send in my dues, and re-re-re-re-re-subscribe -- I already have new User Name picked out -- and I and my trusty side-kick, Ricky (no name change required) will once again resume our "We're on a Mission from God" duties: primarily broadening "the body of knowledge" of coin collecting, and enlightening Newbies to the ins and outs of the hobby -- even revealing, for the very first time in Chat Board history, the secret location of the "back door" for seamless entry and exits. What do you say? 🐓: With all due respect, boss... I can't believe he punked us with that "... all in time... all in time..." jabberwocky! It was all a ruse! Very clever!