Henri Charriere

(See post dated Saturday, 8:44 p.m. responding to a post by fellow combatant, @cladking and, by extension, me.)

Splendid.. Now @World Colonial can no longer claim, as he had upthread a few posts, and I quote: "I've never heard a single person use this term [Modern] or make this distinction other than you (meaning, me.)"

I am sure it shall come as no surprise to the membership to learn I am now, and have always been, unalterally opposed to "decapsulations" and more so it the motive is for financial gain. It reeks of unseemly, coarse conduct unbecoming a gentleman and undertaken for no other reason than personal gain. Rather than condemn those who engage in such practice, I believe I have a possible solution. If you submit your coin(s) raw, no one likely be the wiser. If you submit your coin(s) for state-of-the-art protection, that is valid and understandable. But if your motive is financial, perhaps a TPGS, may be inclined to meet you halfway. After a cursory review, it it seems your claim lacks merit, they can simply pick up the phone, or message you indicating an update would be disadvantageous, thereby eliminating the need for needless vandalism which would leave only payment of a nominal administrative fee. If re-housing would prove to be desirable, both parties would be pleased. The TPGS would reap the standard fee and you would benefit from a state-of-the-art holder with all the benefits that accrue, including a higher value for the upgrade. This is simply a proposal. All in favor, say Aye!

Thanks for this vital heads-up! I believe if a snafu has affected you, there is a good chance it may affect others, to their detriment

I am actually quite pleased you took the time and trouble to post this last of 328 pages. It serves to illustrate the fact that the numbers of individual collectors changes over time. Many "Blue whales" have a tractor-trailer full of different sets. It came to my attention recently that, while the numbers of collectors of my series has grown to just under 100 sets, a closer look divulges the majority of the sets in the top ten bear one man's user handle and his various sets are apparently devoted to members of his family. Many set registrants utilize their upgraded coins to start 2d and 3d sets. Oddly, while the number of mintages, certifications,TPG memberships, and coin show attendees help define the hobby's size, they too are hobbled by a number of factors one may not be inclined to factor in. My view is the figure for "coin collectors" is inflated.

Three members have weighed in twice on this fairly straightforward query. I would be a fool to speak up now, but as difficult as it may seem to believe, I do have a thought... First and foremost, it is refreshing coming across a humble post, that refrains from insisting we recognize a flaw or error of some kind otherwise invisible to all but the OP. You have a -- let's see, can't call it "fine"; can't refer to it as a "specimen" -- how 'bout a lovely LHC! 🤣 Funny how the cost of production of Lincolns shifted, as an issue, when the price of copper rose and the Wheaties went the way of butterflies, but resurfaced with the newer memorial cents whose intrinsic value, rather than being openly discussed, is swept under the rug of susidization by larger coins. I still feel their days are numbered, but yours is worth keeping. Some folks collect arrowheads; I like Indian Heads. Cents, not heads.

I am truly sorry you compromised your integrity to acknowledge the likes of me. I do not wish to jeopardize your station on this Forum by sacrificing your reputation and credibility for me. What you say is true. To me, U.S. coinage ceased to exist after 1964. Gnashing of teeth and wringing of hands over "flaws," visible to the unaided eye, back then, was unheard of. The '43 "copper" penny and '55 DDO "variety" were well known. I did not use the term obsolete because the term has lost its utility. Those coins have attained numismatic value. I do not believe any such coin (or currency for that matter) would be refused by a merchant unless proffered as face value. Your point is well taken. I shall no longer use the term Modern anymore. One last thing... how will you refer to "any coin from any country introduced after the withdrawal of silver from circulation."

Well, gentlemen, I saw this coming so I am going to ratchet up the pressure and provide more definitions. Here are some, subject to revision... U.S. collectors irrespective of their area of interest; U.S. Mint products are acceptable; bullion, bars, ingots, and the like are not, unless they bear dates. (Many collect both. That's okay.) TPGS membership numbers are a start; the late-nite TV viewer is not. To me, Binion (deceased) was neither a numismatist or a collector. Forget YouTube. Active/Retired collectors, those who frequent online sites in the absence of the one-time proliferation of storefronts) count as do those who attend coin shows; those who throw change in jars, indiscriminately, regrettably, do not. RWB and EC count; inheriting a collection does not a collector make. Whether an heir is, or isn't, relies on intent and future plans. I believe with hard numbers, it may be possible to extrapolate plausible percentages which may go a long way in determining the current state and future health of the hobby.

There's been an awful lot of conjecture on at least two, possibly three current topics, asserting any number of debatable "facts," all of are difficult to prove due to a multiplicity of factors including figures from a variety of sources as well as personal experiences. None, unfortunately, are above reproach. Let's get down to hard facts. Volunteer a figure and cite an unimpeachable source, or sources, for your assertion.

🐓: Are you sure Kurt wrote this??? North Korea? Isn't he the member who wrote disparagingly about their neighbor to the NW? Q.A. Beats me. I take credit for suggesting Trump go to North Korea. I believe in keeping the lines of communication open. Do me a favor, hide that giant bronze cash, and promise me you'll never mention it on the Foum. I would like to submit it but still haven't been able to figure out just what it is. Hey, maybe we ought to send Kurt that brand-new 500 Won note we got a few years back. Too bad I never won that giant lottery. I am more a giver than a taker. I know exactly who's partial to what. I could make a while lot of collectors happy. Ah, well... c'est la vie! *** 🐓 : Incidentally, any comment on the ongoing WC / CK heavyweight bout? Q.A.: You mean besides hashng their differences at the White House over a beer? None. 🤣

You kiddin' me? What find? I'm from the "Show Me" state. Remove that silly putty and Show Me/Us the date! And show me the reverse! Is this a silver quarter or a clad? And FOCUS the camera properly! It ain't an error until the Forum votes it is, unanimously, to a man!

My prediction, and I've gotten this on good authority, is you will SELL toward the end of 2025. To the OP: when you posted this topic less than 18 months ago, gold spot stood at or about $1,770 and was up 8.3% for the month (November 1922). Looks like you were onto something. I thought some 🐓 collectors would sell to benefit from gains, but that failed to materialize.

Mike, please! You have been around long enough to know nothing here happens without my knowledge and consent. 🤣 He's got something the majority of collectors here have only heard about, seen pictures of, or held in their hand: a '95-W. (no further description needed.) Another point: nobody likes to be told their coin is worthless, or exhibits worthless features. I was wholly unaware NGC subscribes to this notion, as set forth upthread in Sandon's link. Worthless implies, of no value. I believe it to be more mannerly to say, I am afraid the features, as described, carry no added value. Let's be mindful that these members are new to the hobby. This gentleman, as I noted in his first Topic was so eager to share his good new, he posted his comments mere minutes after becoming a member. The member posted his dues. He deserves better than being treated to a barrage of unwanted attention from a gaggle of men at a construction site. To the OP: Kindly reconsider your decision and come back when the spirit moves you. To echo an old Motel 6 commercial: "We'll even leave the light on for you."

🐓: Favorite mint? Do we even have one? Q.A.: Not anymore... I mean, in the '50s and '60s, it was San Francisco. But it was for the mintmark. Later, it was Carson City. For the mintmark. Now it's neither for the mintmark or the Mint. The product is everything. Far as I know, no mint puts out a good product all of the time. When I set my eyes on a gold rooster for the first time, I don't think it even occurred to me where in France it came from. 🐓: Okay, so if someone handed you an alphabetized list of mints -- Q.A.: -- it would mean absolutely nothing to me. This may come as a surprise to you but plenty of French coins have roosters on them. They look scrawny and unfed. There's even one standing on one leg. Absolutely cartoon-like! Look at the one on the 20-Francs piece. It's head is cocked back. It's mouth is open. It looks like it doesn't have a care in the world! With a few exceptions, right now one of the nicest coins around is the Kennedy half. Everything about it screams presidential. It ain't the Mint, And it ain't the mintmark. It's the product. A brand-new LHC (fake to the core) is no match for an authentic wartime GETO coin from Poland. Copper mascara is no match for an historical piece wherever and by whomever it was minted. You wouldn't understand.

Respectfully? Fanciful! I have been waiting patiently for 75 years since 1964 for the Kennedy autopsy photos to be released and now you're upping the ante up another 75 years? For coins? How many of us are going to be around? [I've been around here 5 years. Do you realistically expect me to be lurking about FIFTEEN times that? More to the point, of those planning to be around, how many will care? I am not particularly fond of these X, Y, and Z generations, but of one thing I am certain, They are all graduates of the school of "IMMEDIATE GRATIFICATION." Ain' nobody waitin' 'til 2099 to get paid! Word!

Only 18 shots? How do you expect anyone to make a proper numismatic diagnosis with only 18 shots? Just kidding! Graders use only 5- to 7-power lenses. If you use anything stronger, you will begin to see things that are not really there. One shot of yours I like is the very first one, with a "filled" A. Parting shot: before you submit pix of nails (or talons) be sure they are clean and clipped otherwise you'll never hear the end of it if you (or your coins) go for a job and find our @Mike Meenderink conducting interviews behind the desk. 🤣

In the past hour, a much esteemed member posted a Topic, entitled: "Why some day Moderns will be Hot." If I'd've had my druthers, I'd've phrased that topic differently: Why some Moderns will be Hot someday. Big difference, but either way both beg the question, what constitutes a modern coin? My definition, which I express privately, is: if you can find it in change, it's modern. True, oddballs pop-up now and again, but exceptions can be found in all fields of human endeavor. My question is, What is your definition of a modern coin?

Q.A.: I have taken the liberty of emphasizing the above words not only because I find them offensive (yes, viewers, ME, Q.A.) but because I am irate! WHAT PART OF PROFESSIONAL COURTESY DOES NGC FAIL TO UNDERSTAND? Examples abound. True, it is discretionary and not obligatory, but that is why police officers do not summons fellow MOF. It is why fire folks dampen their sirens a few dozen decibels when transiting neighborhoods in the wee hours of the morning. And, it is why bloodthirsty sharks do not devour lawyers should they fall overboard on a cruise ship. 🤣 Professional courtesy goes a long way toward promoting good will and should be indispensable. Elsewhere, the indomitable one whose biography unabashedly states his [gluteous maximus] resides in the Heart of Dixie, noted credibly (based on hard statistics) that the average time a grader spends on a coin is mere seconds! If this assessment be true, how much extra work is required to treat newer members with old-fashioned southern hospitality? Lawyers do not type labels; that's what secretaries are for. Likewise, Graders farm their work out to summer interns (typists). And if they don't, they ought to. To the OP: Kindly update us on your request for reconsideration. Fair is fair, and if it isn't, it ought to be. Ricky, Aye? or Nay? 🐓 : AYE!!! Q.A.: Good. Then that settles it.

(parenthetical postscript... none of your lovely "cents" qualify as "pennies." The former were minted in the United States; the latter were minted in England. They are universally referred to as "wheaties," and, regardless of condition, are prized independent of their numismatic value, for their 90% copper content.)

🐓: This has got to be something I have never encountered on the Forum before... Q.A.: What's that? 🐓: A polite "Back on Track," followed by a matter-of-fact dissent! Q.A.: True, but did you catch that adorable gem: Among other things, "... First.... demand for clad coins needs to increase!!! [Emphases all mine.] 🐓: You gotta be kiddin' me! You sure you read that right? Q.A.: Malheureusement, I did! 🐓 : Wow!... That's the reason why we left the hobby in the first place!!! Hey, maybe copper will be the new gold...

Owing to the incontrovertible fact I have nothing useful to do, most of the time, it suddenly occurred to me why a few members voluntarily share their hunting, gathering and foraging activities... In a nutshell, they had the great misfortune to be saddled with a great deal of disposable income and, botttom line, they feel obliged to do something with it. This affliction does not apply to the vast majority of garden-variety members. However, with amateurish detective work, I have come up with a plausible, palatable explanation. This hearkens back to the time @Woods020 posted a Topic regarding what preparations collectors have made in contemplation of the inevitable. I never gave it much thought as had many others. There were others who intended to reap the fruits of their labors themselves. That left one group unaccounted for: those who planned to leave their unique coins, truly magnificent sets, collections, accumulations, hoards, rolls, oversized spitoons filled to the gills with loose change, etc., to their heirs. This has two obvious benefits: they are exempt from conjecture, criticism and outright condemnation. Nobody pointed fingers at the legendary Collyer brothers, both professional men, until their deaths in 1947 and "excavation" of their homes unearthed one who had died after accidentally triggering a homemade booby trap. The only surprise appeared to be they were millionaires living in abject squalor. Their lifelong pursuit of "things" came to an ignominious end. (It took weeks to empty the home, the entire contents of which wound up in the city dump; their brownstone was razed and the lot where it stood is today a playground bearing their name.) The principals here are unconcerned with value because they readily admit they are not coin investors. Their ultimate net worth will be left to their heirs to sort out. And that activity will not cost them a dime. They may appear to be driven, but they are merely biding there time.

... or simply had great personal, sentimental value.

@samclemen3991 ... re the entire content of your post upthread. (I attempted to address this phenomenon a few posts above yours, but failed miserably to keep my composure. You succeeded spectacularly.) Mesi anpil! ... Xie Xie!... ...Feichang ganxie! ... Danke schon! ... Merci beaucoup! et Mesi anpil! Thank you very much!!!

Left conspicuously unsaid is why the label on @JDBradford 's 1886 III-cent CuNi declares it to be an "XF 40" when your meticulous research indicates NGC Certification "more accurately describes it as PF 40." I would imagine anyone buying such a coin would be miffed and inclined to give the seller a less than satisfactory review because the item which he received "was not as described." If I spend time looking for a specific example, the last thing I would want to receive is a coin that is not a Proof, or even a Mint State -- but an Extra Fine, along with a note stating, "TRUST ME, the coin is more accurately described by the very people who certified it as a Proof 40." What recourse does the buyer have? No way I am going to hold on to a slab I KNOW will present a problem to me or my heirs in the near future.