Henri Charriere

Blast from the Past! 🐓 : I tell you, if I saw EagleRJO brandishing those by now familiar schematics by Daughtry, with Sandon in hot pursuit, I'd know the jig was up. Q.A.: I know what you mean. Very educational, nonetheless. Funny how when we were younger, all we were concerned with was dates and mintmarks. If we "found" (in circulation) a finer piece, so much the better. The hobby sure has changed! To the OP, "double ddo": To your credit you have the right temperament. Many Newbies seeking input are very combative and unreceptive. The only advice they are receptive to are those that validate their already made-up minds. Continue to be open -- and learn!

In the future, I would like to see a distinction made between wear due to circulation -- I refuse to believe this coin has seen circulation, much less was rescued from it -- and cabinet friction due to inter-steward transfers. The coin is over a hundred years old. Att: @VKurtB : I am curious to know what our German counterparts would use to eliminate, or otherwise abate, such toning on coins. I cannot help but feel the OP is quite amused at finding out who the real movers and shakers in grading are on this Forum. 🤣

[ @VKurtB Et tu, Brute? ] 🤣

Nyet! Nyet! Learned colleague! Toning, per se, is not one of the five (5) variables which may lawfully be considered by any TPGS in assigning a grade. 1. STRIKE, 2. PRESERVATION, 3. LUSTER, 4. COLOR, and 5. ATTRACTIVENESS (Eye Appeal). Full stop! 🐓

I do not recall having ever read, in any account, of the ship's flag being flown upside-down and cannot imagine anyone insisting on protocol at the height of a hurricane in a vessel that was stricken and taking on water. Following the sinking, one survivor who didn't feel he would make it, gave another, a freed man, an engraved silver cup with his wish that it be delivered to a man up North. The freed man was saved -- and kept the man's dying wish! Today, that cup is on exhibit at a museum. Kinder's book is a gold mine of information and a large, coffee table-sized book, provides a narrative with many photos that dovetails very nicely with the story. One more detail, the city of Herndon, in Virginia, was named after the ship's captain. Great read!

But, but... that was the Ship of Gold! The yield from that find was such that, in routine comments from buyers of gold, they would pointedly insist: No Shipwreck coins! Why? Because they were exorbitantly priced: That was their provenance. Gold "dust" vacuumed off the ocean floor at the site of the wreck was billed as not just any dust or nuggets, but indisputably "California Gold Rush" nuggets and dust.

If I had purchased it directly from the Mint, I would return it and ask for a refund. I would not care how much the damaged coin is worth. On the other hand, if I had purchased it privately, depending on the known number of other quarters that were minted bearing this damage, I would affix a catchy name to it and sell it on Etsy for $25,000, OBO, as a prime example of Mint Inspector Incompetency, and Truth, Justice and the American Way gone awry.

Care to guess? Don't mind if I do. I see where a skell placed a blade to Liberty's right neck, leaving evidence he was left-handed. There is no wear in the usual sense; a suggestion of contact of some kind both above and below ONE DIME is present. (If there are any rim dings, the holder prongs have hidden them.) Absent the injury incurred during a hold-up, I would agree with J P M: MS-66. (I apologize for clumsily pulling the tab on the Pepsi, without turning.) On balance, it would warm the cockles of my heart if the coin graded higher, but if and when it comes time to sell, your strong suit will be evidence of a strong strike and eye appeal. [If you tap the obverse twice, the header will read, "Eye Appealing Coins," and "content.invisionoic.com" I've no clue what that means but what you have is evidently special.] My heart, with misgivings, says MS-66 only because there is so little tolerance for surface disturbances in finer grades. Anything less would be vindictive.

Your kind attention is directed to the posts preceding mine.

It's a good thing more rational minds than mine, weighed in. To me, a doubled-die (DD) is any coin that is immediately identifiable. It is not necessary to enlist a GPS to direct you to the site of the variety. The 1955 (not necessary to denote denomination) remains the Gold Standard classic coin exhibiting the phenomenon alluded to. Editorial comment: It is a good thing I am not the gatekeeper to the Board because this "claim" would have been automatically time-barred, if truly an error, under my "proposed" statute of limitations on all inquiries regarding 20th century coins found in circulation. I am delighted to see cooler heads prevail. To the OP, Cary Coins... to your credit, you enlisted the help of an informed membership who to their credit unbeknownst to you, inadvertently saved you a sizeable sum of money in certification costs.

I can see those who weighed in, clearly knowledgeable in their own right, assiduously avoiding mention of the loaded term m-e-l-t, as in marginally more than silver melt. 🤔

I believe we are getting ahead of ourselves here. Post photos of both, front and back, cropped (without empty spaces) and a bevy of knowledgeable and experienced members will be happy to give you an informed diagnosis.

Finned rim? not enough starch in the collar? ... I will leave to others to debate, on the merits. Insofar as bestowing a formal grade, only a recognized TPGS is authorized to do so. Your appraisal cannot trump theirs. This, I believe, is the first time I have seen a proof so disabled. Surely, you do not suggest a defect in workmanship should be entitled to a premium?

To my knowledge, and some accelerated finger-scrolling, the coin posted above is the first of foreign origin. Generally speaking, unless you have an intimate familiarity with overseas coins and the grading scales they use, this coin, having been certified by experienced NGC graders as an SP-68, must be deemed above reproach, unless specific information suggests otherwise. SP is a fine example of a coin which denotes varying standards in different countries.

I used to "cheat" on eBay. If there was a new listing, start bid $1.00, I would speed things up by bidding melt value. That would eliminate the bottom feeders and give me a better idea of who the principals were and save me the trouble of having to check back regularly. As everyone knows, the final hour is critical -- and you'll never know if someone had preemptively outbid you until it's too late. I think it's very admirable of you to step aside where anonymity is guaranteed.

I hope I don't offend anybody, but no one in their right mind (or a hidden agenda) would disagree with you. I don't because I am unable to in the face of overwhelming graphic evidence.

If what you say is true, and I do not doubt the authenticity of the accompanying photos, then SMS, as the term is used by a Bureau of a U.S. government agency, should be taken to mean those coins regardless of how minted, were produced in lieu of the Proof and Mint sets which should have been minted, but were not, for the Years '65, '66, and '67. Period. I have been reading about this controversy for years, with no clear idea as to who is right, and who isn't. My take then is, there is nothing truly "special" about these coins other than to provide continuity of the respective set lines. Whether the quality is sub-par or superior, is irrelevant. If you wish to maintain the continuity of both series, SMS is the only alternative available. Until J P M stated that fact, I knew right away how this controversy began: with collectors who compromised the integrity of the sets by taking a scissor to them. As far as I am concerned, SMS do exist -- the "proof" is above, and I thank J P M for effectively dispatching this half-century old debate with a single sentence and photographic evidence. I think we've beaten this dead horse long enough.

A member posted a coin which I recognized instantly because I own one of a different denomination. I sent it to him. He posted that coin and sent me this picture, hand-painted by his wife, entitled: MS-67 The Elusive Rooster (2023). Thanks again, CIII! Is this place great, or what?

🐓: Henri/Quintus, you're a trouble-maker. H/Q: I know.

FWIW... an Update. Your experience may vary. Re: Logging in. When I type in my User Name, that's enought to elicit immediate recognition. No delays, no lagging. I am welcomed with open arms! "Good morning, sir! Right this way..." Re: Server response. Swift? More like Instantaneous! No delays or lagging, whatsoever. Is this place great or what? Thank you, NGC! 🤣

Ha! Ha! Ha! Yes, I believe "bennies" was street slang for drugs and "Benjamins" is already spoken for. One of the few times a non-President was accorded this honor.

Granted, but then a member posts a photo of a Trade Dollar lavishly chop-marked [all the way to Gehenna and back] and the Newbie, quite understandably confused, asks, "What about this?" and in a manner of speaking is told, "Oh that? That's different... that's okay." Huh?

I was plumbing the depths of my memory, and managed to find the sociological term that a few members exhibit on the Forum: "OVERLOAD." It does not excuse the behavior or justify it. It only attempts to explain it. You know you are in that mode when you are literally overwhelmed by a tsunami of miseducation and misinformation. And after you are exposed to it long enough -- everyone has his threshold -- you begin to feel you are repeating yourself after days, weeks, months and years, to no avail. I cannot cast stones because I am guilty of doing the same thing. Malheureusement, (how I love that word!) the Forum is fast-moving and it takes time to acquaint yourself with all the different members, their perceived strengths and weaknesses. That is one unfortunate consequence of immersing yourself in social media. I may find myself being impatient and testy during the day, but less stressed in the wee hours of the morning. All I can do is try to be better. (I still feel I have experienced more expulsions and even deportations to Siberia than any other member and I regard myself as an old hand at moderation.) As the website coordinator once put it, "Be Nice, or Be Gone." On reflection, I apologize to anyone I may have been abrupt with, or offended, in the past five years.

Ain't that the truth! When my brother died, he left a lot of jewelry behind. Neither my sister or I are the jewelry-wearing type. I went into a place -- same block as Stack's old location, attempted to sell the items piecemeal the way one would expect things to be done, and was told, time being money, to deposit everything in a tray. When I balked, the buyer literally persuaded me not to leave by grabbing my wrist. I had a lot of flashy items, gold, silver, some gem stones and expected they would be examined, weighed, etc. He quoted me a price which I instinctually knew was low-balling me, but what could I do? Not nice to say, perhaps, but the entire Midtown district (Manhattan) was one giant shark-infested pool. I had no ballpark figure. What do I know about baubles except that they were nice and valuable. If one doesn't bite, all the others will. When the gentleman grabbed me by the wrist, firmly, I knew the jig was up. I did not have the time or inclination to become educated. My only thought was take the offer, round up, and get out. True story.

Enquiring minds would like to know, off the record, not a serious matter for debate, the last time a new error over 25 years old was found in circulation?