Henri Charriere

Very interesting statistic, but how, exactly, were you able to extrapolate that, and from what? The last time I volunteered some numbers, I was shut down. A hundred million 🐓 are unaccounted for, but I don't know that I could state conclusively that there are more of "X slabbed," than "roosters in existence." How many were melted, spirited out from France, lost, etc? No one knows. The certifications to date, remain but a tip of the iceberg. I would imagine you have a good grasp of your area of collecting, but "in existence?" I have mintages and certification censuses, but little else.

Interesting thought. Makes me wonder, when was the last time a recognized celebrity promoted a coin or coin collecting, in general? Then again, that could be a double-edged sword with a lot of people jumping into the hobby resulting in a robust hobby, but higher prices. Ah, well.

I did note no mention was made of silver, a notable feature of those wartime nickels.

Mere thoughts, musings, EagleRJO. Btw, I do appreciate the good-natured Reality checks!

Me, too! I may no longer own any, but they remain my first love.

Note to the File: The two anti-counterfeiting measures, as hereinabove described in the 2d paragraph, were present on the 1904 example described as a "Counterfeit Forgery" which was offered for sale recently by Le Comptoir Des Monnaies in Paris.

In my mind's eye, Kurt, who has been around awhile, ought to be the Final Arbiter of what constitutes flawless perfection. I would run those fine examples by him before rendering a verdict. If it passes his sniff test, you're In Like Flint.

Blast from the Past! Q.A.: Pigeon? What pigeon? That design looks awfully familiar... 🐓 : Pingin. Q.A.: That's no pigeon! -- what did you say? 🐓 : Pidgin, not pigeon. Q.A.: Pidgin... Oh... well that changes everything... Never mind.... Hold on! What did RWB say again? 🐓: It's a token imitation, not a pattern piece. Q.A.: But why so much money then? How come a member who owns a few missed that? And the Grand Master, who presumably doesn't, caught that right away? 🐓 : I don't know. It's destined to become one of life's enduring mysteries... *** Great thread! Never knew these even existed! I love all this broadening of the "body of knowledge." Man, I love this place!

Blast from the Past! 🐓 : That was a Trade Dollar??? Q.A.: I know... it's a long story.

[Trust me, you're not.] 🐓

Forgive me, I am just jostling Errorists.

Truth be told, like most women inconvenienced by mask mandates, she gave up rouge and mascara.

Well, standard alloy "composition," not copper "planchet," per post preceding yours.

Ditto the delamination of the coin's copper mascara on the Reverse. Nothing new. Just a part of the minting process we have grown accustomed to.

If I may be so bold as to ask... upon what coin's surface was this "triple struck" stamped?

[To the O.P.: In the interests of promoting further development of this promising thread, I have voluntarily hidden (maybe I should have edited out) the tasteless comment I posted here recently. My sincere apologies.]

Allow me to make this perfectly clear... 🤣 This would not apply to any certified coins, only those found in circulation. As any ERROR alleged, would have had to have been made on the date of minting, the member submitting a claim or query would have 25 years from that date to raise the issue, or it statutorily defaults to PMD. It is my humble opinion far too much time is spent on the Forum debating the merits of ERRORS that clearly are not. [A lesser concern would be affording the coin carcass a decent burial.]

Actually, by strict definition, and adhering to long-standing Forum custom, the state of perfection occurs only when our globe-trotting ambassador exclaims, Eureka!, cancels his flight reservation, and places an order over the phone solely on the strength of an opinion rendered by another, thereby eliminating the need for sight-seen, personal, coin-in- hand inspection. To my knowledge, that has never occurred, the only exceptions being products purchased directly from the Mint.

POST-MINT DAMAGE OR MINT STATE ERROR? I propose a Statute of Limitations on Mint State ERROR claims. I am painfully aware this is inherently flawed thinking at best, and seditious, heretical, blasphemous thinking at worst, but I believe any member bringing a query or claim of ERROR, must do so within a specified number of years after a coin's mintage date, or it will be statutorily rejected. For example, can anyone realistically expect a coin that has been in circulation for 37 years to be free of tear and wear? No, and yet we routinely see "questions" posted by members who inquire whether their parking lot finds, exhibiting gross deformity, are ERRORS. What would one realistically expect to find after the passage of so much time? Claims of ERROR are ideally made not long after a coin has been minted. I do not regard varieties as ERRORS. To speed things up [and clear the back-log of claims] I am going to suggest that as of next year, 2025, no claim of ERROR be considered for any coin minted prior to, or during, the 20th century. The likelihood that one's coin bears evidence of ERROR diminishes rapidly after mintage in the same manner a new horseless carriage depreciates in value. To think otherwise beggars the imagination. All in favor, say Aye! Rant over. [Posted at the discretion of Moderation.]

I am eminently unqualified to pass judgment on your choice of coin. (I no longer remember where the designer's initials are supposed to be!) If you can hold out for a better example to come along, do so. Excelsior! NY state motto meaning, Ever Upward.

THE FOLLOWING IS JUST A JOKE... It really is too bad I lost my gig as Guest Moderator here. On the Lighter Side, this appears to be a rarely encountered example of a chop-mark with a reeded edge. Trouble is, I do not believe I have ever seen a coin with widely-spaced reeds. Value? As an interesting oddity or curiosity only. My take. Good nite! 🤣

One question: Did they ever catch the guy who blackened the steps on the '77 Jeff? 🤣

I suppose so, but then the "contract" between submitter and submittee is null and void. It would be a total loss: submission fee, authentification, certification and encapsulation. If this had happened to me I would have picked up the phone or emailed NGC Customer Service, explained the matter with paperwork in hand, and asked for direction. The misattribution cannot be allowed to stand. It must be addressed.

You are way ahead of the pack. Some day, owners of all those gold-plated sets of Bicentennial Quarters are going to find out they, er, really didn't strike gold. I dread the day that query, submitted in good faith, elicits a sobering response.

The upper portion of this comment, to me, is key and brutally honest. Some of us have been in and around the hobby long enough to have seen prices of even desirable coins plateau and lie dormant for extended periods of time. Anything more specific, particularly as to future performance, would be borderline irresponsible.