Henri Charriere

Nyet comrade, nyet! Balderdash! Whomever is paying you off to stalk me isn't getting bang for their buck. Every clerk in every post office as well as air and ground delivery service, recites by rote, a litany of prohibited items which includes explosives, unstable chemical compounds, volatile gases, fireworks, hazardous materials, unlawful and illegal controlled substances as listed on the five Federal schedules etc. Furthermore, if the three Top Pop gold roosters shipped by FedEx from an overseas location and seized by Customs and Border Patrol at EWR and subsequently conclusively identified as unarmed collectibles which posed no threat to life, limb and health were prohibited, under no circumstances would they have been green-lighted for delivery and that, in a nutshell, is how I was able to dethrone the # 1 set registrant of my series on the West coast. Our concern should be focused on the whereabouts of a fellow member's coin. All else is white noise.

As promised, I dropped in on a FedEx location in Union Square, New York, and asked to speak to the manager. While they went and got him, I noticed a sign posted on the counter stating effective immediately, the "money back" guarantee for each of eight enumerated services, ground, air, int'l, etc., had been suspended until further notice.. So it seems their popular "absolutely positively" line has been quietly retired. Lacking specific information on your shipment, I posed a hypothetical and also brought up the matter of insurance. He reached for the company's Bible, a leather- bound, gilt-edged manual, and discovered first, that contrary to what another member asserted as fact, FedEx does in fact provide insurance for specific items shipped. Coins and collectibles may be insured for up to $1000, regardless of actual value, if requested at point of embarkation. I asked to see a sample claim form, but was told one can only be obtained thru Customer Service (via phone). I asked him to define "misplaced," "lost," "missing," and "stolen," but understandably, he demurred saying investigations are initiated at the point the package was last scanned. I asked him if all shipments were sent to their hub in Memphis where parcels are sorted before being sent on their way. He could not respond definitively. I wonder whether there may be a member (actually I know there are) who can advise what service they routinely use, and why. (He confirmed FedEx has an arrangement with USPS to hand off a shipment for final delivery to a Post Office Box.) On int'l deliveries cgb.fr uses their own private shipper with whom they contract shipments they insure. Checking my invoice morgue, which contains all packages emanating from overseas, the one thing that stands out is a bi-lingual stamp that reads "Priority Document." (I am an exception: I send cash and coins thru the mail, uninsured.) Keep us informed of further developments...

I don't believe anything was "lost" or "misplaced" in the age of computers. I don't know if this is premature or not, but I would contact the Numismatic Crime Information Center (NCIC) on the proper procedure on how to report this. They have a website: numismaticcrimes.org. They disseminate information to dealers and others nationwide With the USPS, they've got their postal inspectors, but I do not know where jurisdiction lies with FedEx. A claim at this point suggests an investigation was conducted but came up empty-handed. I don't know why but I am taking this very personally I guess because this could have happened to me. I expect to be near a FedEx location either tomorrow or Saturday. I'll see what I can find out what an "investigation" entails and exactly what insurance options are available. The clerk, whom I have done business with previously -- she downloaded the Customs forms for me from my phone for free when my shipment was kidnapped -- is very knowledgeable and experienced. I am also going to ask for a copy of their claim form if one is available. I urge you to contact NCIC. I don't accept this shabby treatment. Maybe it's time I fully understood the policies and procedures of these ground and air transportation services.

"C O U N T E R F E I T F O R G E R Y" ! The listing format is identical to all others at www.numiscorner.com except for date, weight and the above descriptor: France - Marianne - 20-Francs- 1904 - Paris - EF (40-45) - Gold - Contemporary Forgery. Price: €500 (about $538.37). All the specs are identical, save for one: instead of the standard 6.45 gms, the weight is 6.33 gms. The finess, oddly, remains the same: .9000000000000000002, precisely. Photos are provided which I have pored over. There appears to be a deep abrasion to Marianne's cheek which can best be described as an injury that would typically be left after one uses a broken bottle for a shaver. Interestingly, the two devices, a torch and cornucopia, which had been recently been added to the series as anti-counterfeiting measures, are present on either side of the date, as expected. One more curious note... it reads, "If you so wish, you can order a Certificate of Authenticity or grading for this collectible item after adding it to your cart." This is a highly-regarded seller! There are three (actually four) primary reasons preventing me from acquiring this unique item I had only read about in passing but never lay eyes on. The first three are RWB, powermad5000 and Just Bob, all charter members of the Forum's influential Anti-Counterfeiting League. The fourth is, there is no slot for it on the Set Registry (and I would be too embarrassed to Ask Ali E to consider creating one). You read it here first!

I believe it was during this interview that JA disclosed unbelievably long turn-around times (nine months) at the advent of one TPGS. Kind of you to rescue it and re-post it!

I have taken the liberty of clicking on the links which contain the certification number: 2564994-002. I looked up NGC grading, found the scale which referred to the glossary of terms used. It seems "damaged" is a "catchall" term which refers to scratches, corrosion, wear, etc., and that is why it was assigned an adjectival grade rather than a formal one. There would be little point in resubmitted the coin. Go to NGC's site and look for grading and an explanation for details. (That appears to be the reason why entering the cert. # comes up blank.) Normal wear gets a grade; a coin that has been damaged in any number of ways, does not.

The lettering on the bottom looks three-dimensional. Your coin and the one posted on the link are virtual identical twins. By jove, you've got it!

Come to think of it, you're right! So right that that is precisely the reason why they sell "distressed" leather clothing and satchels. I have withdrawn (hidden) my comment.

Oh, but I did! I said "everything looks as it should."

[That's got to be a poster's worst nightmare. Inviting comment just as I was walking by. 🤣 You're a good sport!]

The '55 is the Gold Standard; nothing before or since speaks for itself. My thoughts? Don't mind if I do. The portrait of the President has been reduced to a cheap caricature. What, pray tell, was found to be lacking in the former, more presidential, one? The penmanship in Liberty -- no longer rendered in all caps! -- is atrocious. Look at the L. What should and could have been rendered with two billowing flourishes, has been squashed like an unwanted insect. Maybe one of those collars I keep reading about had too much starch. Submit this? I would not if it had not a single contact mark on it. Everything looks as it should, and I have cataracts. (Now you've got money to re-string the guitar and get yourself a new pick.)

A masterful soliloquy, enumerated too, like a grocery list. Motive? Likely to attempt to bring Newbies to their senses and consider the sobering odds of making a rewarding find today, in 2024, before delivering the kicker insuring this Forum will be inundated by yet another generation of starry-eyed folks who can never be dissuaded from their religious-like conviction that there's gotta be another '43 copper out there somewhere if I can only figure out where to begin looking. If it's the thrill of the hunt you enjoy, by all means, jump in, the water's fine. If it's riches, don't give up your day job. That's how Mr. Holzhauer earned his moniker, "Jeopardy James." If you're only in it for amusement, look down. If you're hoping to make a killing, look up at the finer pieces in life and expect to spend a good deal of time and money pursuing your dreams and investments. You have a decidedly diverse, difficult-to-pin-down collecting style that eludes categorization: by grade, series, vintage, rarity, or specialization. You are eminently qualified to speak to/for all collectors, including one-trick ponies like me. Thank you for sharing your knowledge, wisdom and unique experiences and perspective. 🐓

I am furious! There were some incidents I recall from the past that were concerning, but this is neither the time nor place to discuss them. I never entertained the idea of this occurring. Does FedEx ship to its central hub in Memphis first and then route to specific locations? Where was it last scanned? Members may recall my experience with CBP seizing my shipment from Europe and having FedEx hold it for a ransom until I supplied them with my legal name, DOB and SSN -- over the phone, or else my shipment which they claimed had no documentation or return address would be returned. I paid the nominal sum demanded and only then received the shipment which tellingly was addressed properly, accompanied by complete documentation -- and had never been opened. FedEx accept a shipment with no return address? Poppycock! Where exactly was your package last seen?

Happy Valentine's Day! I continue to review MA-SHOPS listings and the sparce holdings of Set Registrants particularly at the 1899-1906 Original vs 1907-1914 Restrike line of partition. The latter are easy to acquire; the former pose an arduous task. I suspect most active collectors guard their sources zealously. Not me. If you wish to acquire an "Original" 20-franc gold rooster, it behooves you to investigate the above-referenced source, one of NGC's sponsors within a stone's throw of their state-side office, and on their home page plug in any number of combinations of 10- and/or 20-franc Marianne Coq. Within seconds, at least 50 listings will pop up. Sadly the majority, unlike in the recent past, will be available raw (uncertified) The certified examples are listed, for the most part, at the bottom. If a type set in Mint State is what you are looking for, make a note of the listings for BU. If you require specifics, you cannot go wrong with the standard ranges the French use: SUP (Superbe) USA: AU-55 - MS-62; SPL (Splendide) " : MS-63 - MS-64; FDC (Fleur de Coin): MS-65 - MS-70. The manner in which purveyors of high-quality pieces sell their merchandise from a hundred different dealers of all manner of things, makes assembling a collection of gold roosters possible, but lacking saturation with certified examples, more labor-intensive. If you are simply looking to compile a type set, you're In Like Flint. If you have set your sets higher, you can expect to wait for a suitable prospect to show up. I myself have been waiting for upgrades to show up for at least two years. Excelsior! Ever upward, is my motto.

I am not fond of clads [because they have an uncanny way of silently reminding me how great U.S. coinage once was] but have to admit your humble example has more than a few things going for it. Why, who knows, one day, you might even write the definitive tome on this subject matter: "Errorists on Errors." 🤣

Of interest. Two flies sitting on the wall. One says to the other: "You know, that guy ought retitle his Topic to read, "The Official Double-Eagle Coin Striking Defects and Imperfections Thread. The other fly nodded audibly in assent, "Ya think?"

FWIW: in referring to an NGC submission form, I noticed they use a Post Office Box. Searching the subject of deliveries to POBs by FedEx, I came across the following: "The only way to deliver to domestic P.O. boxes is to select FedEx Ground Economy... and... FedEx can deliver to a P.O. BOX with its FedEx SmartPost option -- which uses the USPS in the final stage of the delivery process. I seriously doubt that technicality is responsible for the current snafu, but it's well worth bearing in mind. I have always sent cash thru the mails -- at PCGS its a standard option which I have made use of, without incident -- but I do not encourage it for the squeamish. As I also do not insure on my end, I would be curious to know whether any shipment bears a hand-stamp indicating its contents have been insured? I still remain optimistic that if properly addressed and packed, the OP's shipment will be found and sent on its way. I also remain optimistic about the coin because a member and owner of one, in finer condition, viewed the same photos you, I, and everyone else did and without equivocation, gave the example the green light. 🤞

The ones who deal in street drugs are remarkably proficient in basic 'rithmetic. They have to be. They are accountable to those higher up the chain of command. But readin' and 'ritin'? Fuhgettaboutit. 🤣

You wouldn't think so but many rare or uncommon things have little or no value because the demand simply wasn't or isn't there. Hot off the wire: ERROR COINAGE, U.S. Coins Showcase, Auctions 1, March 18. It wouldn't hurt to take a look at the varied lots and review the prices realized afterward. Brought to you by Heritage Auctions. Who knows, you may find a close match.

COVID-19, possibly. Time was lost being out of formal classrooms. A survey disclosed pupils/students between the 3rd and 8th grades in NYC were NOT proficient in math and English. This does not bode well for the youth who are our future. Some highly-regarded members have been raising the alarm now for some time. The hobby today reminds me more and more of all those commuters fixated on stock tickers at Grand Central before boarding their trains.

How could we without your explicit knowledge and consent?

Hard to believe this thread is not even a day old... In any event, a member inquiring as to the whereabouts of @Lem E who hasn't posted on his "Post your 5-cent pieces" thread since shortly before Christmas, prompted me to review that Topic and I discovered two posts which would be germane to this conversation. Respecting the privacy of both posters, I should like to direct your attention to a post dated 12/23/2023 which features a certified nickel labeled Mint Error, MS-64 6FS, Broadstruck, as well as a post made January 17, just last month, which features two raw broadstrucks, one of which appears to greatly exceed the deformity exhibited by your bicentennial quarter. Neither member has weighed in on your find but you may wish to consider reaching out to both (PM) for any information or suggestions they may have regarding your coin. Bear in mind, In your case, as Sandon wisely noted, "which one is 'more rare and valuable' is inherently a matter for conjecture," and opinions evidently abound. [Posted at the discretion of Moderation.]

On reflection, I am inclined to agree. Truth be told, when I first heard about the centennial Morgan and Peace dollars, I signed the petition -- but never expected it would go over well with the legislative branch which always seems to have more pressing matters on its plate. And you say, "especially coinage that doesn't circulate." Interesting.

I appreciate the passion you express for your side of the hobby but I wouldn't want to see you taken advantage of by some sliver-tongued huckster. By all means, continue to pursue your dreams but if you are ever in doubt about something, run it by the membership here. And remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

The PCGS price guide, relying on a member's comment upthread, lists a price of $4500 for the MS-68 example. Whatever the reason, there is a gap in their population report for that year. There are 10 certified such coins listed on the NGC census. (There are a few finer examples listed in the bicentennial silver series. Malhereusement, there is no way to gauge demand without an exhaustive canvass of PCGS Set Registries and it appears -- call it bashing if you wish, it is no longer user friendly. (I detest user names and passwords and now a verification code sent by email or text is required. Can mugshots and fingerprinting be far behind?) But I digress. There are nearly a dozen such graded coins out there and I am inclined to accept one member's opinion that broadstrucks, double broadstucks (and others festooned with all manner of metal fragments) are all unique in their own way. Granted. To cut to the chase, I am going to strongly forbid you to acquire this type of coinage casualty. A graded example is a sure thing. It will remain in quantifiable demand. The same cannot be said for your genetic mutation. What will you do when you acquire one and, come time to sell, you are met with sour looks, lack of interest, disparaging comments or outright refusals to buy. Worse, how will your heirs feel? If you have the relic, by all means hold on to it, but if you haven't and wish to acquire it, don''t until such time as reliable information regarding valid demand becomes available.