Henri Charriere

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.

Congratulations! I have studied the matter of views and what may prompt them for some time. Your average Set Registrant wants to get a feel for the competition and checks not only Rank, but the grade-line, and "Set History" which, for those unfamiliar with the feature, gives viewers a minute-by-minute, blow-by-blow set building strategy. It stands to reason also that collectors who hew to the highest grades say, MS, are contenders to keep an eye on. With one truly choice coin they can leap-frog over your standing by two ranks. I spotted my competitor from a mile away. From out of nowhere, a total unknown, he started a set and leap-frogged over half of all the registrants in my 16-coin series.. Both he and the # 2 collector (a bona-fide whale well-known in such circles) shot to the top of the pyramid -- a fact made all the remarkable considering their sets have yet to be completed! Naturally, checking periodically, the number of views will be high. The sets that are completed expeditiously are those that feature primarily circulated modern coins. The hold-outs keep their eyes on the prize. They will not settle for less. 1,031 now. Well worth the visit! Yours is the ideal progression. Your antennae are fully extended and you have committed yourself to do the very best you can.

I am not going to comment on whether this a "rarity". If you are its owner, I cannot fathom why you would acquire it without knowing the simplest of basics about it: rarity and price. Moving right along, I fail to see what basis you have for challenging, not the opinion of some self-described grading czar, of which we are never in short supply, but a recognized TPGS that has been around for decades. Somewhere, buried deep within this year's topics and posts, was a bit of trivia which may be relevant. If I am not mistaken, the member stated no circulated Proof has been certified, in substance, below the AU range (which dwells within the 50's). This is not to say no such Proofs exist. It merely suggests in decades of TPGS operations, none has been so certified. Malheureusement, if you feel your coin qualifies for such distinction, it would probably have to be exhumed from its slab to aid the examiner, amateur or pro, in making that determination via an in-hand inspection. I have no doubt that the OP, whose forte among many others, is three-cent nickels, may be interested to learn what in particular gave rise to your query.

Your complaint will be reviewed when it is received. At first blush, it appears you have made your feelings known on a number of occasions. However, one cannot help but notice of the five emojis presently provided -- with the exception of two you used in the fall of 1937,.you seem to be partial to the one expressing sadness. I was able to conjure 🐓 by simply typing in the word, Rooster. You may wish to try the same.

I don't know if they were ever Red Hot, or not, but all this roll-hoarding is too time-consuming and I do not see the cost- effectiveness of maintaini g a fleet of fork-lifts. Have any of you medieval hoarders ever considered 100 or 1000 troy ounce bars? Why drown in tons of tons of metal when you can consolidate your holdings? You've all been around long enough to know had you acquired a kilo-sized bar of gold with a universally recognized hallmark, you could have easily doubled and tripled your investments. I fail to see the purpose of stockpiling silver rolls, much less clads. They're in paper rolls? What do you guys do, pile up mountains of rolls and contemplate the words NICKELS, DIMES and QUARTERS ON THEM? A BU ROLL OF '64 KENNEDYs MAKES SENSE. All this newfangled stuff makes no sense at all. I have mentally carved out exceptions for roll-hunting Newbies. What I want to know is what is the big attraction of paper rolls in cardboard boxes and wheel barrows of coins? What is that, the illusion of wealth? Time is money! To the OP: Sorry. A '95-W I can wrap my mind around. The moral there is get in, make a killing, and get out. All this loose change stuff hearkens to one's youth. What I want to know is why all you guys, many with considerable means, haven't outgrown this? There's no way anyone can convince me coins that aren't "real" (minted with non-precious metal, new or not) are worth anything. Nothing I have said here should offend anyone. If it doesn't apply, let it fly. 🐓

Q.A.: No, No and NO! Never thought I would say this, but I OBJECT! I appreciate all the members who took the time and trouble of explaining the finer nuances of grading and grading coins without dates but feature design changes allowing for grading to proceed with confidence. Now this atrocity is dumped in my lap! Mike, nothing personal but this grates against me worse than a counterfeit would because it is impersonating a genuine coin and, unlike an authentic coin, a TPGS (maybe what's needed is a Fourth Party Grading Service) against all the eligibility criteria, proceeds to grade this thing. No date, yeah. I feel so strongly about this that I think I will award a no-bid contract to our Powermad compadre to go seek and destroy this malignant tumor. This is a dangerous, slippery slope and once opened will be hard to wall off. I tell you... 🐓: There now... Feel better? Q.A.: Yes. Maybe tj was right. I've gotta reduce my screen time by 90%. Nite all. 🤣

Intereresting... had that "blue nickel" been lead (Pb #82) her son likely would have been poisoned. I see where mercury (Hg #80) and thallium (Tl #81) close Periodic Table mates, are also poisonous if ingested as well. I would be curious to know what is responsible for causing the peripheral iridescent blue toning commonly found on coins.

🐓: There's that old familiar refrain... "... time will tell..." and "... all in time..." I'm beginning to think this guy knows something we don't... Q.A.: Anything's possible, but we gotta get back to work. 🐓 : Work? What's with the four-letter words... Doing what?? Q.A.: Doing what we do best, Ricky. Broadening the body of knowledge. 🐓 : "Peki. Peki." (Alright. Alright, in Turkiye) "Map vini!" (I'm coming!) pronounced MOP vin-NY, in Karibbean Krayol). Re CACG... I think it may be too early yet to move beyond conjecture. @MarkFeld : If memory serves, you had conceded having a longstanding friendship with J.A. If you are within the sound of my voice, I believe your intimate insider knowledge of the subject matter under discussion would be most welcomed and well received on this Forum. [Posted at the discretion of Moderation.]

About that '64-D... I believe I was mistaken in attributing as a possible error, the curious appendage abutting Lincoln's head. On re-examination, it seems the seamless juxtaposition of your close-up photos suggests something that appears to be there, but isn't. You are off to a great start! Your photographic skills really help bring out the details clearly. Great job!

Q.A.: Deflection? Not at all! Here's deflection: "Look it up." Sound familiar? 🐓: Have a heart, Q! Make an exception. (That sad face is really beginning to get to me.) Q.A.: Oh, alright... Under the Presidential Succession Act of 1792, the Senate president pro tempore [D.R.A.] immediately followed the vice president in the line of presidential succession. President James Polk's term formally ended on March 4, 1849, at noon, and Zachary Taylor was not sworn in until noon on March 5th. (In observance of the Christian Sabbath, Taylor preferred not to conduct his inauguration on Sunday, March 4th) David Rice Atchison, president pro tempore of the Senate lawfully and legally filled that void and technically became President of the United States for one day. (He only found out about it when he was awakened from his sleep by a supporter seeking a patronage job from him.) My apologies to the OP for intentionally hijacking his thread. 🤣 Posted, as always, at the discretion of Moderation.

🐓: Say Q, remember wondering out loud why anyone who had amassed arguably The Finest collection of custom sets would even bother with less than stellar pieces? Well, here in his own words, is his unique approach to problem-solving... Q.A.: Ah, mystery solved! That explains ev-e-ry-thing -- everything, that is, except who taught you how to read. 🤣 This is one feel-good thread, from start to finish! Man, I love this place!

Yo, redrum guy! You're making me look like a real [expletive deleted] by continuing to insist in your persistence in pursuing this highly irregular agenda. You're a Newbie. Okay, no problem. For lack of a better term, you committed irreversible error. Upshot? Your thread is dead. I gave you the benefit of the doubt early on: pick A or pick B. Or so I thought. Then the jolt in the form of a Reality Check hit, your motive was exposed, and that should have been the end of it. Here, you can sign off on this debacle by humming this tune to the musical score 🎶 from "Superfly"... "Thread is de-ead. bu-, bu-, Bump!... bu-, bu- Bump! bu-, bu- Bump! ... Bu- bu-bu-bu BUMP!" Finito Goomba! Capiche?