I have been following the discussion about the Catalogue General Illustre des Editiones de la Monnaie de Paris. There seems to be some confusion about the number of volumes in the complete set. In addition to the volumes noted by Paul Bosco, Dick Johnson and Scott Miller, there are at least two others: A fourth (and very large) section of volume 4, which adds to the entries in parts 1-3 and a volume six, which lists seals and jetons.

I am planning to go to print with the book The Authoritative Reference on Liberty Seated Half Dimes in two weeks.

My page count has gone up from what was planned to 275 pages, but sections such as the 1838 Small Stars required 17 pages, with detail diagnostics and photo showing each of the five die stages for the obverse and 4 die stages for the reverse.

With the extra pages, it will increase my cost, especially with a limited printing.

As such, once the book is printed, the cost of the book will increase to $49.95, up to when this book is printed, I will accept the originally advertised price of $39.95

I'm sad to say that my esteemed colleague Michael Alexander's statement that the recently issued Portuguese coin is "the world's first eccentric (not placed centrally) bimetallic coin" is incorrect. Canada issued coins that can meet that description back in the 1980s-1990s... A series of 20-dollar coins on aviation that had a gold cameo off centre.

Instead of recycling my unwanted catalogs, I took them to a local show. The show organizers let me put them on a table in the registration area. I was amazed at how quickly they disappeared! So now I have a box in the trunk of my car into which I toss unwanted catalogs for the next show. I guess I didn't appreciate how one man's trash is another man's treasure. Most catalogs are educational. If more of us did this, think how many additional people would be exposed to a part of the hobby they weren't aware of?

The term "early strike" makes some sense if it's used in the proper context, that being one of the first thousand or two coins struck by a particular die or, in other words, a coin that would be classified as very early die state. Unfortunately, I have a feeling that's not the true meaning of the used terms at all. "First strike" makes no sense at all IMO-just another attempt to separate the collector from his money I think.

If the forgers were legends, then who were the real forgers?

This is a funny commercial I recently saw advertising the Taco Bell Dollar Menu, featuring the reverse of an old Morgan Dollar. Some of the comments in the thread below it are just as interesting as the video itself.