While we are on this topic, I lost touch with my favorite coin dealer. Who do you like in Brooklyn? Coin Clubs By any chance?
Used to deal with Steve Halfon mostly, but sadly some crooked scumbags robbed and killed the guy. Don't really have anyone else I deal with locally.
There was a guy, an older guy names Ralf Pfali how I more or less trusted and liked. but I can't find him.
Russian have bad relationships with Latvia. During the WW II Latvians served in SS and also carried out functions of chasteners (destroyed the peace population of the Western Russia). Now Latvia is a country where a profascist meetings are officially allowed. Latvia for Russia - as Iran for the USA. But I must agree that the're have very nice coins.
I know we were poking fun at the coin and such, and Stalin, although perhaps there isn't much funny about Stalin, but after 3 days of rage over the English Monarch, i just wanted to make you know that I had no intention of saying ANYTHING political...just having a little bit of fun.
As for the Russian-Latvian relations, well, I suppose that, had the USSR after WW2 allowed the three Baltic countries (EE, LT, LV) to be independent again, there would have been fewer tensions later. Instead, people from other Soviet republics (were) moved there. So in my opinion equating Latvia with Iran is somewhat flawed. (Yes, I know this topic is not supposed to be political. But for some reason the comment about flogging peasants is still there, just like the cartoon ...) The Latvian Maiden may return to the country's coinage by the way. If Latvia ever introduces the euro, she will be on the €1 and €2 pieces. Christian