Here is a 1877 India Rupee from the 2013 FUN show. This large silver Rupee was in an NGC holder & the coin just spoke to me. It basically said “crack me out of here & take me home”. It is now cracked-out & is living a full life in my World coin collection. :smile Let me tell you that the dealer's sticker on the slab indicated that the price had been marked down repeatedly. I would have bought it without the heavy discounts. Does anyone else at CT think this is a pretty coin (or am I the only one)?
I like the looks of it, probably would have just left it in the slab myself. But nothing wrong with setting a coin free when you own it.
63 is a good guess I don't see any wear & I do like the appearance. I would grade it 64/64 if it were not for the reverse corrosion at 9:00. In days past it would have been body bagged. It is what it is.
By the way, I am glad you posted this coin sir. This is a terrific warning to those who love toning. The corrosion on this coin is simply toning gone bad. Toning literally is oxidation, and corrosion is the final state of it. Please everyone, check your coins, and if any are toning try to stop it. Not only is your toning changing the coin permanently, worst case it can lead to this. I have seen coins like this often, what it was is that that little bit of the coin was outside of the holder, be it a manila envelope or flip. That little bit of the coin got corroded because the collector was too lazy to check on his coins and ensure they were being stored properly. I feel bad for Victoria because of that, but happy she has a proud new owner who loves her.
Beautiful coin !! 1. If corrosion is the final state of oxidation and is the result of improper storage, why aren't 2000+ year old ancient coins all corroded? 2. Is there any way to repair the corrosion damage to the coin? It always amazes me when I see ancient coins in beautiful AU+ Mint state conditions. How did they survive for 2000+ years against oxidation?
They were buried. If ancient coins would have been kept by collectors all of those years more of them would be destroyed. TBH, most ancients that survived very well were buried in pots. Bury a coin in a pot and you prevent almost all moisture damage, and there is no oxygen for it to interact with. A lot more coins that are found not in containers are corroded beyond recognition. A large percentage of "nice condition" coins that ancient collectors collect were all found in pots buried in the ground, so they were protected.
Wow Thank you for sharing. I did not know that pots protected the coin from environmental damage. Good to know!!
I've gotten potted many times, but could be in better condition Corrosion is hard to explain, it has to do with environmental conditions and with the substrate material. Coins of all types found burried in sand in a dry climate could look very nice, while in a wet climate, would be metallic circles. Gold coins found burried in England for 1000 years can look pristine. I really like Indian coins and wanted to get a Proof Set from India until I started checking the prices. I have several large silver rupees, including a "pig" rupee which has a fascinating history. http://www.jfcampbell.us/india/george5/george5.htm
