Need advice, only if you know bronze IH cents and related issues

What the heck is going on with this bronze 1864 cent? has it been cleaned? is that a "coin fungus?"

Please, only legitimate and real answers. Sarcasm not allowed/sought.

 

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Just my opinion from the images.
It looks like old PVC or something else organic. Much of it could probably be removed but the spots are still going to show.

 

Woo Woo

 

Yep, that does look like some old residue from flips from a decade or two ago. It does remind me of that greasy green that came with those old PVC holders.

 

@Insider knows this stuff. Maybe he will join.

 

I've never seen the "green slime" from PVC contamination turn that color.

Chris

 

Could it be environmental damage, maybe from a metal detecting find ?

 

The coin has been very harshly cleaned and is covered in verdigris.

 

Probe a couple of the reverse blobs gently with a toothpick - are they hard or soft? That's a curious looking problem. Appears to be organic, I suspect some corrosion under them.

If it's cupric formate/black cupric oxide - its a goner.

 

bingo!

 

On CoinTalk.. NEVER!

 

The coin is corroded and cannot be saved.

 

This stuff is the remnant of what a vicious attack on the coin's surfaces couldn't remove. The reverse was likely not visible at all before.

 

SuperDave, posted: "This stuff is the remnant of what a vicious attack on the coin's surfaces couldn't remove. The reverse was likely not visible at all before."

In my humble opinion, this post and another contains a bit of misinformation. I see two problems and my snarky reply in disagreement is the reason one of these posters "ignores" me. :

1. Although this is a "vicious attack on the coin's surfaces" (a $20 phrase covered by the 5c word "corrosion", the coin has not been harshly cleaned and no visible attempt has been made to remove the dark by-products of the damage.

2. More importantly, The reverse was always visible as it is now!


I welcome any discussion; but please include detailed evidence from the image to back up your opinion.

 

what are you basing your comments on?

 

Welcome to CT! You'll learn a lot from the members here. My advice is to read all the opinions and as you become more informed you can weed out the junk. For example, any coin that is a little off-color is called harshly cleaned around here.

A mentor of mine would always answer a question like you asked with a little game he called" "Let's pretend." I learned a lot this way so let's pretend you are in a grading class. First, you look at the coin and tell me what you see. There are no incorrect answers - well that's not exactly true, the coin is NOT harshly cleaned.

 

I just have questions. The spots look really raised. I was thinking something organic on the coin. Do carbon spots grow to the point that they look this raised?

 

I thought it had pop spilt on it. Probably acidic enough to pit the surface.

 

Then you may be in the wrong place.

 

These are not carbon "spots." They are raised lumps of corrosion. I'm going to give the OP some time to answer his question before replying any more to this thread.