Hello all, I have this 1886 IHC that looks okay on the reverse but the obverse looks very interesting. It weighs what it should, it almost looks like it’s pitting but not sure due to I don’t see much of any damage or anything it has it’s brown color still everywhere. I thought it was fake but why would anyone waste their time with this date. I thought when something was pitting there would be black and other corrosion, very strange.
It happens all the time. Someone trying to get rid of a problem. Some of these were done by folks that thought baking soda was a safe way to treat a coin. The others are coin Doctors that alter a surface and sell it to an unknowing buyer.
I have doubts that it is genuine. The border does not look right on both sides. As to why anyone would bother to fake in 1886 Indian Cent, it is actually a better date that is underrated. This was the year that the hubs were changed and there was an alteration in the relationship between the feathers and the legend on the obverse. The new hub often did not strike up well in 1886. When I was working on an Indian Cent set when I was in high school in the 1960s, this was the one date that I could not find in better than VG. Everything else in the set graded Fine or better.
Hmm I guess that’s true, he tricked me after all but the pictures did not show the coin well enough to determine that these issues were present.. thinking I should return it at this point.
I questions as well, the weight is where it needs to be but I know they have weight down or close to it. The letters throw me Off especially the S at the end of states.. yea it is a less common date I suppose since there is two variety’s for this year as you stated the die switch. Pretty cool piece just looks horrid if it is real ha ha.
It looks like someone applied a strong acid to that side. Why not to the other side? You'll have to ask him. Or her.
I also question that coin's authenticity. Look at the denticles on the obverse. They're much longer at 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock than they are at 12 and 6 o'clock, and that's not due to wear.
Maybe the seller didn't do it. Maybe doesn't even know it's acid. I said you'll have to ask if you want to know because it's curious why the reverse isn't affected and we simply can't figure that out. But I've cents like this and I've seen cents like this and we're talking about the "smoking" kind, like hydrochloric or sulfuric acid. This is what those hot acids do to copper coins.
Yea I see that also, it’s just weird how the reverse looks fine makes me wonder if it was just a horrid clean job with something acidic as @eddiespin stated..
