Ok so I recently bought a few copper coins and now have an interest in these as well. So, before I buy a bunch of details coins not knowing what I'm doing, what do I watch out for? I see a lot of corroded coins. I'm guessing this is something to watch for. I know hints of green are a no-no. Other obvious scratches cleaning. So anything else?
Copper is a very challenging material to clean, so any signs of corrosion are usually to be avoided. Now for ancient coins, the green can be a patina (if it is hard and doesn't rinse or brush off) or verdigris (bronze disease) which can consume the entire coin unless stopped.
You’ve got to give us more than copper coins. What area of copper coins interest you? Colonial, pre or post Colonial, Half Cents, Large Cents, Indian Head or pre 1982 Lincoln’s, Copper coated zinc cents, Two Cent Pieces? Help us help you.
It would help tailor a response if you told us your area of copper coin collecting interest. I am going to assume that your interest is in early US half cents and large cents and my comments are primarily focused on that area. That said: What you need to watch out for when buying early copper coins is buying in ignorance. OK, you are already one up on that pitfall since you asked the question. So, other than the folks here giving you a PhD in one paragraph snippets, how can I best address your question, not knowing anything about what you are planning to collect, i.e: Ancient Copper/Bronze; 18th century British/American coinage; Late 19th/20th century US coinage, etc. Each of these areas has unique characteristics and knowledge requirements. But they all have one thing in common. Copper is the most environmentally reactive of the common coining metals so it is subject to various forms of corrosion. That can range from what is called micro-pitting to huge cankerous growths and pits. Other than corrosion, each copper type of coin will have its own prevailing set of issues that affect the grade, visual desirability, price, etc. For example, US half cents and large cents are made of pure copper, thus are softer than their bronze small cent descendants. That makes them somewhat more prone to rim bumps, abrasions and other mechanical damage. How does that affect grading and what you may be willing to accept and pay for? I have found that the single most educational source that is easily and readily available that will provide a good grounding in copper coinage no matter what the century or type is: Grading Guide for Early American Copper Coins by Eckberg, et. al. Published in 2014 it is still available. I have seen copies offered recently for about $50. You don't have to agree with the grading standards or grading methodologies described in the book in order to appreciate the thorough and complete description of most of the issues that copper coins suffer. Those issues and how they affect the grading of copper coins include: Copper source, refining, melting, rolling, planchet cutting, planchet flaws, striking and die issues, corrosion, PMD, wear and color. This book should be viewed as a primer, in other words the start of your education. As you see more coins and their problems, you will have more questions and you will seek more in-depth sources. Now, I readily admit that ancient bronze and copper coins are subject to certain maladies that this book does not address. One other suggestion: If you join the Early American Coppers Club (and even if you don't) you can gain access at no cost to all the past issues of Penny-Wise, our journal going back to the club founding in 1967 on the Eric P. Newman Numismatic Portal. Looking through these you can find many articles addressing every aspect of collecting US early copper coinage. Benefits of Membership | EACS If you have specific questions, ask away.
Yes at this time it would be early us large cents and half cents. I might also get interested in colonial copper. But nothing ancient or world.
Just buy the best looking coins at lowest cost you can. Need to be free of marks and damage if possible.
My experience with early copper and the grading services is colored by my experience with them 20+ years ago. The only coins that I had which graded were my Chain and Wreath Cents and a couple of half cents. All of the rest got body bags, some, perhaps deserved, others based upon the ignorance of the graders. I sold a couple of those pieces only see them crop in the GRADED after they had "cheated" me out of the money I paid them. Here are some pieces that got body bags. Most EAC people. who post on the web, did not understand this body bag. For a VF graded coin, this is about as good as it gets. Here's another This 1802 half cent was the Garrett Collection and is close to the condition census for the variety. I sold it when I was a dealer for a good price. This 1797, S-139 Large Cent is a condition census piece. It was body bagged. It consigned it an EAC convention auction where it appeared on the cover. It sold for a strong price. Later I saw it in a PCGS holder. It has some smooth, red, inactive corrosion on the reverse. And here's the coin I REALLY regret selling. They body bagged this for AT. Yea, right. That grader needs to stick to Morgan Dollars. I sold this when I was letting the registry lead me by the nose to a point. Never again!
And that is exactly why EAC created its own grading system for early copper. The TPGs do not or will not understand early copper and that is why we suffer grading catastrophes like those you've shown. NONE of those coins deserve a details grade by the standards that should apply to early copper. In fact, the EAC grading standards do not even have a "details" grade. That is the purpose of EAC net grading, to account for the problems that copper, unlike the other metals, is heir to. OK, back to @Vertigo's question: What you need to know to protect yourself depends on what you're going to buy. If you're buying the $5 coins from the dealer's junk bin, then you don't need to know anything because even if you buy a counterfeit you're not out any real money. From that base, the rarer and/or more expensive the coin the more you need to know. BTW @johnmilton that is a gorgeous 1814. No way that is AT. And even if it was, that doesn't detract from a great example in a series that is notorious for bad copper supply and corrosion.
