1911 S Penny

Hi! I went to the ILNA show today a few hours before the closed up shop. I am to the point with my Indian Head and Wheat penny collections that I need keys and semi-keys. I need 9 wheat pennies and 12 IHs so I have been shopping often and carefully. Though I WANT to finish them, there is always the logical voice in my head that says "$50/$75/$100+ for a circulated penny that I can barely read the date on!!???" Logic usually prevails and I move on. Anyway, today I was digging through a tub of pretty ugly/problem coins and came across some ok indian heads I didn't have and the 1911 S below. So here are some questions for you all...

- Assuming you have or have had the "logical voice" I do, what would you have paid for it?
- What is the green? Will it continue to eat away at the coin?
- What should I (or a professional) use to get it off? (If I take it to someone, I want to be versed in what should and shouldn't be used!)
- Do you see any indications that it's a fake?


Thanks all!

 

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That "green" is verdigris or oxidation, and yes it will continue to damage the coin. You could try to dip it in acetone, and cross your fingers.

I would not have payed for that coin, simply because of the damage.

 

I agree with the above post, the damage is to much.

 

Without the damage, I might have gone $20

 

- Assuming you have or have had the "logical voice" I do, what would you have paid for it? Maybe $5. That one is bad. Without the corrosion, it might be a $40 coin.

- What is the green? Will it continue to eat away at the coin? If it is PVC, most definitely it will progress. Acetone will stop it. If is is corrosion, it will progress very slowly unless stored where it is damp (desert dry?).

- What should I (or a professional) use to get it off? (If I take it to someone, I want to be versed in what should and shouldn't be used!) Probably not. You don't know what/how to do and it is probably not worth a professional's time

- Do you see any indications that it's a fake? No

 

Well i guess the only real question is are you happy with it? We all collect coins and for various reasons. All of are budgets are different. If you really wanted a semi key coin and did not have a few hundred to spend, then i love it. It may not be for some of us, but others it is. Congrates!

 

I know there are a lot of people on here who are far more serious about the hobby and have far more money they are willing to play with than I am willing to spend, which I thought I explained with the bit before the picture. I guess not.

Thanks for answering my questions, rlm. If you *might* pay $5, I'm happy with the purchase, because I paid less than that. If a professional doesn't want my business because I or my coin is not worth their time, good, because they aren't worth my money today or any day in the future when I will be willing to lay down the cash for a slabbed, high-grade key. Also, you don't know me or my experience, or lack thereof, degunking coins, don't make assumptions.

I am quite happy with it. The date is clear, the reverse looks nice, and because of attitudes like the ones sometimes expressed here in the forums, it probably wouldn't have made it into a collection unless someone like me stumbled across it. It would have been left to rot in it's holder or would have sold on ebay for $35 to someone who has less of a clue than I do. So I, a collector since I was a child, am still thinking "YAY! I got my 11S today!"

 

This is a problem coin and always will be. But if the OP is happy with the coin for less than $5 then that's all that matters.
Good for you. Now, go and fill your albums with whatever you can afford.

 

You could try acetone...however that will continue to get worse, sort of like pvc. That is probably why it was in the "tub" of commons. I purchased my 11-S in F-12 or F-15 raw for $45, and I got a good deal. However as far as it being genuine, it is likely that it is. Because while they're are fake 11-S's out there, you are alot more safe buying a raw one than a major key that is HEAVILY faked such as the 14-D. Plus, with that kind of damage, it wouldn't be a big hit to take.

 

As long as you are happy with your new coin tis what matters in the long run~~

 

Max price for a problem of this magnitude is $15-20.

The green is verdigris and it has formed deep surface pits. No professional conservation service would work on the coin and it wouldn't be cost effective anyway.

At this point, the best thing to do would be to dehydrate the verdigris with acetone (it will not remove it) and then put the coin into an air tight holder to arrest the corrosion process. The 11-S is a pretty tough coin to obtain in any condition, so be happy you filled a hole.

 

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I don't remember when I got my F-12 for $16.00, but I'm pretty sure I would have taken one similar to yours if I had had the choice. Being a penny-pincher isn't a bad thing. I'd even give it some careful cleaning, too, just to arrest further damage. Some people would never think of buying a used car, some prefer low miles. I collect coins direct from the manufacturer (PF) and with low miles (MS), but when it comes to keys I am happy with lower grades and thrilled with lower prices.

 

I would be careful with putting that coin in a dansco or other album, if you ever plan on upgrading it. You wouldn't want it to contaminate the slot somehow, and affect your upgrade 1911-S.

 

Agree, verdigris (especially with direct contact) will spread from coin to coin. An infected coin supplies feed-stock for verdigris to form on other coins.

 

The Lincoln cent is an easy series to start but a hard one to finish, so it is easy no understand the appeal of a damaged key date at a very low price. I bought a Very Good 1931S with a big scratch on the front for $45 instead of the catalog price of about $110.

 

I didn't think of the contamination issue, though I've been using the cardboard flips in binder pages rather than the books and albums. Does veridigris spread like a fungus? I know it isn't, it's a reaction, but will it cause a chain reaction when in contact with other coins? And I wonder how long it takes to "spread"?

While I love my beautiful proofs and other higher grade "shiny" pennies, the satisfaction of moving the 11 S and a few others off the "don't have" list and on to the "upgrade" list this weekend was pretty awesome.

 

Is there any solution for these green verdigris or oxidation..

 

Not like a fungus, verdigris is primarily inorganic and non-living. However, with temperature swings and humidity it can release some of the components and provide feed materials for the formation of verdigris elsewhere. As far as time, that depends on the ambient conditions. It would be measured in terms of months to years.

 

The verdigis isn't going to spread like that. Just don't reuse flips or 2x2s, don't put it in direct contact with other coins, and I'd suggest not placing it in an album or folder.

Verdigis can be stopped, sometimes partially reversed, for either the short or long term, by Verdigone. I haven't used it, but I understand it has mixed results.

 

VERDI-CARE is the only solution for light to moderate verdigris without damaging the coin. Heavy verdigris cannot be removed without strong acids and permanent surface damage.