I have a Silly Head cent that is high grade from a detail perspective, but has altered surfaces. No one can tell me the nature of the alteration. These scans exaggerate the effect. It isn't nearly this noticeable when you are looking at the coin directly, but you can tell that the tone is not quite right. My question is whether it is worth submitting this coin to NGC for conservation? I have no intention of ever selling the coin. I would just like it to look its best so I can enjoy it. A secondary concern is whether the original alteration might have left a chemical residue that would lead to deterioration of the coin in the future.
"My question is whether it is worth submitting this coin to NGC for conservation? I have no intention of ever selling the coin. I would just like it to look its best so I can enjoy it." I think that you answered your own question. If it makes you happier to have it conserved, then do it.
You might have better luck in getting it conserved by sending it to NCS than to its affiliated grading company.
If you have no intention of selling the coin, then you should decide if you like the eye appeal now, or would like to try to improve it. Before sending it off to NCS, you may want to have a local dealer examine, to be sure that the artifical surfaces are hiding any worse problems on the coin that could look worse if a conservation attempt was made.
Ed: Altered surfaces may include whizzing (removing a layer of the coin's surface to remove damage, pits, etc) or filing to remove scratches. And anything else that may have altered the surface, like over-dipping.
First off, how do you know it really has altered surfaces? I assume the answer is a TPG told you so...and judging from the photos, my guess is the coin has been recolored. I would not sent it to NCS. They will unlikely be able to do much with it, and there are far more skilled coin doctors among the EAC folks than NCS has, so if improvement of the coin were your intent, I'd find a good EAC guy and solicit their advice. To wit, and if you are a member of the NGC forums (if I may be so bold as to mention another coin forum), there's a guy on that forum named Hoot who is extremely knowledgeable on this topic and is also a heck of a nice guy, so my advice to you would be to solicit his help -- tell him that MikeInFL told you to contact him. All that being said, if I were you, I'd just get an airtite with the white insert and enjoy your coin in that manner and not have it "improved" at all. Just MHO, respectfully submitted...Mike
Yes I know, but I didn't see any of this from the picture. So I was just making sure that he was referring to the color and not something the picture wasn't showing. I agree with Mike, Looks like it might have been recolored. Still a Nice Coin. Personally Don't look that bad to me.
If you was 168 years old ya might look the same. I like her! I have a few of those and they look similer. Nice looking coin.
First, a little more history of the coin. I bought it from a dealer who received it from PCGS in a "body bag" with the designation "altered surfaces". At that point he just wanted to get rid of it. I was looking for a silly head and this one was by far the best one I could find for anywhere close to that price. The original online image (attached here) looks very unnaturally red. I assumed the coin had been dipped. However, when I received it, it didn't look at all like the picture. You have to look closely to see the unnatural tone. I also doubt the coin has been altered in any other way besides recoloring or cleaning. Thanks for the advice. I do know a local coin dealer who I think will give me his honest opinion, but I like the idea of seeking out your friend. Thanks to all who had suggestions. The bottom line is I'd be happy with the coin even if I can't improve it, but I thought I'd try.
Hi dreamer - Mike let me know of your coin and post, so I thought I'd reply here. The coin was definitely stripped and recolored. The uneven color of the coin gives it away, and the coin's obverse is much more obvious in that regard than its reverse. The uneven color comes from differential wear patterns for a lightly circulated coin. Surfaces that are slightly more porous (even those that are barely detectable to the naked eye) will tone darker than those that are more intact. (It's all a matter of degree, and is true with well circulated coins as well.) When a coin like this is stripped, the retoning process will often leave dark and light areas. This effect can be exacerbated by oils in the surface of the coin that are not completely removed. It's a bit tricky to get the color more even, but it's also a process that takes time, careful work, and a good bit of patience. NCS will do you no good whatsoever with this coin. They are nearly worthless for such problems on copper, and also with verdigris and grime. The only work I've seen that was decent on copper by NCS was on bronze cents and similar foreign coinage. For those pieces, they can often do a good job removing haze, but that's irrelevant to your coin (I realize). Good luck, and I might suggest looking into the EAC courses taught at the ANA summer seminar - Doug Bird and Steve Carr are excellent instructors. Hoot
I would have to agree with Hoot. I would not let NCS touch this coin. I doubt if they could do much more than give it a more stripped appearance. I don't think the pictures are coming through too well but I think I would probably learn to love the coin the way it is.
Thanks very much for your thoughtful reply. There is a clear consensus that NGC will be of no help, so you've all saved me a lot of trouble and money. I doubt if I would have the time to take a course in EAC. Would that be the only way to improve the appearance of the coin or should I (as suggested by a few other respondents) just learn to love it the way it is?
