Does this coin look artificially toned? I would love to have it in my collection, but want to get other opinions before I pull the trigger. Thanks!
I am just wondering how much could be the lighting? This is why I hate making such judgments on the internet, how a coin is lit and photographed can make a bad coin look good and vice versa. There COULD be a POSSIBILITY this coin is NT, if they had some goofy lighting on it, but not enough for me to take a chance on it. I would need to see in hand to say 100%.
I would say it's NT, but probably terminal. How could THAT much light (near washed out at the light point) show so much color? The only logical conclusion is the coin is nearly black, or at least very dark purple. On a separate note, it's an XF or so Franklin, with what appear to be scratches... not really collectible, regardless of color, IMO.
Doesn't look like any sort of toning I've ever seen before on a Franklin. I would pass, unless I could get it for under $10.
I'm not sure we're looking at the same coin. The toning on this coin certainly doesn't look natural. It doesn't look like there's THAT much light on the coin, just a glare from whatever plastic holder it's in. I wouldn't say the only logical conclusion is that it's nearly black because if you look at the areas of the coin that aren't lit up by the glare you can clearly see green, purple, blue, and some gold. Lastly this coin is far better than XF. Minimum high AU, probably UNC.
Sure it does. It looks like the toning that naturally happens when you dip the coin in acid after applying acetone to the coin. Seriously, though, I hadn't considered the coin being in a holder, but that would explain the washed out look on the high light. Also, is 1952 outside of the time frame when the Mint would send out coins in those cardboard holders with the highly acidic paper?
Does not look natural to me, and has what appear to be brushstrokes in the right obv field where a solution was applied.
A few things: There are plenty of NT coins that have similar toning. The mint stopped using the cardboard holders for Mint Sets in mid '55. An XF coin could never have natural toning like that, but an MS coin could, easily. But forget about the toning. I believe this coin was wiped, and rather severely, thus it is a problem coin. And that is my issue with it.
That was my first instinct. I contacted the seller and he said that it had not been cleaned, wiped, or altered in any way. Of course, I shouldn't trust a seller, which is why I put the coin up on here.
