I have been working to transfer my coins from old blue Whitman folders into Dansco albums and have this nice (at least it was) '02 Barber half that has been marred by the last page that covers the 3rd fold when closed. You can see the lettering on forehead (marks:), cheek (San Francisco;) and jaw (mint) that transferred. Since I got the folders from my father (this one came from his mother) they have been in a plastic bag and never exposed to any moisture; have been in Colorado since the '60s so humidity was never an issue. Obviously at some time that page got wet (had to be before 1960) and even though it has been completely dry for decades the print transferred. I put this coin in there in the late '90s, never even thought about this happening. For some reason none of the other coins were affected at all. I never clean coins and believe if I did to remove the black gunk it would reveal fresh metal and make it look worse than it does, but if anyone knows of a good way to restore this, I would appreciate it. I'm not very optimistic and do not plan on experimenting so only will try something proven. Thanks, Kevin.
I know there are ways, but I personally I would leave it alone. The reverse is great and with the exception of the environmental issue on the obverse it is nice also. Very nice coin thanks for sharing, good luck with your decision!
I collect them as long as the coin is an honest coin, no cleaning etc. It is called Whittman letter transfer. I have a few of them. This Morgan is the most dramatic I have seen.
