I have a complete set of BU Classic Commemoratives. They were in a bank vault for years. They are encased in those holders with staples at each corner. I got them out to consider having them slabbed for sale. About half had developed black spots on them (spit marks?) Most are small, some are around a part of the rim, and a few are fairly large. Do individual spots call for dipping? The rest of the coins are still BU. I am considering the NGC restoration service. I was told PGCS was the way to go but they are in France now. Any advice on what to do about black spots o BU coins? Thanks - Rick
Black spots are caused by MANY different things and they indicate MANY different degrees of impairment. Why not post a photo of a typical coin just to see if it is a frosty original specimen or a cleaned slider that is spotted. The treatment for each is different. Only a pompous know-it-all idiot (Like I have been accused of being?) would give you advice w/o at least something to see. EDIT: Lots of times coins stored in those holders develop tiny, easily removed toning through breaks in the plastic.
Thanks for the replys. I first have to learn coin photography. I tried using my copier but the details aren't very good.
While I'm waiting try to answer these questions: !. What color are the spots? Are they all the same? 2. Using magnification do the spots look raised off the coin's surface. 3. What color is the silver part of the coins. Is it shiny, and reflective? 4. do the spots look more like stains or are they confined?
1. they look black in almost all cases 2. yes 3. they all look like BU, choice BU, or PL - shiny and reflective in most cases. confined. My best description is like corrosion or black mold. Some are tiny black dots, some are larger and irregular, some are discoloration on the edge. When I was first collecting years ago I was shown coins similar to this and they were called spit marks. It's my fault for not examining them periodically over the years and noticing when they first started. I'm 81 now, my son has passed, and I decided to not leave my wife with something she knows nothing about. My son and I spent a lot of wonderful time together sharing the history of commems and putting the collection together. I see commems have never really taken off and some probably aren't worth the restoration and slabbing fee. About half the collection shows the black stuff and I was going to find out more about the NCG restoration service and try them. My original question was does a BU coin have to be dipped to remove a tiny black spot? Thanks - Rick
1. they look black in almost all cases That's not good. 2. yes Small "raised" spots indicate corrosion and that the surface under them has been etched. 3. they all look like BU or PL - shiny and reflective This is also not good. Original BU commemorative of this time period (with few exceptions) should look frosty white like a CC Morgan dollar still sealed in a government issued case. confined. Corrosion. Did you purchase them as a set or assemble them? If you bought a few at a time from different sources, chances are you will have some that are original with spots and many (the shiny ones) that were cleaned and spotted. Anything on the rim and edge can be removed with no harm and will be undetectable even using magnification. The spots on the surfaces will be a problem. Depending what your photos show, it may not be worth conserving some of them. My best description is like corrosion or black mold. Some are tiny spots, some are larger and irregular, some are discoloration on the edge.
Man, you are quick. They were bought over time. I flew with another pilot who was an amateur coin dealer. He would go to shows and pick up one or two at a time if he saw good ones. I have never dealt in "toned" coins. What causes the perfect blue toning around the edges as seen on some?
Toning around the edges is very desirable at the moment. The more colors of the rainbow the better. The darker colors blue, purple, and black indicate the oxidation is thicker. Black is bad and often indicates that corrosion (same as oxidation) has begun. The colors around the edge are areas where the coin's surface is closest to something containing chemicals such as sulfur that react with the silver. If all the coins are in the old white 2x2's they were put in when you bought them, that is the cause coupled with chemicals in the safe's atmosphere. Are any of the staples rusty looking?
Is it possible for you (or someone you trust) to take pictures of these coins? Even a quick (well lit, in focus) Iphone pic will help us a lot. If they are high grade, NCS (NGC's conservation service) can work wonders for them - depending on how severe it is, they can stop/remove the corrosion. If it hasn't done much/any damage, they may still even grade (no promises here, though).
Hi guys.. same exact problem.. whem coins are in the roll they look amazing.. the second I take it out to put it in its own capsule then pvc free flip to get them graded they get a ton of spots on them.. going to lose myone don't know what to do. Lost so much money already. I have so many BU rolls from 1930 to 1974.. please help.. thank you in advance. Here are some pics.. when light is hitting the coin directly they look perfectly fine. Wheno I block the light leaNing over it.. this is what you see. And mind you guys this happens within 1-2 seconds of exposure.
You will get more and better answers if you start your own thread. A lot of folks won't see your post when you add it to an older thread.
