I just picked up this 1937 Buffalo in a PCGS 65 holder. Am I correct that the spot below the buffalo is a carbon spot? Is this something that would normally allow the coin to still grade as a 65? I'm not sure if this type of spot could appear after the coin was graded?
Yeah no big you will find when they grade coins ngc or pcgs little things like this dont affect the grade also small toned spots even if they are not attractive dont hurt the grade either in most cases i must agree with green18 !!
Thanks, I appreciate your replies! Sometimes I see coins in "details" holders where it is not readily obvious why they weren't gradeable, and other times I see things like this where it doesn't affect the grade at all. I guess it all comes with experience.
To answer your basic question no I do not think that is a carbon spot. Unfortunately a whole lot of people are in the habit of calling any dark spot on a coin a carbon spot, when it is not a carbon spot at all. Carbon spots have a unique cause, that cause is an impurity (a tiny speck of actual carbon) in the metal alloy. Carbon spots do not grow, they do not expand, they do not cause toning around the spot. They are very dark black and very small. Dark spots like you see on this coin are typically caused by a tiny speck of organic material that got onto the coin. And as that organic material decays it causes that tiny speck to grow in size, often resulting in a bit of toning radiating outwards from the dark center, just like it does on this coin.
If you are asking if it eventually cover the coin or a large portion of the coin - no, it won't do that. But the toned area around the dark center will probably get a bit larger and darker in color as time passes. Will it lower the grade ? Doubtful, at least not in your lifetime if you store the coin correctly. Any effect that spot has on the grade has already been taken into account.
