Found this stunning gun medal grey nickel in a jar I got the other day at an auction. It's sitting next to a regular nickel to show the contrast in color. Would it qualify as a "Black Beauty?"
I can't tell from the photo. If the edge is the same color as the coin, then no it's not. If the edge looks like a regular nickel color, then it's possible. Most are 1958 and 1959 but there are others. It's in another thread. If the edge is the same color, it's because of the same environmental toning that has colored the nickel. If the edge is clean, it's because the planchet was improperly annealed and the (upset mill?) makes the edge a clean color. (Something like that.)
