Green Gunk on Silver Coins (1921 SLQ) - What to Do?

I'm a bit concerned about this green stuff, please observe the date - the top of the 9 and the 2 on this 1921 Standing Liberty Quarter. Is it old PVC damage, alien mold, or am I imagining things? This coin is already slabbed and has a grade I like, but I'm wondering if it wouldn't benefit from Conservation (I still don't know exactly what those wizards do - or what they might not be willing to do). Anyone have any ideas what this is and what the best course of action might be?

 

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Very interesting sadly I agree with signs of PVC damage and possibly a old old cleaning starting to reveal?Don't know what action to take so good luck.

 

Silver is real fussy when it comes to any kind of restoration. Acetone won't hurt it any and should sterilize it some. It'll look the same, except what's eating at it, if you will, will be inhibited.

 

If it is in an XF slab, take three guesses where you can send it. The second correct answer is back to NGC for conservation and reholder at the same grade

 

More information, please. It's slabbed by NGC. Did it straight-grade? Your OP implies it did. Did it look this way when it was slabbed or did you buy it this way? If it turned in the holder since you bought it, how long was it in your possession before it started exhibiting this look? What environment has the coin/slab been in since you acquired it and how long have you had it?

Now for rank speculation: It probably hasn't been in this slab earlier than 2008 when the Edge View was introduced. I doubt that NGC would have slabbed it, even in a details holder, if it had PVC contamination/damage. Yes, they make mistakes but that's not usually one of them. If the coin was damaged by PVC, I would expect to see some pitting but I can't see any.

And if they thought it would have benefited from conservation, they might have made that offer to the submitter which he/you looks like they rejected if the offer was even made.

I suspect it is just an odd-looking toning. And if the coin/slab has been in the wrong kind of environment it is just possible that some of what we're seeing is a kind of mold/mildew at the outer edge of possibility although there's no sign of it on the holder.

Courses of action? Crack and clean in acetone and then maybe dip it yourself? Or, send it in to NGC for an evaluation for conservation.

 

I wouldn't let them dip it, it'll look artificial for that wear.

 

@Poblius2 The OP described the discoloration (dark brown & black stains) in the image as green. Sending it back to NGC (second choice) is a good but expensive choice.

 

The coin is ugly and that's probably what they'll do at NCS.

 

I know they will, it's all they got. I'd let it alone. If I'm seeing signs it's deteriorating in the holder, I'd want it out, acetoned, then reholdered, keeping the slab for their grade.

 

Ha! Mean! It's straight VF25, I think it's under graded but my main concern is will this cause ongoing deterioration (or a Details grade), I am wondering if it needs to be stabilized. If it could be improved, that would be a bonus. I prefer ICG (no offense Insider) but I suppose I'd be happy to send it to NGC - they are the ones that slabbed it. If it's just going to stay as it is, I'm okay with that, I'm just unfamiliar with this issue, that's my main problem.

 

Then get familiar. They're going to dip it. It's a foregone conclusion. If you want it back that way, there's the choice you got.

 

Hi Eddie! Pardon my ignorance, but what does that mean - I guess I know you mean they're going to take the coin and dip it in something, but how will that affect it? Why are they going to do that (how will it help the coin)? And will it then grade as Details? If so, why would they do that? Is this a deterioration issue? If not, I'm inclined to think it should be left alone if any other action is going to have an adverse effect. Pardon my confusion, and I appreciate your input - I'm just not understanding it yet.

 

Hi MIGuy. I think for sure that's what they'll do. It won't come back detailed, though, unless they really go overboard, and I think they'll be careful on it. But they're not magicians, of course. On the "green stuff" you're seeing, if it is pvc, that's a chemical reaction, and acidic. Acetone will keep the coin dry, at least. It won't hurt it, only help it like that.

 

That's an excellent point. I am glad to know that - I wondered if they would downgrade it if they did something that screwed it up worse, or decided it wasn't up to snuff.

 

Expensive year for sure and it's probably worth sending it over to NGC for coin conservation, they are not going to dip it! I would think NGC will do their best to conserve it back to better health, after all their name is on it, so that should mean a lot to them!

 

I would be leary of the restoration that NGC would use on this coin. If you like the look of the coin. I would crack it and use a water soak to see what this greenish looking tone it is that you are seeing.
A q-tip roll would be all you need.
I would fear that NGC would use a dip and the coin would look cleaned. Then you have a cleaned coin in a strait grade holder making it hard to get rid of. JMO

 

That is not a given. More than one member here have experienced a straight graded coin returned with a details grade after conservation by NGC.
Conservation can be a crap shoot no matter what the skill level of the person performing it is. Often times surface issues are hidden under the toning.
If I had that coin I would crack it out and give an overnight soak in acetone. Roll a acetone saturated Qtip gently across the surfaces then follow up with another overnight acetone bath. Repeat with the Qtip. If no more gunk comes off stop.
At this point a judgment has to be made. Should you continue with a different method or leave it alone.
I don’t think a dip is appropriate for this coin. The most I would after acetone is Conserv solvent. It will not remove toning or change the surface of the coin.

 

Leave it alone!

 

That doesn't say much for their conservation service after they're the ones who graded it before the conservation service.

But it's word games, right? It's what's "market acceptable," however to them, and not necessarily to us? It's "cleaned," if we do it, but "conserved," if they do it? They could make this one look like costume jewelry and call it "acceptable." With the room they've given us to rationalize they're right, they're a cinch for it.

I've seen many that look crappy after the service. Mostly PCGS ones, as NGC came later to the service. But I've not seen one, ever, go straight-graded, to conservation service, then details-graded, by the same TPG. Still waiting to see that one...