Monster toned blue 1911 cent - what do you think?

Oxidation. It is caused when the coin is stored incorrectly or in a moist environment. It is a type of "rust" that developes on the surfaces of the coin (sometimes just the obv., sometimes just the rev., or [in this case] both the obverse and reverse).

-Brian

 

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Due to me?! Why?! :too-funny:

-Brian

 

Actually, it is mostly sulfur (or sulfides) that cause the toning. If you can find it, Lehigh has a thread here that explains all the chemistry.

 

While I can understand many people's hesitation with blue cents, since it is a trait of many cleaning products, it can also be NT is certain environments. I believe that environment is the same that makes silver black, that is high moisture, high sulfur environment. I had my hand turned blue one time from cleaning out a box of coins I bought for salvage value. They were stored in a basement, the silver had all turned black, (I had to sell to scrap dealer, almost made me cry), and the wheat cents were all blue and blue/green. I remember it well since it took me a week to get the blue off my hands. The blue green cents were corroded so just turned into the bank, but the blue ones were fine, just blue. Since green is the oxide color of copper maybe it makes sense blue would be the intermediate color from red.

Having said that, this is very uniform on the cent in question. Either it was stored by itself in that environment unprotected, or (more likely) was exposed to a chemical dip.

 

Wow! I think it's pretty cool. Who knows if it's AT or NT. I'm surprised the dealer didn't put it on ebay. You should list it on ebay with an outrageous reserve (so it won't sell) and see what it gets bid up to. It's free to list unless your item sells now. Would be an interesting experiment. I bet somebody would bid it up over $100. Maybe more. Might shock us all.

It'd be interesting to see what NGC would do with it.

How many offers have you received by PM? lol

 

I haven't received any offers. I'm probably going to put it on eBay, since I dont really collect the wheat series. I took a nice video of the coin too that captures the color and luster. Ill post it here as well, and it might help me sell the coin for a higher price since I'll include the link in the eBay description. The money that I sell it for will go towards getting a coin or two for my dansco 7070.

 

[video=youtube;msnCzL1uMak]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msnCzL1uMak[/video]

 

That is a cool coin but sorry to say it has definitely been dipped etc. I bought a 1931 S which didn't even show the blue quite as much as yours but once I had it in hand and put it under the microscope it was clear to see residue and staining on the coin, possibly where they applied it directly to cover up some blemishes, but it was evident either way... Still a cool coin and is very purty

 

Here's some pictures of my 1916 that I posted earlier, you have to tilt it in the light to see the toning. These pictures are the same coin, but with a light directed to it.







Edit: This coin is graded NGC MS-64 BN. If it had MS-70 or cleaned with soap, they wouldn't have slabbed it.

 

I was just describing what toning was in general. Not directing it particular towards this coin... Did I misread the question?

-Brian

 

WOW!!! Thats a beautiful wheatie! Great price! I may have to venture to Canada myself, with prices like that!

 

Ms70'd all day..I am not saying its not pretty, but also not MA imo. This seems to be coming up a lot lately. People who are buying copper coins need to be aware what these look like so as not to pay stupid money on them. Get yourself a bottle and a few rolls of LMC and you will be able to spot a treated coin a mile away. Personally i think it is a beautiful cent, just be aware of what it is.

 

This is the only bluish Lincoln cent in my collection-- a 1934-D that was purchased from a coin company in Houston in 1978 and stored in a Whitman album for nearly the whole time:

 

I just love blue toned coins! Marvelous purchase and lovely coin to add to your collection.

 

what was the Jug made out of? Was it plastic?

 

Oxidation does not cause colorful toning. With copper there's two stages of oxidation. cuperous oxide which imparts a deep red color and cupric oxide which is a nasty black color.

 

A couple of blue Mattes I used to own. More than likely manipulated sometime in the past, but I have no way of knowing or proving. These were two of my favorites, but have since changed my favorite color from blue to green.

 

wow.. beautiful

 

I don't care whether these blue coins are AT or NT or washed with MS-70. I think they are just stunning. The only blue coins that I like better than the cents are the bluish toned Buffalo nickels. Now when they have that blue toning and are in mint state there is nothing like it in the coin world. They look like ice. One of my goals is to get a high mint state or proof Buffalo nickel with that bluish toning. It probably won't be for a while as I'm sure the the prices are prohibitive!

 

Sure they could have. Depends on when it was graded. It took a while for the services to catch on to what was possible with MS70. Today the services are really tough on coins such as this.