NEWP - Spot Question

Just received this lovely lady and purchased her from a forum member (thank-you)..... I want to ask about the spot on her arm. I have never done any sort of coin cleaning. I never felt confident enough to try.... This spot on her arm is mildly distracting and I am wondering if the Q-Tip and acetone treatment may be appropriate.

 

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I don't think acetone is going to help, but if you want to try a toothpick dipped in acetone will put it exactly where you want it.

 

Just think of it as a tattoo and leave it as that.

 

Very nice coin, Randy! I bet that thing absolutely pops in hand with those colors. I'm with @wxcoin on this one, call it a tattoo and leave it at that.

 

Same as everyone above. Leave it, she doesn't need any cosmetic surgery, she's pretty the way she is.

 

I would leave it alone. If you succeed in removing the black spot, you will have a white spot, probably larger, in its place. If you don't succeed, you will have the black spot with a white area around it, which will make it look worse.

 

Thanks all.... I am going with the consensus... Though I do rather like @wxcoin suggestion. Tasteful tattoos on a lovely lady can be quite appealing.

 

It does have that very appealing sort of toning. Depending on the light, it goes from red to purple to blue. Given another fifty years she will probably be much darker and unappealing, but right now she really does pop.

 

I was going to leave a snarky comment, but then realizing who the OP is, realized he was joking! Now conservation, on the other hand, that's totally OK!

I'm throwing another log on the "leave it alone" pile. It actually, to me, it looks like an old sailor's tattoo with the word "MOM" & an anchor.

 

Your pics of the coin are much better than what I showed you. Nice job!

 

Just a little touch with the Dremel and voila, all fixed!!!

 

The piece is fine. It is history and is deserving of being in a collection.

Now, tell me something about the piece, after you have some extra time to review and contemplate.

 

I’ve found Brasso and steel wool will work on most any discoloration.

 

Ouch!!! Disclaimer for new collectors… Don’t!

 

Nice coin as is, leave it that way or else get a bigger problem than you started with, I speak from experience!

 

Extra time? What is this strange thing you speak of?…… In all seriousness, as much as I love the seated series I need to delve into the political drama that was taking place at the time that caused us to reduce the silver in 1853 and go back in 1873 and make them a bit heavier. I know that we indicated the changes with arrows (and rays in 1853), but I should have a better handle on the political drama of the day that drove the changes considering I love collecting these….. You just may have inspired me to find this mythical “free time” and study up on it.

 

The silver content was reduced in 1853 because the California gold rush increased the supply of gold to the point where the relative price silver increased to where the melt value of the silver in the half dime, dime, quarter, half dollar and silver dollar was worth more than their face value. That forced a reduction in weight, which was signified by the arrows at the date. For reasons unknown, Congress did not reduce the weight of the silver dollar which made that coin even less likely to be used in circulation.

In 1873 the weight was slightly increased to bring the weights up to an even Metric System weight. By this time, the silver price had gone down. The Metric System numbers were a part of an implementation of an international coinage. The Four Dollar Gold Piece was another part of that concept. It never worked. The silver content of the silver coinage stayed the same until the Coinage Act of 1965.

 

It was Kurt right. I miss him. Didn’t even read your full question yet.

 

I like this answer. Be steady. Or let the wife do it