I have a question, I have a 1943 New Zealand Half Crown that has perfect details without a scratch or any imperfections... except.. the silver is tarnished. Now when I look up the book on grading I notice that it says it is worth between 80 - 180$ for UNC - BU. I have seen lots of people who grade coins just on wear and tear and since this has none, how do I grade it? The silver is very tarnished.. Please let me know, thanks!
It will depend on both the level of toning, (if it has gone to the point that it is likely covering damage to the surface), and the buyer. Some buyers love toning, and can even pay a premium. If you get a nice clear photo for us, we can help further. Chris
Thanks for the reply, I am scanning them in now. Problem is I can't get very good resolution on my scanner ;/
Those aren't bad at all, nice original coins. I would say do not try to clean them, and the toning shouldn't hurt the grade. The toning isn't bad enough to be damaging the surfaces underneath.
That type of uneven toning usually lowers the price a bit, at least compared to an uncleaned coin that is white or has even toning. The bottom two look like they may have some corrosion as well. As for those New Zealand coins, they really have to be choice UNC examples with original luster to get book values.
Good to know about NZ coins. Going from the pics I didn't think the black had gotten a matte finish yet, which is where its surface damage, but I could be wrong. A quick dip by a professional would fix the mottled toning, but I am seeing original coins like this going for pretty good prices. Just my opinion, but Dmitry is a dealer, so I would defer to him. Chris
As you can tell by the Pictures, they are definitely uncleaned but also have very little shine because of all the crud on them. As far as detail goes, the coins couldn't be any better. wonderfully well struck and no noticeable damage. I have always heard not to clean coins because it ruins the value, but is it worse to have coins with all the black stuff on it, or a cleaned coin. In this case, with the NZ half-crown, in your honest opinion as a dealer, what would you be able to get for it, as is. Thanks guys very much for your info on this.
As the pictures are not as sharp and clear as one would want, it's hard to really tell the level of toning or corrosion present on the coins. The NZ crown may or may not be uncirculated but it certainly lacks any eye appeal (to me at least), the NZ florin likewise.
@TheCoinGeezer, Yea, I got a scanner that is an old hp deskjet and it doesn't do my coins any justice. However, are there any safe ways to remove corrosion from silver coins as I have over 200 that might need 'refining'.
There is, but not for a beginner. An experienced collector or dealer would need to see them in person, and then do it. The biggest skills are learning which ones can benefit from a dip, and which ones cannot, and how long to leave the coins in, and finally how to stop the reaction cleanly. Its not something to start on, as most people ruin a few coins learning how to do it. I practiced on toned bullion coins before I ever dared to dip a good coin, and this was with an experienced dealer teaching me. To give an opinion on which ones are which, like TCG said, we would need better picks, but it really is best done in person.
Personally, I would throw all four into a bulk silver lot of several pounds. The pictures aren't great, but I don't believe either of the NZ coins are uncirculated. After eBay fees, you are looking at bullion value or less in a typical auction scenario. When you have a lot of these coins, but not a lot of time to do everything needed to sell them individually, it's best to just sell them in lots.
Yup. We deserve all the money we make here, and the advice we give is worth every penny you paid for it.
