TPG Conservation of Nickel Coinage

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The only nickel I ever had conserved by NGC was a war nickel, which I am sure you know is a silver alloy. The coin had a residue on the surface, I think all they did is dip the coin. So while I don't have any concrete examples of conserving a CUNI alloy, my overall impression of their conservation service is a positive one.

Before:



After:

 

Maybe @Insider could offer his thoughts as he had experience at NCS.

 

Seeing the photos, I'd lean towards sacrificing the wood grain toning if that's what it took to neutralize the spots. I don't think it adds enough of a premium to worry losing.

 

I agree with @ddddd .
The woodgrain toning, IMO, is minimal at best, based on your posted pix. In hand it might be more pronounced, but I can't really see it.

I believe the conservation would be a good direction for this buff. Let us know what you decide.

Edit: BTW, beautiful coin.

 

For sure let us know your decision and outcome. Good luck.

 

The toning streaks are there to stay IMO. They can be lessened but will always return. The black spots can be removed but some of them will probably leave a tiny gray etched spot. I call any conservation to a small area of a coin (spotted or not) "spot conservation." It is done using a microscope and I seriously doubt most folks working at a TPGS can do a decent job of it. IMO, most of them would just dip the coin and send it back! Proper conservation of that coin would probably take over a half hour USING A STEREO SCOPE.

So, yes Virginia there is a Santa Claus but he ain't working in CA or CO. I'd rather trust my nickel to a skilled coin doctor rather than either of them.

 

I've never had any luck with carbon spots on a nickel Buffalo or Jefferson. Ive had them to show up after a coin being slabed. I've diped them only to tone brownish only to turn back to a black spot.
Sometimes a coin cant be fixed, but accepted for what it is....I've seen a lot of 35,36,and 37 toned buffalos all with spots...and passed on each...great colors....and distracting spots....pass

 

The verdigris behind the feathers looks moderate, also a few on the reverse. The height of the verdigris is an important clue as it can be almost 1:1 with the surface pit below. The darker spots below the green ones are cupric oxide, a very advanced stage of corrosion. Generally, they cannot be removed without damaging the surface below.

I would conserve this with VC using a few tiny drops over the green verdigris (form a dome over it). Let it stand for an hour and carefully use a toothpick directly on each spot (while under fluid). I see some light spots that would be fully removed with VC. This would be a long and tedious conservation addressing all the spots or you can just go all in and soak the entire coin. GOOD LUCK!

One warning, VC might also remove any light toning it contacts though I do agree with Insider - the woodgrain should persist through any conservation but it could change color if the whole coin is "dipped".

 

Where is the follow up?

 

This thread is one of many leading me toward skepticism regarding the fine line between conservation and cleaning.

 

Let me try to make it very simple for you: There is no fine line.

The word "Conservation" can refer to all types of things done to objects. Conservation of metal objects differs from conservation of fabrics, paintings, organic objects, etc. and words such as cleaning, restoring, repairing, etc. may be more specific depending on the object and what was done to it as it is altered from its starting condition of preservation.

BTW, I cannot think of any conservation of metal that is not some form of ALTERATION like cleaning.

 

You're overthinking it, it's simple and also applies to toning. A coin is either considered market acceptable or not - regardless what you call about the journey there. That is why I much prefer to use the terms "cleaned" for not market acceptable and "conserved" for a market acceptable coin. It's a simple matter of colloquial nomenclature for convenience in discussion.

 

@Insider would you consider this coin market acceptable?