Featured What is a "CircCam", you ask? Look and see! And post yours!

I think you should buy it. If you don't want it, buy it and sell it to me. Seriously. That's one's got "the look".

 

The coin got toned grey overall and then the toning got rubbed off the high points as a result of light, even circulation afterwards.

 

Just bought this 1921 Peace dollar based on a tip by @Lunchbox John (thanks, John!)

It's got a nice look, I think. I already had a decent one, but this one is "crustier", with more contrast. So I've put my other one up for sale and am already upgrading the Peace dollars in my set, though since deciding to go with this look, this is presently the only Peace dollar in my set for the moment!

Seller's images below. There's a tiny hit on the point of the bust, but that doesn't bother me. It is more than compensated for by the toning, in my opinion.

 

I like it even more with those pics.

As it happened, I had anticipated that somewhat.

Here's the original set of images.





And here is what happened when out of curiosity, I used my phone's tone auto-adjust feature on the photos, just to see what would happen, and it came out looking like this:





And now your latest set.

I think I like it even more based on these pictures.

Sure, it has some marks and hits, but not inconsistent with this grade level, I think. Nice coin.

 

Good to know. I tend to trust it most of the time, because I use it on my cellphone shots of my "crusty" Morgans and it usually makes them look more accurate.

 

It can happen on newer coins as long as they've had time to darken (tone) and then subsequently circulated long enough to rub the toning off the high points. But modern US dimes, quarters, and halves are mostly copper-nickel alloy, and that seldom darkens unless it's been in the ground, and then it crosses the line into environmental damage.

It is not completely unknown on modern coins, but is definitely unusual.

And it takes some time. So yes, generally you will only see this sort of "antique patina" (as it is referred to outside the numismatic realm) on older coins.

Mostly this look is a result of the natural toning of silver, but as has been shown, it can happen on other metals as well.

 

It's just a particular look. A kind of toning. There's not really any way a TPG could quantify or classify it.

But it does have a following. My "CircCam" (circulation cameo) phrase has gained some (unofficial) acceptance here and on the PCGS boards, though people can of course call it whatever they like. I just wanted a shorthand term.