I cant tell what method was used to clean this coin It looks like a old cleaning, but I cant tell. I cant see any rub marks or anything makes me think it was dipped.
Hard to say from that picture.... The color looks funky which means it was probably stripped and is either retoning on it's own or someone toned it down.
Try these links to larger pics http://s870.photobucket.com/albums/ab263/iuswing/1831%20bust%20Quarter/?action=view¤t=P1190293.jpg http://s870.photobucket.com/albums/ab263/iuswing/1831 bust Quarter/?action=view¤t=P1190294.jpg
It doesn't look so bad in the bigger pictures... tho the color is still a little off. I would stick with my original assessment that it was probably dipped at some point... but it has retoned nicely.
Many Large Cents where brushed with camel hair brushes Many Large Cents where brushed with camel hair brushes and the oil from the brushes gave them a Chocolate type look. Many have been re-toned with everything under the sun literally.
Jim , can you get different shades using Dellars , like dilute it and it wont darken as much . The reason I ask is most coins I've seen that have been toned with Dellars are a lot darker then this coin . rzage
Yes, you could by mixing it with vaseline or similar. The sulfur agent in the Deller's causes the darkening, and once it did it's thing, one could use acetone or such to remove any vaseline. As it comes from the container, it is very strong IMO. If it isn't removed, it continues darkening. After an acid type dip ( HIGHLY NOT RECOMMENDED), one of the distinguishing features of a preparation of sulfur like Deller's, is usually that the color, from light chocolate to dark is usually very even over the surface ( and if they aren't careful, the edges also). I would be suspicious if the rims and edges had the same color as the fields. And of course, Darkening is AT and Not Recommended. RZage, the warnings are for newbies Jim
