Any pictures of old gold that have been AT'd with IODINE?

[Prethen]

I've heard that gold coins like $3 gold have been AT'd with Iodine. What does this look like? Are any market acceptable?

[TomB]

They can have a purple or reddish hue in spots or all over. Lots of folks like the look, but I do not know if the TPGs or CAC like the look.

[PerryHall]

Does iodine actually tone gold or does it just stain it?

[Mark T]

They can have a purple or reddish hue in spots or all over. Lots of folks like the look, but I do not know if the TPGs or CAC like the look.

 

CAC will not certify a coin they suspect has been treated with iodine.

Remember that PCGS Quarter Eagle I brought to Coin Fest 2 years ago ?? It was a very attractive orange red color but CAC felt it was treated with iodine so they declined to certify it .

 

This coin was MS 62

[Coindude]

Mark, if that color is true, I think it's rather attractive.

[Mark T]

Mark, if that color is true, I think it's rather attractive.

 

The color is close to what the coin looked like in hand - lots of eye appeal .

I no longer have this coin .

[jom]

Mark, if that color is true, I think it's rather attractive.

 

The color is close to what the coin looked like in hand - lots of eye appeal .

I no longer have this coin .

 

Yeah, I pretty sure I might have run into the same thing. I've had an "orange-ish" hue 14-S half eagle that was also graded MS62. However, I ran into trouble when I cracked it out thinking it was a no-brainer MS63. Whoops.

 

jom

[Hard Times]

For comparison of Mark's Indian, here is a gold half eagle that CAC did certify that has orange-ish overtones, don't know if this helps.....

 

 

[Hard Times]

Mark,

Is there a hint of purple hue in your Indian, especially on the reverse? Is that a possible way to identify iodinized gold? Or am I seeing things?

[BROADSTRUCK]

Since there's not a huge percentage of virgin surfaced early gold that hasn't been molested in one fashion or another don't confuse all orange peal with iodine.

 

As this has very deep orange patina and is 100% original...

 

[Mark T]

I sold the coin a couple of years ago so I am going by memory .The color had a lot more red than orange the color was also not uniform .Orange hue on a gold Indian is normal. Just because a gold coin has red color or red tone spots does not mean it was treated with Iodine. That can be caused by the copper in the gold and is usually a brighter red and spotty .

 

[James_OldeTowne]

Possibly the best protection against molested gold is to be a contrarian, and seek out coins with copper spots and/or grease stains. When a gold coin is cleaned, that will usually remove such spots. Thus, while not a guarantee of original surfaces, the presence of what most people consider "distractions" is excellent evidence that a coin hasn't been molested.

 

Too many folks are downright paranoid about the slightest little tick of copper color, or an unobtrusive little grease spot, but these are rarely negatives, in my opinion.

[physics-fan3.14]

Since there's not a huge percentage of virgin surfaced early gold that hasn't been molested in one fashion or another don't confuse all orange peal with iodine.

 

 

Just to clarify, orange peel surfaces refer to something completely different from orange surfaces. Orange peel is the textured appearance of proof gold fields, theorized to be due to the annealing process causing excessive grain size growth.