Is there such a thing as ugly gold?

[lcoopie]

I've seen ugly copper and silver

But gold?

How could that ever be ugly.

 

Post a photo to prove your point.

[cpm9ball]

All gold is ugly! That's why everyone who owns it should give it to me.

 

Chris

[robec1347]

[okbustchaser]

Simply by virtue of the color of the metal itself ALL gold is ugly. The best design in history has no chance whatsoever of overcoming that putrid color.

[bsshog40]

I think there's nothing like having a bunch of ugly gold!!

[BillJones]

Believe it or not one of the major dealers on the show circuit has a 1915-S Pan Pac $50 round gold piece that is truly ugly. From what I’ve heard the piece was recovered from behind a wall of building that was being razed. The piece is really mutilated and banged up, and it is in a PCGS “genuine” holder. The last asking price I heard was $20k, and the piece has not sold for at least nine months.

[James_OldeTowne]

I've seen ugly copper and silver

But gold?

How could that ever be ugly.

 

Post a photo to prove your point.

I think most gold is ugly.... so much so that I own none that I could photograph to prove my point. But believe me, after having described thousands of gold coins grading anywhere from Poor through MS-69, it is a very boring metal to own, from a numismatically aesthetic standpoint. And too many coins have been trashed by dip, polishing and various and asundry wipes.

 

There are some very nice and attractive gold pieces out there, but my experience would be that maybe gold coin in a thousand is visually interesting, or offers appealing aesthetic merit.

 

But of course, it's all one's opinion !

[Keigwin]

I've seen ugly copper and silver

But gold?

How could that ever be ugly.

 

Post a photo to prove your point.

This gold is kinda ugly.

Lance.

 

[PerryHall]

Ugly gold includes harshly cleaned/polished, damaged from jewelry use (holed, soldered, etc), sea salvage with iron encrustations, etc.

[lcoopie]

 

A gold quarter

Sorry , I don't find that ugly..

[lcoopie]

I've seen ugly copper and silver

But gold?

How could that ever be ugly.

 

Post a photo to prove your point.

This gold is kinda ugly.

Lance.

 

 

NO, SORRY

 

I like the look of your gold lump.

[okbustchaser]

Ugly gold includes harshly cleaned/polished, damaged from jewelry use (holed, soldered, etc), sea salvage with iron encrustations, etc.

 

Just as I said before, ugly gold includes anything made of gold--damaged or otherwise.

[RockMyAmadeus]

From what Ive heard the piece was recovered from behind a wall of building that was being razed. .

 

How does a coin with only 483 surviving mintage have one of those end up IN A WALL...??

[Chris1976]

From what Ive heard the piece was recovered from behind a wall of building that was being razed. .

 

How does a coin with only 483 surviving mintage have one of those end up IN A WALL...??

 

I would imagine the same way that a spoon made by Paul Revere managed to make it into a wall. It wasnt uncommon for the builders or home owners to place items into the furthest southwestern corner of the house inside the walls. My grandfather tore his old home down when it was sold to the state of michigan and in the wall that was in the furthest southwestern direction, he found a full serving set of gold silverware. That wall had been sealed and never touched for over 100 years prior to the demolition of the house.

 

-Chris#2

[James_OldeTowne]

Ugly gold includes harshly cleaned/polished, damaged from jewelry use (holed, soldered, etc), sea salvage with iron encrustations, etc.

However, some sea-salvaged UNC gold is amazingly attractive, with much the appearance of matte proof coinage.

[michael]

oh my

 

my my my my my my my my my my my my my my my my

 

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

dipped out, bright, garish

and

 

especially so conserved canary yellow choice au/unc and proof gold coins pre 1915 are the worst

 

besides being technically damaged

 

but the slabbing factories and end-user mostly unknowledgable collectors love these so they get upgraded/updesignated and then bought; respectively

[ldhair]

This one should fit.

 

[Keigwin]

Here's an ugly one that's fun to love.

Lance.

 

[lcoopie]

This one should fit.

 

 

 

FIRST ONE

[dimefreak]

Ugly gold includes harshly cleaned/polished, damaged from jewelry use (holed, soldered, etc), sea salvage with iron encrustations, etc.

 

Just as I said before, ugly gold includes anything made of gold--damaged or otherwise.

 

Id bet my whole collection that if you held my 1996W smithsonian in your hand you would change your tune in a heartbeat. It's truly that unbelievable.

[Conder101]

Idhair, that is about the only piece shown that I LIKE.

[James_OldeTowne]

Idhair, that is about the only piece shown that I LIKE.

I like it too!

[okbustchaser]

Ugly gold includes harshly cleaned/polished, damaged from jewelry use (holed, soldered, etc), sea salvage with iron encrustations, etc.

 

Just as I said before, ugly gold includes anything made of gold--damaged or otherwise.

 

Id bet my whole collection that if you held my 1996W smithsonian in your hand you would change your tune in a heartbeat. It's truly that unbelievable.

 

You would lose. First of all, there is nothing about the color gold (in ANY of its different shades) that is attractive to me. Even my wedding band is white gold.

 

Secondly, although the mint has come out with a few attractive designs over the years (the 1995 Civil War commem comes to mind) that particular coin does nothing for me.

[PerryHall]

Idhair, that is about the only piece shown that I LIKE.

I like it too!

 

Me too!!!

[dimefreak]

Ugly gold includes harshly cleaned/polished, damaged from jewelry use (holed, soldered, etc), sea salvage with iron encrustations, etc.

 

Just as I said before, ugly gold includes anything made of gold--damaged or otherwise.

 

Id bet my whole collection that if you held my 1996W smithsonian in your hand you would change your tune in a heartbeat. It's truly that unbelievable.

 

You would lose. First of all, there is nothing about the color gold (in ANY of its different shades) that is attractive to me. Even my wedding band is white gold.

 

Secondly, although the mint has come out with a few attractive designs over the years (the 1995 Civil War commem comes to mind) that particular coin does nothing for me.

 

Right, and I am right there with you. I hate the color gold! But this coin is completely pink and purple. .Its just one of those you have to hold in your hand. I just got it in the mail and sent payment. As soon as he receives payment and gives me the okay, Ill post a picture.

[WinstonWare]

No.

 

[BillJones]

Other examples of ugly gold are the SS Central America gold coins that have become covered with copper stains after they were curated. After paying the five figure prices for those coins, I can't imagine how disappointing it would be to go to your bank box and find that your golden treasures have been a streaky, ugly mess.

[WinstonWare]

Other examples of ugly gold are the SS Central America gold coins that have become covered with copper stains after they were curated. After paying the five figure prices for those coins, I can't imagine how disappointing it would be to go to your bank box and find that your golden treasures have been a streaky, ugly mess.

 

Bill, I wasn’t aware of that. Do you know if the coppery stains were a product of improper conservation, being in sea water for so long, problems related to the original mixing of the gold and copper, or something else entirely?

[RockMyAmadeus]

From what Ive heard the piece was recovered from behind a wall of building that was being razed. .

 

How does a coin with only 483 surviving mintage have one of those end up IN A WALL...??

 

I would imagine the same way that a spoon made by Paul Revere managed to make it into a wall. It wasnt uncommon for the builders or home owners to place items into the furthest southwestern corner of the house inside the walls. My grandfather tore his old home down when it was sold to the state of michigan and in the wall that was in the furthest southwestern direction, he found a full serving set of gold silverware. That wall had been sealed and never touched for over 100 years prior to the demolition of the house.

 

-Chris#2

 

Not really my point, but ok.

 

[BillJones]

Other examples of ugly gold are the SS Central America gold coins that have become covered with copper stains after they were curated. After paying the five figure prices for those coins, I can't imagine how disappointing it would be to go to your bank box and find that your golden treasures have been a streaky, ugly mess.

 

Bill, I wasn’t aware of that. Do you know if the coppery stains were a product of improper conservation, being in sea water for so long, problems related to the original mixing of the gold and copper, or something else entirely?

 

It could be any or all of those problems. From what I've seen the number of pieces that have gone "really bad" is disproportionately high among these curated coins.

 

More than ten years ago, when I handled some of these pieces, I began to notice the formation of copper spots on some of the pieces. A few years later I began to see pieces that had been stashed away come out of hiding at coin shows. Some of these pieces were really ugly with copper stains.

 

Today if you see an SS Central America coin in the holder that is okay, chances are that piece is stable and will not give you any trouble. For such pieces time has shown that they are stable. But if you see one that is covered with copper stains, don’t buy it unless it is very, very cheap. Such coins are a bear to sell.

 

If there is ever a re-play of the SS Central America situation, I would advice potential buyers of gold coins to keep their powder dry until the dust settles on these