What do you think of this Indian Head cent?

[chinook]

Yea or Nay? Color and luster is 100% accurate.

[EVillageProwler]

Not familiar enough with the date to know if that much yellow is appropriate...

 

EVP

[TomB]

If that is an accurate color then I will say that I don't like it as I think these late dates are more red and/or tannish than gold or yellow. Also, if the coin is as bright in color as it appears then I think that the services wouldn't like it as it appears brighter than copper typically is at the time of minting. Please note that I am only basing this on your single image and how it appears on my monitor.

[airplanenut]

I agree with Tom... I don't think I've ever seen yellow on an Indian... any date, MS or proof... the red ones are really copper red, and the RB/BNs have brown or dark colors in them. This one just doesn't seem right...

 

Jeremy

[Bruceswar]

I like the coin alot... now as people have alluded it could be fake... but I like it MS 65

[Elcontador]

I assume that some hair detail below LIBERTY does not show up because of the coin's luster. Strike is excellent. Bold diamonds and complete feather tips. Don't see any marks on the cheek or any evidence of carbon.

 

But, IHCs don't have that color. I have an 09 in MS 65 RD and it's color is like an orange fireball. Maybe it's the imaging. Agree with Tom; re late date, high grade IHCs, you expect a strong strike -- which this coin has -- and re RD, you expect a bright orange color.

 

Some earlier dates may have more of a golden hue to them, but people like Shylock and Lakesamman know more about this than I do.

[chinook]

Thanks everyone for the replies.

 

This coin indeed has been recolored. The strike is fantastic and there are no marks. Recolored IHC's are quite common and for the novice can be quite enticing, especially if the coin is otherwise "all there". The coin is bright and shiny, but doesnt have that mint gloss.

 

I would really like to have seen what this coin looked like before it was "doctored". My bet is that it was red with some light brown toning. Most surely would have graded at least 65 R/B. It still is a coin that makes you say "wow" at first glance, unfortunately the value has been greatly diminished.

 

Thanks for all your input.

[chinook]

As an interesting aside--A note from TomB's post. I have two monitors connected to my computer. One a CRT and the other a flat panel LCD. On the CRT the coin looks much more yellow. The most accurate color is displayed on the LCD.

 

I think it is important to understand how your monitor displays color when analysing coin photos.

[Elcontador]

It sickens me how some gordinho asqueroso would ruin a coin like that. There are no marks and the strike is excellent. If the coin was left alone and the reverse was clean as the obverse, I'd guess the coin would 6. You can typically see a minor flaw or two on a 5 with the naked eye on IHCs.

[John Maben]

I think I need to wear my sunglasses to look at it head-on. Bad pic, too much light.

[Oldtrader3]

Just an observation, many '08 Indians that I have seen are streaked copper and straw colors. Nice surfaces on this coin! Too bad someone recolored it!