What happened to this coin? Do you know how to recognize certain types of common damage done to coins? Take the Poll 2 2

[ldhair]

I'm sure the OP will offer his opinion of what caused the damage as fact. Not sure we will ever get to 10 votes.

[CIII]

I voted!  

[numisport]

For a key date coin like this it seems unlikely anyone would acid treat or arc damage such a coin. Coin appears to have good detail and looks like it could have been buried.

[Mike Meenderink]

Zadok is mistaken. There are many things on coins that may seem to be damage but are not. Planchet reduction marks from mint workers scraping new planchets to get the right weight look like damage on some coins but its not. Also die polishing lines may look like hairlines from cleaning on many coins. You wouldn't know that unless you studied why and what happened to the coin. Other types of damage such as saltwater, fire, corrosion, deformation etc have distinct characteristics that when recognized can change the value of a coin. Knowing what happened or at least having an idea of what happened to the coin can be a benefit to the collector.

Edited October 23, 2023 by Mike Meenderink

[Henri Charriere]

[With the OP's indulgence, and only two ballots left to be cast, I should like to personally thank the member who unwittingly salvaged my reputation and Rising Star status by voting # 1.]  🤣

[Mike Meenderink]

I will now reveal the answer to the poll question in regards to what happened to this coin. The answer is: In 1892 the large booming mining town of Bodie Nevada was a bustling, roaring and dangerous place. The sprawling town had a main street nearly a mile long which for better or worse contained several gambling establishments, brothels, and opium parlors. On the night of July 26,1892 a major fire broke out along this raucous stretch of Main Street. The fire then began quickly spreading, engulfing more than 40% of the towns buildings including most of main street. This coin was found barley 75 years later in 1967 by the owners father in an area of Bodie called the North Main street ruins. This area of north main street was partially destroyed by fire once prior to the fire of 1892 and was believed to be the starting point for the 1892 fire. This area of Bodie was known for its opium dens and brothels that to say the least had loose management and safety standards if any at all. If you voted for fire or heat damaged coin you are correct. This coin was subjected to temperatures above 2,112 degrees F (1,100 degrees C). This coin began melting on one side as evidenced by the gaseous bubbling apparent on the reverse which resembles corrosion. The reverse also has evidence of high heat that presents as a bluish/ purple mark or stain. The obverse has soot and creosote deposits as well as areas of actual pooling metal that melted and dripped away. The coin also shows evidence that the flame or main heat source was centered on the reverse of this coin. There is also some slight environmental corrosion on this coin from being in the ground for 75 years but the main damage is fire damage. Thanks for participating in my poll. See you next time! 

Edited October 23, 2023 by Mike Meenderink

[Henri Charriere]

Mike,  If what you have recounted here is true, and I have no reason to doubt it, I owe you a public apology for suggesting only the culprit would know exactly what fate befell this coin. To my knowledge, the temperature range you cited was, if memory serves, quite similar to that estimated to have occurred at the Trade Center.  Fascinating bit of history from out west so long ago.  With an interesting back-story, any relic deemed to be damaged and therefore worthless, acquires an entirely different significance and a more tempered perspective.  Thanks for the soul-searching week-long poll, but I am afraid, unusual narrative notwithstanding, I am not prepared to meet your selling price of ten million dollars.  🤣

Edited October 23, 2023 by Henri Charriere
Usual die-polishing.

[Mike Meenderink]

The information about this coin was relayed to me by the son of the man that found this coin in 1967. His father recently passed away in August 2023. The coin was offered for sale where I investigated the condition of the coin by contacting the seller. The seller relayed this story to me stating he was 14 years old when his dad found the coin on a trip to explore the town of Bodie. Now the town of Bodie is a State Historical Park managed by the Park Service and funded by private and public funds. Taking ANYTHING from the site now is a crime thus making any artifacts from this town extremely rare and desirable to many collectors of antique items. 

[Henri Charriere]

On 10/20/2023 at 6:51 PM, ldhair said:

I'm sure the OP will offer his opinion of what caused the damage as fact. Not sure we will ever get to 10 votes.

Well, a minyan of ten was reached but this leaves the matter of an "opinion" offered as "fact" in uncharted waters. While the account is credibly detailed, I'd bet my bottom dollar, the Grand Master, RWB, is quietly shaking his head good-naturedly in exasperation and muttering, "mere hearsay." For lack of an official governmental agency autopsy report, he may be right but no one can deny the OP's captivating story-telling style to get his point across.  😉 

[Henri Charriere]

On 10/21/2023 at 4:39 PM, numisport said:

For a key date coin like this it seems unlikely anyone would acid treat or arc damage such a coin. Coin appears to have good detail and looks like it could have been buried.

I agree. Accidentally or inadvertently but not intentionally.

[CIII]

Very interesting story.  Thank you for sharing that.