Question regarding 1914d Barber Dime 1 1

[cobymordet]

This coin has great detail, I would venture at least AU, but crapped on by rot. 

If it was graded is it safe to assume it will get "environmental damage"?

In MS-60+, it would barely be worth it it for grading.  Would conservation save it?

 

 

[Henri Charriere]

My first thought regarding whether conservation would save it was, Save it from what? But I am going to bite my tongue and yield to the Mad Scientists on the Forum on that question.  (Privately, my thoughts are, This is a low-ball masquerading as a high-ball.) 🤣

[powermad5000]

This coin is clearly in AU and more likely in lower end AU. I have experience on sending a Trade Dollar with considerable dark marking similar to this to NCS for conservation and the upon returning, the Trade Dollar looked better than when it left, but it still had many of those larger areas of that black as a permanent stain which had progressed below the level of the original surface. I would expect the same result here. The reverse would look much better, but on the obverse, the face of Liberty might be acne free but some of those heavy areas around the motto and date would still remain but to a lesser degree.

I try to avoid coins like this because every coin deserves to be conserved to me, and this would bother me to no end as I would feel it needs help. This in AU 50 is listed currently as $70 BUT in this case this coin even after conservation is not going to have much eye appeal to it so I would think it would have a limited value and might be hard to sell at even $50 and that is IF it straight grades and is not slapped with a details grade for a previous cleaning which heavy toning like this can easily hide.

So I gave you a BUT and an IF and you may proceed as you wish.

[Chris Mikesh]

Hi,

You will spend more money than it's worth to have it restored.  The only exception would be if it means something to family, or the first coin in your collection, etc..  It will lose more value if you tried to clean it with silver cleaner you dunk the coin in.  Sadly, it really tears a coin up, but looks nicer.   However, a thought comes to mind.  Soak it in Lacquer thinner for a couple of days and see if any of the "gook" lists off.  Don't start rubbing it after.  Just a gentle distilled water wash.  Good luck.

[Sandon]

   This 1914-D Barber dime appears to have heavy tarnish (now called "toning"), possibly to the point of being regarded as environmental damage. I doubt it could be removed without doing more harm than good, as the tarnish compounds are partly composed of the original coin metal. You could try soaking it in acetone--I don't know about lacquer thinner--which might remove any part of this discoloration that consists of surface dirt rather than tarnish, but I doubt that there would be much improvement. I don't think the coin would be worth the cost or risk of NGC "conservation".