Corrision pitting on old copper coins

[Regis44]

I know that we all want coins without damaging marks but, reallity is that budgets or priorities cause some of our collections to have lesser coins.

 

How do you evaluate corrossion pits on, for example old copper e.g. early 1800's large cents?

 

I'm looking to determine how much to deduct when I want to buy, an otherwise VG or F cent, when it has pits from old corrosion. Is it simply a damaged coin to be completely avoided or does it depend on location and impact on eye appeal?

 

This is ouside of where my primary learning is focused but, I would appreciate any tips as I pick up a coin here-n-there.

 

Regis

[TomB]

If it is truly outside of your area of focus then I would suggest waiting until you find a piece with nice surfaces, even if the piece is in lower grades than your target. I write this because you have the luxury of time on your side.

[Regis44]

If it is truly outside of your area of focus then I would suggest waiting until you find a piece with nice surfaces, even if the piece is in lower grades than your target. I write this because you have the luxury of time on your side.

 

Tom,

I deserved that. Should have known that there are no simple shortcuts.

 

Now time on the other hand well, hopefully eyes & health hold up for another 15 years or so in retirement.

[michael]

If it is truly outside of your area of focus then I would suggest waiting until you find a piece with nice surfaces, even if the piece is in lower grades than your target. I write this because you have the luxury of time on your side.

 

 

 

 

 

make sure the coin looks good to you and if you see anyting that is bothersome to you in early coppper then at this time the coin is not for you do not buy it

[EZ_E]

Regis44,

 

I purchased an 1814 Lg Cent from Mark Hooten and was extremely satisfied. He is not a dealer but is a stand up guy who knows his copper. If he doesn't have an example for sale then I'm sure that he would be happy to point you in the right direction.

 

I took the liberty of offering this info without Hoot's foreknowledge but I am positive that he is the solution to your dilemma.

 

Shoot him an email at: hoot@neptuneinc.org

 

And I certainly agree that you should not settle for a spoiled planchet. It is much better to go down in grade then in quality for budget reasons.

[James_OldeTowne]

In lower grades, up through about VF, I would rather have a cleaned or polished or even whizzed large-cent than one that's basically original, but pitted like a bag of prunes. Details are most important determinant factor to me with these coins in those grades, and besides, if it's cleaned, SOME day it will tone back, but pits are there forever. Now, if you get the coins really on the cheap, that's a different story. I can't speak to the issue of how to value them, because I simply tend to avoid them altogether.

 

James

[braddick]

Depending on the level of corrosion I'd much prefer that problem than whizzing or polishing or even cleaning.

 

Corrosion is a natural problem of older copper. The other issues are all manmade. I see an older copper cent, say a 1794 with AU surfaces and some light corrosion with otherwise unaltered surfaces it remains attractive to me.

Take the same coin and forget the corrosion but add whizzing or tooling or polishing and the coin turns ugly real quick as it was fooled with and the surfaces stolen away by greed.

 

I'll take a natural problem over a manmade problem most anytime on any coin.

[James_OldeTowne]

Braddick, at the AU level, it's a little different for me as well. The, the originality becomes more important. I made my response under the assumption of lower-grade coins. I'd be interested to know your opinion at the lower end of the grading spectrum as well.

 

At the VG level (let's say), pits and corrosion have a far more detrimental effect on the precious remaining amount of detail. A heavily pitted VG Liberty Cap can appear to be virtually a featureless piece of metal. I often to refer to such coins as "pepperoni", because they often look like something you'd throw on a pizza. At the EF or AU level, however, even with pits, there's still a lot of detail left to give an impression of what the coin looks like.

 

James

[braddick]

James, at the VG level the problem of whizzing or polishing is further compounded and exaggerated.

 

What a beast of a coin to have VG'ish details and wear yet have fake bright red polished surfaces (caused by whizzing or polishing or cleaning- what have you).

 

No- even at VG (and, even more so, for me) level I'd take a pitted and/or corroded yet otherwise natural coin anytime.

 

Nature's problems- never intended to "enhance" a coin's apperance are always better, IMHO, than manmade issues that are intended to attempt to "enhance" through tomfoolery and thieving.