How can you tell if copper has been recolored?

[Zoins]

The following Conder is currently on the bay (item 290083833712) with the description "Red BU, probably recolored long ago." What are the characteristics of the token suggest that it may have been recolored? Is the unevenness of the field in the left photo a giveaway?

 

 

 

[AuldFartte-migration]

Probably the tiny bits of lighter color around the "N" in "Kempson" and the "C" in "Church".

[Zoins]

Thanks. That's a good tip. I'll keep an eye out for that from now on.

[farthing]

Also, while it is always hard to judge from a photo and without the coin in hand, it appears to be an unnatural red for these tokens.

[Hoot]

This is ann exceptionally difficult question to answer. There are countless ways that recolored copper may look, and it's likely that most of the early American copper you've seen has been recolored at one time or another; few "original" pieces survive, although many acceptable pieces survive.

 

The coin shown, given its color and (particularly) the inconsistencies of color from the fields to the shiny high points of the devices, may have once been dipped and left to re-tone naturally and slowly with time.

 

Hoot