Are you a white coin Bigot?

[Wihlborg]

There are white coins and then there are white coins, and there is a big difference between the two. The first type is the gray, dipped out examples. The luster on these coins has been severely damaged, or even removed completely leaving a lifeless metal disk. This is the type of white coin that should be avoided in my opinion. The other type of white coin is the one where the coin has full blast luster and looks like it could have been minted that day.

 

Unfortunately, I believe that many collectors in a quest for what they call originality lump both types together and in the process are throwing the baby out with the bath water when it comes to white coins. What I mean by this is that when first starting out most collectors are attracted to white coins, in fact the whiter the better. Why? Because what could be more original then a white silver coin? Isn’t this how they look as they fall from the die? But then at some point in their learning curve, some collectors are told that ‘white’ coins are not as desirable as a toned coin because a white coin is not as original.

 

In the case of dipped out coins this is true, but when it comes to fully lustrous white coins maybe not. The fact is, no matter what you may have been told there is no way to tell with 100% certainty if a fully lustrous white coin is original or not. Sure, one could look at the age of the coin and come up with an opinion, but 100% certain? I submit that unless one has spent every minute with a coin from the time it was minted there is no way to know with 100% certainty anything about the history of a coin. The same is true when it comes to trying to determine the originally of a coin based upon if it is toned, or how ‘crusty’ it may look. Can you be 100% certain that dirty brown or black crusty coin got that way on its own?

 

The point I am trying to make is that collectors should not allow themselves to be steered away from a coin just because it is white. In fact to me, a blast white coin that is dripping luster is just as desirable as a beautifully toned coin. White or toned, It’s all about the eye appeal of the individual coin and isn’t that what it should be about?

 

Here are a few of my blast white, luster dripping beauties. Let’s see some of your’s.

 

 

John

[D.D.]

Are you a white coin Bigot? No, I like both.....

 

 

[MunkyMan95]

It depends.

 

Some white coins I love. The ones you have there, I would be very pleased to own. I saw a blast white set of classic commems at the ANA show in charlotte, it looked awesome as a matched set.

 

However, toning is good too. The toning that lights my fire is crescent rainbow, as seen (relatively) commonly on morgan dollars. If the premium was not insane, I'd pick the toned coin over its blast white counterpart.

[Houston Investor]

Absolutely - I love blast white lustrous coins.

 

These are some really beautiful Gem BU coins. When a dealer says "Gem BU' this is what the coins should look like. These coins seem to have cartwheel luster too.

 

I like Walkers, Commems, Dollars, and Gold. The commems and walkers pictured above are stunning.

[robec1347]

[Stanley]

John, I have been criticized quiet a few times for displaying blast white coins. It didn’t take me long to realize that most of the criticism was coming from those who were being influenced by others into believing there could be no such thing as a 100 year old white silver coin that hadn’t been dipped.

 

[JRocco]

I like white...

[Mozin]

Here are scans of some of the first Classic Commemoratives I bought from Larry Shepherd. I wish I could capture the luster as you can with a camera. The Lexington seems have toned some while inside the PCGS holder.

 

 

 

[MikeKing]

that 1960 Frankie is a beauty Rocco!

 

So many really nice 'white' coins out there. I'm so glad NGC dropped the designation however.

 

I like everything, white, toned, whatever.

 

Sometimes white is innappropriate, and sometimes I can see where some people would think it's innappropriate and I don't.

 

Like this 1809 Bustie, not completely white, has a goldenish skin on it, but obviously it's been dipped at one point, however, properly so. I'm sure the luster, which is quite pronounced, would not have made such a show had this coin been toned over years and years and years. I just fell in love with it, and to me, it's 'appropriate' in that it's high enough of a grade and so well done, that it's worth a significant premium:

 

as opposed to this, which is what I usually look for and consider a prize in a coin this old:

 

 

so just like buy the coin, not the holder

buy the coin, not the color!!!

 

Does that make as much sense to you as it does to me?

[Wihlborg]

so just like buy the coin, not the holder

buy the coin, not the color!!!

 

Does that make as much sense to you as it does to me?

 

Mike,

 

Yes, it is exactly the point I'm trying to make with this thread.

 

John

[WinstonWare]

 

I need to reimage these last two with my new camera:

 

[Wihlborg]

Hey guys,

 

All wonderful coins posted so far, even Mike's not so white ones!

 

John

[Cannon Coins]

Some real beauts there folks ! winston... I like that 1000K Icelandic. You don't see a lot of them around. I have one the same as yours as far as grade and TPG holder. Seen one go like them on ebay the other day for I think 306 bux.That made me like mine even a little more even though I don't recall what it cost from the mint.

 

Again.. great lookin' coins ! Show me more.... CC

[JRocco]

Here is a cheek I want to give a smooch ...

[Hoot]

John - "Unfortunately, I believe that many collectors in a quest for what they call originality lump both types together and in the process are throwing the baby out with the bath water when it comes to white coins."

 

 

"I submit that unless one has spent every minute with a coin from the time it was minted there is no way to know with 100% certainty anything about the history of a coin."

 

 

Stanley - You captured the skin on those halves perfectly.

 

Hoot

[Stanley]

Thanks Hooot

[Oldtrader3]

There is white toning and there is white toning. Sometimes it appears that nobody ever gives merit to this type of original mint, white toning.