How Did This 1820 Large Cent Get A "Red" Designation?

I ask that question now.

In the grading class at the EAC Convention yesterday, there was discussion on removing lacquer from copper cents. There was a coin showed that had been lacquered at one time and removed, the lacquer actually covered a lot of minor problems that didn't show up under the lacquer, so remember that removing lacquer doesn't always improve a coin, what we saw was a super nice AU with very clean surfaces, until the lacquer was removed then a very fine porous surface was revealed. The suggestion was if the coin is valuable enough send it in to a professional conservation service and let them evaluate the coin first, see if it is a plausible and diligent thing to do your coin.

A little off-topic, so my apologies, but on the subject of EAC grading, Shawn Yancey has a short but informative description of the topic on his website:

http://www.earlycoppercoins.com/Wha...ep_45-1.html

Interestingly, he describes one of the main issues making accurate grading difficult (and subjective to a point) is deciding just how much to deduct for defects. I also feel this is one of the main difficulties.

I am a total newbie when it comes to large cents. Reading all the posts in this thread I have to comment, perhaps in ignorance; given how reactive copper is how in the world can anyone actually believe a "red" large cent hasn't been fiddled with? I would have thought that if it were original, untouched, it would be very unlikely that it would be red. I in my current naivety would trust brown more than shiny red!!

I have run into other coins preserved in that way. You have convinced me further I would feel really uncomfortable buying a Red that at the very least it has, as you point out, had lacquer removed. I would expect the chances of it changing colour being very high.

I would trust High grade brown far more. Again this is unfamiliarity talking.

In my main field I get really suspicious, to the point of avoiding such coins, of bright shiny silver....the age of the coins I collect makes it impossible, with out cleaning, for the coin to be bright

It will be held in Charlotte, North Carolina in 2016. I'm hoping to attend.

It can also shrink and crack opening up cracks in the protective covering allowing the coins to discolor along the cracks.