Coin Community Family of Web Sites Join Thousands of Coin, Bullion, & Money Collectors
Coin, Banknote and Medal Collectors's Online Mall Specializing in Modern Numismatics Royal Estate Auctions - $1 Coin Auctions300,000 items to help build your collection! Join Thousands of Coin, Bullion, & Money Collectors Royal Canadian Mint products, Canadian, Polish, American, and world coins and banknotes. Vancouvers #1 Coin and Paper Money Dealer








Username:
Password:
Save Password
Forgot your Password?


This page may contain links that result in small commissions to keep this free site up and running.

Welcome Guest! Registering and/or logging in will remove the anchor (bottom) ads. It's Free!

What Is This Spot On Gold & Is It Removable?

To participate in the forum you must log in or register.
Author Previous TopicReplies: 12 / Views: 1,852Next Topic  
New Member
Aureus's Avatar
Germany
5 Posts
 Posted 04/16/2014  9:26 pm Show Profile   Bookmark this topic Add Aureus to your friends list Get a Link to this Message Number of Subscribers
Hello.
Just wondering what is this spot on the new (3yrs) gold coin in the photo & is it removable?

If it is a very delicate & particular task to remove with the possibility of scratches, is it safe to just leave it until someday when a pro can remove it?

The coin has been in proper storage (in Airtite, cool, dark place, indoors) and to the best of my recollection I don't remember seeing it at purchase time. I'm sure I would have noticed.

Does it appear to just be a surface item which could easily and ever-so-gently buffed away, or rubbed away with a safe chemical?
Or does it appear to be an actual discoloring of the metal, further in? I've seen discoloring with silver that seems would not be an easy removal.

Really appreciate any input as I have no idea what this is or what to do.
Thanks!

What-Is-This-Spot-On-Gold-&-Is-It-Removable?
Pillar of the Community
Cruisinfusion's Avatar
United States
1531 Posts
 Posted 04/16/2014  9:28 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Cruisinfusion to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Looks to be a liquid of some sort that got on the coin.
May I ask what kind of coin this is?

Edit: OH! to CCF!
Edited by Cruisinfusion
04/16/2014 9:29 pm
Rest in Peace
Buddy's Avatar
United States
7075 Posts
 Posted 04/16/2014  9:49 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Buddy to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply


Without knowing what coin it is....I will suggest that spot is a copper spot which result from copper not being completely mixed before the coin was made OR it got wet like Crusininfusion posted. It may have gotten wet long before you got the coin and is just now showing up.... although I don't know about that.....


Don't know what you can do about it if anything.

Pillar of the Community
Cruisinfusion's Avatar
United States
1531 Posts
 Posted 04/16/2014  10:25 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Cruisinfusion to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
The reason I say it could be a spot from liquid:

I have a PCGS MS64 1923 Peace dollar that got wet by a water hose (for reasons I'd rather not share) and developed a small brown spot on the top where water sat for the weekend while I was away at my father's house, rather than my mother's.

Plus the paper label is all crinkly, too
New Member
Aureus's Avatar
Germany
5 Posts
 Posted 04/17/2014  4:01 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Aureus to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Hey guys, thanks for the fast replies and hearty welcome.

Duh, forgot - it's a Philharmonic.

It came from a dealer in the slip and being quite picky about collecting, especially a higher value piece instead of just kick-around coin, I'm fairly sure I would have noticed it.
Right away it went into an Airtite and then to a room-temp dry dark place ever since.

Hm, it might indeed be a tiny water spot. Maybe there was moisture on the Airtite or something from when I cleaned the Airtite with alcohol.

Do you think a coin pro could ever-ever-ever-so-slightly buff it away?
Not sure I'd want to attempt it opening up a can of worms and leaving marks.

Somewhat an annoyance as it's the only one I have.

Maybe that extra bit of info might help in trying to determine what it might be and if it's removable by either myself or a pro.
Otherwise, will just have to live with it. :(

Happy to be at a collector's forum where they understand these picky type of things. :D

Thanks again! ;)
Bedrock of the Community
BadThad's Avatar
United States
19951 Posts
 Posted 04/19/2014  7:41 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add BadThad to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Looks like a classic gold copper spot. It probably can't be removed but I've never had this happen to any of my gold coins. If it bothers you, since it's on the rim, just take a toothpick and soak it with acetone. Then rub the area and see if it comes off.
Lincoln Cent Lover!
VERDI-CARE™ INVENTOR
https://verdi.care/
Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts
 Posted 04/20/2014  10:04 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add just carl to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply

As Thad already said if you can find some Acetone, use a Q tip type of thing, soak it in the Acetone, try just dabbing that spot. DO NOT RUB. Just dab that spot. Hopefully it is really a Gold Coin and not an imatation or fake. Although most people think Gold is not reactive with other substances, in reality it is. Such gasses as Chlorine, Flourine, etc. do effect Gold. It is possibly that a drop of something that contained those came in contact with that coin at one time.
The odd thing about this is you've kept it in a sealed situation and therefore it must have been there before but just not noticed. Should not spread but to be sure you may want to really check the area and the method of protection.
If the dabbing with some Acetone does not work, I'd leave it alone.
Pillar of the Community
Learn More...
Canada
9864 Posts
 Posted 04/20/2014  11:13 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add DBM to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Looks like a copper spot, shouldn't happen on modern .9999 gold, talk to the dealer, perhaps you can exchange it.
"Dipping" is not considered cleaning...
-from PCGS website
New Member
Aureus's Avatar
Germany
5 Posts
 Posted 04/20/2014  9:12 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Aureus to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Great help! Thanks everyone.

I will try the acetone method making sure not to rub. When I get the chance (I'm very busy) I'll report the results.

The coin is definitely authentic as it was purchased from a very large reputable dealer, a bullion supply house. Also, the purchase was some years back and way too long ago to do an exchange.

If the acetone doesn't work then I'll just move on and live with it or down the road exchange it at a show.

But see, I would have never known anything about this if not for posting this post at this helpful forum.
Thanks again everyone.
New Member
Aureus's Avatar
Germany
5 Posts
 Posted 04/29/2014  2:17 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Aureus to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply

What-Is-This-Spot-On-Gold-&-Is-It-Removable?

What-Is-This-Spot-On-Gold-&-Is-It-Removable?

Update:

Well it's removed.
The acetone was not working at all, that spot was really penetrated.
First tried just dabbing it on hoping it would dissolve the spot. Not a chance.
Then tried rubbing lightly with cotton swab for about 10 minutes. Nothing. Then used the toothpick gradually overtime applying more force.
After about 1 hour of this I decided to change methods; noticing that the very slight amount I was removing was due to the buffing action of the toothpick, but it would take hours and hours at that rate.
Considering I was already this far into it I decided to very very carefully approach a light buffing method with a dedicated cloth.

In conclusion I opted for a slight buff mark as oppossed to the very noticeable spot.
I'd rather have a not-as-easily-noticeable buff mark which is on the rim versus a very noticeable and aggravating-to-see spot.
Now if this spot was on the face anywhere, no way would I have attempted the buffing knowing how the face and design is precise and delicate and a buff mark much more noticeable.

For buffing I used a jeweler's cloth and the toothpick tip underneath as support and buffed, buffed, buffed for about 30 minutes.


So what do you guys think? You can see the before and after photos.
Would you have gone this route? Do you think it's a big deal to have the buff spot?
Seeing how these coins are less numismatic and more so bullion I would think the value would not be altered, or not that much. The rest of the coin looks fine.
Maybe I'm just obsessing too much about it, but we are in a field where grades do exist and marks tend to matter beside just the annoyance factor.

The buff mark, while nowhere near as aggravating as the spot imho, still does slightly bother me as I know it's there and the coin is not 'perfect'.
I feel when you pay over $1000 for this item it would be nice to a have a mint piece. Maybe others just treat it as bullion but I was looking at it also from a collecting standpoint.
It's not like I have a stack of them! It's the only one.

Maybe down the road when at a dealer, if they have a newer piece of the same item, I might see if I can trade, just based on spot, even if a little more price required. Or maybe it's just not worth it. Who knows.

Thanks for the contributions. Just wanted to update the thread.
Pillar of the Community
Dar's Avatar
United States
1476 Posts
 Posted 04/29/2014  3:49 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Dar to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Not sure what I would have done to tell the truth. I can understand about it being an eyesore to you. I don't think the out come was horrible.
If you are good with it then it's all good right. Like you said, your not stacking them, it's your only one.
Doesn't look too bad at all.
New Member
Aureus's Avatar
Germany
5 Posts
 Posted 05/02/2014  12:37 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Aureus to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Thanks Dar, nice to hear. I appreciate that.
Also, looking at the full coin in realsize, the buff mark is not as noticeable as that closeup photo of course.
Pillar of the Community
Dar's Avatar
United States
1476 Posts
 Posted 05/02/2014  3:07 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Dar to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
It is a nice piece, Heck, Now I want one too!
  Previous TopicReplies: 12 / Views: 1,852Next Topic  

To participate in the forum you must log in or register.



    




Disclaimer: While a tremendous amount of effort goes into ensuring the accuracy of the information contained in this site, Coin Community assumes no liability for errors. Copyright 2005 - 2026 Coin Community Family- all rights reserved worldwide. Use of any images or content on this website without prior written permission of Coin Community or the original lender is strictly prohibited.
Contact Us  |  Advertise Here  |  Privacy Policy / Terms of Use

Coin Community Forum © 2005 - 2026 Coin Community Forums
It took 0.4 seconds to rattle this change. Forums