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 Replies: 11 / Views: 1,902 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
767 Posts |
I'm just getting interested in copper coins, particularly braided hair large cents, and I'm wondering about the color differences I see in many of them. This one appears to be almost completely black. What would cause that? Is it toning? Are certain variations of color in copper coins signs of problems such as cleaning? http://www.ebay.com/itm/201216454828?nav=SEARCHThanks. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1215 Posts |
Looks environmentally damaged to me!
VF details.
It's black due to corrosion.
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Bedrock of the Community
Australia
21786 Posts |
Coins can patinate to all sorts of colors, it depends on the environment they have mostly been in.
Ancient bronze coins can patinate to a jet black color.
Bronze and copper coins will patinate over a period of years, irrespective of weather they have been cleaned or not.
They need to be protected by good storage to slow the patination process down. Slabbing or encapsulation will almost completely stop this process.
Edited by sel_69l
11/20/2014 12:10 am
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Pillar of the Community
United States
589 Posts |
That's normal, showing a good healthy 160-year patina. As much as I like red. red-brown, or standard brown coppers...something that's gotten black while still having decent detail makes an excellent specimen.
As to environmental damage, I would disagree. The coin should show pitting and other massive issues if it were buried, since copper is highly, highly reactive.
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Valued Member
United States
116 Posts |
I think, in this case, it's the camera this guy uses. Check out some of his other coins and they have somewhat of a similar appearance.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
9792 Posts |
His other coins all look okay as to correct color, I just think his camera is about 1/2 to a full stop too dark on the photos. Copper coins vary greatly in color due to many reasons, environmental, storage, copper purity and planchet issues, etc. The new EAC grading guide has a nice section on color. In fact many EAC collectors try to get a set of cents of the entire gamut of colors, it's a collectible thing now. Ted Naftzger had one that was amazing, later Dan Holmes collection also had an incredible color collection.
"Buy the Book Before You Buy the Coin" - Aaron R. Feldman - "And read it" - Me 2013! ANA Life Member #3288 in good standing since 1981, ANS, Early American Coppers Member (EAC), Colonial Coin Collectors Club member (C4), Conder Token Collector Club member (CTCC), Civil War Token Society (CWTS) member, Liberty Seated Collectors Club (LSCC) & Numismatic Bibliomania Society member (NBS), USMex, Member in good standing, 2¢ variety collector. See my want page: http://goccf.com/t/140440 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5825 Posts |
And using a reflective white background causes the camera to underexpose the coin.
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
2781 Posts |
agree with the camera/exposure , I would bet the coin is closer to brown than black/grey as shown (second picture hints to that)
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts |
Copper continues to combine with Oxygen and the results are just what you see there. Copper gets darker and darker with time and exposure to Oxygen.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
8516 Posts |
Just a bad pic taker.
Oregon coin geek.....*** GO BEAVS ! ! ! ***
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Moderator
 United States
188110 Posts |
Quote:
Just a bad pic taker. I know that pain.  |
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
767 Posts |
Haha...
Yeah Jbuck, I'm slowly becoming a master of the cheap phone camera. The coins in my photos are almost identifiable.
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Replies: 11 / Views: 1,902 |
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Posted 11/20/2014 12:08 am
