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 Replies: 11 / Views: 1,345 |
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Valued Member
United States
211 Posts |
These are photos of one of my 1859 Large Cents. Two of them have this color. Does that make them bronze or is it a trick of tarnishing differently than my other large cents? How do you find out the metal composition?   |
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Moderator
 United States
56855 Posts |
The brass one would be more yellow. Yours looks like bronze to me but I am nooo expert. John1  |
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Pillar of the Community
 Canada
9866 Posts |
99.999% of all Canadian large cents are bronze, odds are yours is one of them.
The only way you can be sure if you think you've found a brass one is to have it XRF tested.
"Dipping" is not considered cleaning...
-from PCGS website
Edited by DBM
12/30/2016 6:17 pm
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
1463 Posts |
I have never seen such a light strike on that bust. It looks so circulated but there is so much luster. Intriguing.
You should put this in the grade section, for interest sake, and learning, that's a real interesting coin.
I give it an ef 40 though it looks like a 4 on the bust.
Weird coin!
For metal get an XRF but I think it's bronze
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
5593 Posts |
They're bronze. The coins have been exposed to chemicals during cleaning .. any number of things under the kitchen sink can do it.
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Bedrock of the Community
Australia
21788 Posts |
Generally speaking bronze coins in toning can tend to be a bit more black, but there is no hard and fast rule on this.
If you are really desperate, the metal composition can be found with a hand held XRF instrument. Essential equipment for a bullion dealer.
Edited by sel_69l
12/30/2016 7:22 pm
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
1463 Posts |
Ahhh, I misread this is 2 coins ! Got it!
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
1046 Posts |
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Valued Member
 United States
211 Posts |
Ahhh, I misread this is 2 coins ! Got it!
- Alan
That is the same coin obv and rev. I have another that has similar coloring. The majority of my large cents are evenly tarnished dark brown. At some point in the coin's 157 year history I can imagine someone trying to polish it chemically. Got in the the way of the natural oxidation.
As for the light strike. This is definitely a circulated coin. If it was tampered with such as polishing that may explain the luster.
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
1046 Posts |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4233 Posts |
Was it plated or painted to pass it off as brass? When I zoom in on your photos I see some tiny bubbles, particularly around VIC. It looks like a G8 except for the luster around the rim, and deep in the hair it's still golden. Weird. No expert here though...
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
1463 Posts |
I looked at many of these on ebay in very circulated condition, the wear pattern on this is compleatly abnormal. IMO it's not hieavily circulated, but the obverse had maybe grease in the Queen on the die, very odd. All other high points on the reverse should show much more wear. And sure maybe it has been chemically cleaned but there is luster there. Just my opinion. |
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Replies: 11 / Views: 1,345 |
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Posted 12/30/2016 6:11 pm
