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 Replies: 13 / Views: 1,244 |
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New Member
United States
4 Posts |
I have a 1913 S type 2 Buffalo nickel. It has good detail but is very dark. It is black. How does this affect the value of the coin? Thanks    |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
747 Posts |
To me, a dark coin has the possibility to hide to much and I would go pretty low on value, but that's me. I hate toning/dark with a passion. Others will chime in, lots like toning/dark coins.
Welcome to the forum!
Edited by NDBirdman
03/28/2019 4:12 pm
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Pillar of the Community
 Canada
5394 Posts |
That coin has environmental damage and is probably not restorable.
Too bad as the details are quite sharp.
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
709 Posts |
"In the dark all coins are grey". Maybe that is not quite what Mr Franklin said....?
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
11884 Posts |
It limits the number of people interested in the coin and puts downward pressure on the value if it is scarce or rare. For common coins, most people would not find the need to opt for a really dark coin, unless you have a preference for that attribute for some reason.
The 13sT2 is a key date, so you'll be able to move it, but you'll get squeezed on the price if you need to move it quickly.
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Moderator
United States
188342 Posts |
 to the Community! |
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Bedrock of the Community
Australia
21786 Posts |
Darkness makes coins harder to photograph properly. That factor may well be very detrimental to making coins easier to sell on ebay. I will always choose a blast white silver coin before an equivalent very dark silver coin of exactly the same grade. Same applies with copper and bronze coins: my preference will always for brown coins over black coins. Always easy peasy to sell Buffalo nickels in freshly minted white color, especially in AU or better. Harder to shift the darker examples of equivalent grade. |
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New Member
 United States
4 Posts |
Thanks for everyone's replies. I am new to collecting so I greatly appreciate everyone's feedback. Do you think I could get $200 for the coin?
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
36744 Posts |
Usually dark means environmental damage or fire damage. At any rate a details coin.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
10982 Posts |
Quote:
How Does Darkness Affect The Value Of A Coin? It reduces the value in almost every situation. Extremely dark coins can become a boat anchor. |
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Valued Member
United States
461 Posts |
Just to toss in my (anything but Two Cents on this forum). I have been watching a lot of Heritage auctions in an effort to observe bidding on coins I might like to bid on later. In watching auctions of MS-65 Barber halves, it seems like the shiny, blast white ones run up to near their ultimate sale price very quickly, rather than the darker toned specimens which move up more slowly but ultimately usually catch up with the bright and shinies. Some very dark coins, even though graded MS65, never come close to catching up, though. I think this is consistent with NS' observation that there are fewer buyers for darker coins. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3644 Posts |
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Valued Member
United States
325 Posts |
I copied the photos into Irfanview, and increased the brightness and contrast to see them better. They are somewhat blurry, especially the obverse, so you need to steady the camera better. I also suggest shining more light on the nickel. I can't tell from the originals or my version how dark it really is. Have you tried a short soak in acetone to try to clean it up safely? |
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Moderator
Australia
16827 Posts |
Dark toning on silver, copper or brass is "natural" and has a generally slight negative effect, though some may like it. It really does depend on the coin, and the nature of the toning - not all "black" is the same. I have a nearly-Unc Australian Canberra florin (sterling silver) with a glossy "pearl black" toning to it; the dealer sold it to me cheaply, saying I'd have to dip it, but I find its current appearance much more appealing than if the same coin were dipped until it were blast-white.
Dark toning on cupronickel coins like that buffalo is not natural. It's been through a fire or exposed to some other extreme environment to turn that colour.
Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise, you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite. - C. S. Lewis
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Replies: 13 / Views: 1,244 |
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Posted 03/28/2019 4:18 pm
