| Author |
 Replies: 12 / Views: 2,089 |
|
|
Valued Member
United States
327 Posts |
I have been collecting Lincoln cents on and off for years. About 10 years ago, I purchased a dansco album for my Lincoln cents. About that time, I also purchased a few hundred dollars worth of Lincolns that I needed. I mounted the cents and some time later, I put it away and haven't had it out until recently. What I noticed really bothered me. Many of the Lincolns that I had purchased in a specific color now had spots or other blemishes. Definitely not evenly toned. Can anyone tell me why? I thought I remembered someone telling me a long time ago that keeping a Lincoln Cent in a particular condition over time is impossible. Is this true? |
|
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
1934 Posts |
If it's all your Lincolns, LWCs and LMCs, there may be a storage device and/or environment problem. If only your zincolns are spotting/blemishing, it may be the coins, too.
If you handle your coins with gloves, it'll help to eliminate the possibility of you (further) contaminating a surface which, odds are, has had some contamination to begin with.
I dont know if it's impossible to keep a coin in MS un-toned forever. I have some 100-year old coins that are in original condition and color. Quite often I'll find a BU 40-year old Lincoln in the change tray of a convenience store.
Coins that live in Arizona for 50 years probably live different lives than those in Louisiana unless theyre stored in a controlled environment, air-tights, 2x2s, albums notwithstanding (over 50 years).
Contamination is a tough battle and I dont know how to decontaminate or neutralize problem albums.
Edited by j_h_s
05/18/2010 08:29 am
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
6326 Posts |
Third day in a row where we've had 100% humidity........and this is Kansas ! ....  |
|
Valued Member
United States
323 Posts |
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
1934 Posts |
Humidity in Kansas is never good news. Here's hoping for the best and safe summer, eagle.
|
|
Bedrock of the Community
United States
19935 Posts |
The prime reason I don't care for albums, use Airtites for the safest storage.
If you're going to stick with that album, put the whole thing into a giant ziplock bag with a desiccant pack. Then put that in a tupperware or similar container and store it in an area with low humidity and well controlled temperature.
|
|
Valued Member
 United States
327 Posts |
There are not as many as I first thought. It just seems difficult to keep Lincolns evenly toning for me. This may be another question entirely but for those who use albums, what do you do when you come across a slabbed Lincoln? Personally, it does me no good in a slab when showing someone the album so I have removed the coins and mounted them. I don't care if it reads MS64Red. I want to see all of my Lincolns at the same time. :-)
|
|
Bedrock of the Community
United States
19935 Posts |
To each his own, slabs are cracked open everyday somewhere.
|
|
Valued Member
United States
94 Posts |
I have stopped pursuing red lincolns, and have found the true high grade brown copper to be tremendously appealing and of better value. Since they have already "matured" to steady state color, that greatly reduces the risk of visable changes to the eye appeal of the copper. I have a DANSCO complete in red BU condition 1935-2010 with proofs, that I am hoping will tone over time. They are all BU, but not necesarily MS64+ conditioned red, so the value per coin is minimal.
|
|
Valued Member
United States
327 Posts |
Do you happen to know if a dark red vs brown affects the grade? Honestly, I like red looking pennies better BUT you are absolutely right about stability. I believe that once a coin has reached an even brown color, it is less likely to spot or blemish.
|
|
Valued Member
United States
94 Posts |
I know that of the certified grades, there are very few 66 BNs. I think that the cartwheeling effect of brilliant red coins bumps up the really mark/spot free well struck coins into the 66-67 range, whereas the lack of cartwheeling effect on the exact same hypothetically mark/spot free coin in brown would only warrant a 65. I have found more very well struck lincolns in tougher dates in 64-65 BN than in 65-66 RD for the same date.
|
|
Valued Member
United States
424 Posts |
I think its because one of the conditions on grading certain coins, is luster and eye appeal. So reds would ore likely bump the grade.imo  |
|
Bedrock of the Community
United States
19935 Posts |
Lincoln Cent Lover!VERDI-CARE™ INVENTOR https://verdi.care/
|
| |
Replies: 12 / Views: 2,089 |
|
Posted 05/18/2010 08:38 am
