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It's nothing new, unfortunately. This has been happening since the inception of grading. It's among the reasons I recommend sticking to certified coins if one insists on buying toners. In my opinion, the bigger issue is when obviously QC coins make into straight grade holders.

@Boosibri said:

@Project Numismatics said:

@PeakRarities said:

Actually, I'd say this is what I first had in mind when I mentioned the Charlotte 5s. They have a tendency to tone up rich like this if circumstances are right. It doesn't happened in a vacuum like the Fairmont coins, it requires actual circulation and oils and grease oxidation on the coin in addition to the variable purity.

https://coins.ha.com/itm/liberty-half-eagles/1853-c-5-au50-pcgs-cac-variety-1-pcgs-8254-/a/1161-4301.s?ic4=ListView-ShortDescription-071515

No words for that Charlotte $5. Preferable to the Fairmont examples, but takes a lot of patience - your specialty (but not always mine).

I believe @CharlotteDude owned that coin

Actually, I still have it, and yes, I was the winning Heritage bidder back in 2011.

Photo courtesy of Todd from BluCC

My proofs:

Before and after an acetone rinse to remove the oils (or is it cigarette smoke?)

@Catbert said:

@Barberian said:

Now the photos have been removed and I don't recall what the coin looks like. To be continued...

LOL! Oh to buy so many things and then forget the appearance. Lucky you! 🙂

Even worse! I forgot who I purchased the coin from. I asked Paradime Coins to send me the photos when I actually purchased it from Eye Appealing coins. Paradime was wondering "Who is this guy?" Then, I finally figured it out, and Paradime hoped I was happy with the coin wherever I bought it, which was nice.

EAC sent these photos along.

PCGS XF45

My oldest

@golden said:
Ft. Lauderdale in April at Spring break? Are you kidding!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Can't wait for the show report pics of all the numismatists partying hard with the college kids at the Elbo Room after. If Charmy and Rick Snow aren't doing beer funnels from the second floor I'll be disappointed.

Wanted to share a pretty cool story about this pair of exceptional quarter eagles I recently purchased from a fellow co-worker (an older gentleman) a couple months ago and had submitted to CACG at last month’s B’more Whitman show. My co-worker explained that his wife received them from her mother, who received them from her mother (wife’s grandmother), whose grandparents had purchased them directly from a Massachusetts bank to commemorate her birth year (1907) and again on her 1st birthday (1908), respectively. Both QEs had been sitting in the couple’s SDB for decades, and after doing some downsizing, decided to sell them. While I would’ve normally been skeptical about the whole background story, I was reassured when the co-worker pulled the coins out from their original boxes, looking the same as the day they were purchased from the bank back in 1907 & 1908.

Whenever someone contacts me about “old coins” they have to sell, I’ve learned to approach with caution as most turn out to be common wheat pennies, junk silver, or on the infrequent occasion that they’re actually old gold, exhibit significant wear, marks, and/or other processing problems, (or worse - are counterfeit) and certainly have no “history” to go with them. These two are the exception and in my opinion are examples of undiscovered gems “still out there, waiting to be found”.

The 1907 has screaming luster… a total bomb of orange-peel brilliance, exceptional for even CACG’s MS65 grade.

The 1908 exhibits a soft, original luster glow, as is typical of a freshly minted, incused Indian design, and is quite lovely for the CACG MS64 grade.

And let’s not forget the boxes… the green one has “Blackstone National Bank Uxbridge, Mass” stamped on the inside top cover. This bank served the Uxbridge community from the 1865 until at least 1935.

As the historic sites manager for 4 years I can confirm there was no hospital on site designated or planned at Fort Sumter. Remember - it was unfinished prior to the bombardment and quickly made a ruin afterwards.

WS

Here are my two aluminum coins. One is a Matte Finish and the other is shiny, proof-like. I'll be listing them on the Bay for $50K each as major mint errors soon.