Good or bad - Haze/toning on 1988-W Gold Olympic $5
Mr_Spud
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I picked up 2 of these several years ago and got them slabbed. Both came back as 69DCAM. If I remember correctly they we’re starting to tone a little even before I slabbed them. They appear to have both toned a little bit more over time. Like a bit orangish gold with some purple coming out on the torch on the reverse. But as you move the coin back and forth under the light you can also see some haziness in the fields. I’m torn between thinking it looks really cool to not liking the haziness. I took a picture showing the black /gold contrast that captures both the toning and the cloud-like haziness. What do think of this kind of look on a gold coin. And should I be worried that the haziness is going to get more opaque?
Mr_Spud
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Modern commems have a funny way of surprising me. I’ve been collecting for about 20 years and I swear this is the first time I’ve even seen this particular coin.
As to your question, I think the splash of color is interesting and I do not find the haze distracting in its current state, although I cannot say if it will get worse in the future.
Nothing is as expensive as free money.
The haze could become a distraction, but I kind of like the toning on the devices.
Its design is more attractive than many recent gold commems, but it's basically priced close to bullion and that's how I'd treat the coin.
I like it 🙂
Probably my favorite modern commemortives. At one
time I had like 15 of them! 2008 gold was still cheap....i had purchased them under $90. ea. sold them all over $125.ea. One of those coins that you let go and now wish you hadn't.
The 88 Nikie goddess was imho one of the series prettiest specimens. Hindsight is 20/20.
"That's why I wander and follow La Vie Dansante"
I do not care for haze or any discoloration on gold coins. That is a very attractive coin, and I would have the haze removed. Likely due to some slight contamination from airborne humidity. Cheers, RickO
While some might like it, I believe that far more will see it as a negative.
Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.
Too bad about the hazing. The color is attractive for me.
I'm slightly bias. My icon.
I agree. I don't think the haze can be removed without also removing the color. I'd just leave it as it is and not mess with it.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
Haze toning on mods - Not for me. I feel they a little more difficult sell too.
I was going to comment on the OP’s coin, it looks ok, but some of these can be extremely pretty and this example is one of them!
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I think it's pretty nice!
That purple color on jwitten’s coin looks just like the purple on the torch of my coin. I’m wondering if that purple toning looks purple on a MS coin and the frosty devices of a PF coin but looks like haze on the mirrors of a proof coin 🤔
I wonder what makes this particular coin tone that color, was there something in the mint packaging that year for both proofs and MS ones 🤔
Interesting 🌞
Mr_Spud
I just did a quick google image search to see if the PFs and MS came in the same mint packaging and it looks like they did. I’m thinking something in those burgundy felt things gassed them. And when did Walmart start selling coins? I never heard of such a thing 🤔
Mr_Spud
Negative eye appeal equals ... BAD.
I think it might be attractive, to me, but doubt it would be attractive to most folks. Regardless, I believe this to be one of the highlights of the modern commem series and own a stack of them raw as bullion gold.
In honor of the memory of Cpl. Michael E. Thompson