Should I be concerned and perhaps have restoration/reholder done?

Slade01

This is the first wheat of my adult life set (finished one from circulated finds as a kid) and although I've had it 37 years it seems to be aging about as badly as me. Apologies for the poor picture quality (lightning strike took my photo/microscope computer out). I love the old holder but am concerned that it is a lot less red than when I first got it or is this acceptable for a 64RB in a Green Rattler?

coinbuf

Unless you spot something growing on the surface I would never crack that holder. Nice coin, here is mine.

OAKSTAR

Is this on the coin or holder?

Slade01

That's my concern -- it's on the coin and it wasn't there in the distant past, but it sat in a safety deposit box for 30 years so no idea when it started. Reverse is fine but that bothers me to the point that I would consider selling this one and buying another, especially if I could find a nice chocolate brown toner that I have recently become addicted to.

jedm

Interesting. Could that be putty? I know very little about this and the question I just made most likely proves it. I've heard of the use of it on gold coins.

291fifth

It is now a "problem" coin. Since it is an authenticated 1909-S VDB and is in a PCGS "rattler" holder there will still be interest in it. Rather than starting to spend money on "restoration" you may be better off just selling it as is. It should still bring good money in today's "key in rattler" market.

PeakRarities

As others have said, don’t bother with restoration. The rattler premium will help offset the schmutz discount. Send it to GC and let her rip.

WinLoseWin

@Slade01 said:
That's my concern -- it's on the coin and it wasn't there in the distant past, but it sat in a safety deposit box for 30 years so no idea when it started. Reverse is fine but that bothers me to the point that I would consider selling this one and buying another, especially if I could find a nice chocolate brown toner that I have recently become addicted to.

My guess, it is likely accidental skin grease from its raw days and took many years to have a visible effect.

No way to know if it could be improved without removing from holder and it could continue to change left as is.

If it bothers you, might be best to go with DeplorableDan's advice above and move on to another coin.

OAKSTAR

Just curious about these as well. Slab or coin?

Kliao

The obverse white spots that OAKSTAR pointed out would bother me. Don't know if it's removable though. I would sell it as is for the rattler premium.

Also, I've never seen a rattler with 6 placement pins around the coin? Typically only see 3?

Slade01

Those are all slab, there are no marks on the coin other than the areas that are greying and those are all on the obverse.

Slade01

I bought the coin a few months after it was slabbed from a jeweler/coin dealer in Scottsdale AZ like late 1897/early 1988 and it did not have that grey area. I then put into a safety deposit box with other coins and now many years later it is the least attractive of my Lincoln set. I think Dan gave me the solution, send it to GC and buy one that I like. Thanks for all the replies, you guys are great.

OAKSTAR

And the moral of a story?........Don't put the next one in a safety deposit box! 😉

Slade01

@OAKSTAR said:
And the moral of a story?........Don't put the next one in a safety deposit box! 😉

Nope, at 69 they will be in my home (gigantic typical rural East Texas) gun safe along with lots of other coins and "things" and a big canister of silica gel to keep the humidity low inside. I figure that I only have 20 years left (my Mom is 91) so now it is time to enjoy life after working too hard for too long. I'm sipping a G&T with a lime slice and looking at some nice new additions that I impulse purchased from GC last week. 👍

Slade01

I took Dan's advice and packaged that 09-SVDB and sent it to GC. Now I can find one that I like to look at.

lkenefic

Good advice here... IMHO... I'd have done the same. Hopefully, the rattler premium nets you a nice one!