Is it just me, or does this Two Cent piece look cleaned and retoned to anybody else?

Russ

Scan as it appears in the auction:



Scan after lightening:



Since I just started collecting them, I'm at the very bottom of the learning curve on these, so I'm not sure. But, this one looks suspicious to me. Am I off base on this?

Russ, NCNE

coinguy1

Russ,

I am adverse to commenting based on images but yes, it looks cleaned and/or retoned.

As to whether you are off base or not- in this case, at least, I think not

CLASSICS

<< <i>Scan as it appears in the auction:



Scan after lightening:



Since I just started collecting them, I'm at the very bottom of the learning curve on these, so I'm not sure. But, this one looks suspicious to me. Am I off base on this?

Russ, NCNE >>

.............LOOKS TO BE CLEANED AND RECOLORED, I WOULD STAY AWAY.

Russ

Love this place. Thanks, guys!

Russ, NCNE

MtMan

How can you guys tell this was cleaned and retoned? I dont see any parallel scratches in this picture.

MtMan

Russ

MtMan,

See that unnatural looking brown patch emerging against all that beautiful red? It looks to me like the coin was chemically cleaned and is now growing ugly. I can see it totally brown after a few years.

Russ, NCNE

prooflike

Good catch Russ, copper can turn an ugly brown/black after being cleaned.

MtMan

Thanks Russ. Sorry if im being dense but doesn't copper frequently tone brown under natural conditions? Is it the fact that its brown in only a small patch the giveaway?

MtMan

BigE

What grade is it supposed to be or is it raw and ungraded?----------BigE

Russ

MtMan,

Your second question correctly answers your first. If the toning were natural, it would most likely be spreading evenly over the entire surface. The exception "might" be if the coin was stored under very odd circumstances where only that area was exposed. But, to my mind the more likely answer is that it was cleaned.

BigE,

It's raw, and the seller has it listed as MS60RD. It's an 1869, and the "WE" in the motto is very flat. The obverse is showing similar toning, but not as obvious as the reverse.

Russ, NCNE

BigE

It does not look MS-60 to me, and definietly not red. I think that even if it was MS the darker patches would drop it to red-brown, but if you can get it cheap perhaps it would be good experience. Good luck Russ!--------------------BigE

MtMan

Thanks Russ, I'm learning alot on this thread. I hate to be nitpicky (guess its the engineer in me) but

1) why would a cleaned coin tone less evenly than a coin would naturally?

2) doesnt chemical cleaning leave pits in copper?

Jeremiah

HuliganRS

Ditto!

Looks like rough cleaning!

MtMan

Bump! can anyone answer my last 2 questions?

Dog97

I don't see cleaning but it well may be but I do see AU. What you are taking as retoning I am seeing as circulation wear, that being luster in the protected areas and exposed flat parts of the field being a different color. The black spot does look suspicious but it could be from anything.
Either way I wouldn't fool with it because it looks suspicious and you can get a real problem free MS coin for around $100.