Question on Copper - Brown vs toning

anoldgoat

I see grades on BN RD/BN RD.
Does BN (brown) mean like a coin cent that has been in circulation for a while.
How about about heavily toned. I have a 1910 and a 1936-S that i'd call heaviliy toned with areas of dark red, not brown as discribed above, with no signs of circulation. Or is this RD/BN?

Comments please, mike

anoldgoat

TTT 21st place and dropping fast.

Heeeep

MastaHanky

Grading copper coloration is fun.

As long as the colors are all various shades of red (or sometimes silver(!)), you'll get RD designation.

RB and BN might be better off called "not red". Lincolns can turn all sorts of colors...blues, greens, and purples. If more than 5% or so of the coin is one of these non-red colors, it will get a RB designation, and if more than 60% or so is non-red, then it will get a BN designation.

coinguy1

Hi Mike,

I would have preferred to have done this through a private message but you do not have your private message function enabled and you sound desperate.

Here is a link to some uncirculated Half Cents and Cents in BN, RB and RD for you to view images of. The original mint red color of copper often mellows over time, to shades of red/brown and brown. Not all RD, RB or BN color is created equal - there are various shades, percentages and combinations of RD, RB or BN color, depending on the year of the coin and how it mellows with age.


Copper

Conder101

To answer his first question: No Brown does not mean that the coin has been in circulation. It strickly refers to the color of the coin. In the right atmospheric conditions a red copper straight from the mint can turn brown from exposure just lying there. It all depends on environment and trace contaminants on the coin itself that either speed the toning or act as a barrier to slow it. Since the contaminants (oils for the minting process) are usually not evenly spread on the coin the toning is often uneven resulting in the RD/BN patterns.

anoldgoat

Thanks every one, that helped a lot, especially the pics. I'll see if i can turn on my private message function.

Thanks again, mike

coinguy1

Mike, congratulations on opening your private message(PM) function - it takes some people months

Glad I could help with the pics.