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DIRTY OLD COPPER~~Rarer than Dirty Gold or Dirty Silver?
ambro51
Posts: 13,940 ✭✭✭✭✭
When I took delivery of my Vermont Immune Columbia,....and understand Im reluctant to take any of these pieces out of their containers....I broke down and gently slid the coin out. To do photography, those auction flips are worse then any TPG plastic and a lot worse than raw. As soon as I took the coin out, it burst into a different look. The flatly struck, old old copper relies a lot on the reflective visibility to the lettering and devices as they contrast with microgranular fields. Much more detail can be seen when the coin is properly lighted and viewed. (just like any of the beautiful toners we see.....every coin has its 'magic angle')
At first I rotated this while really examining it with the high X reading glasses one (try them they are great for coins). I noticed that when held on an angle, especially in sunlight, there was a layer of grey green brownish dust, or rather, grime?.....all over both sides of the coin and then I realized this is the accumulation of airborne, surface contaminants and who know what that has gently accumulated on this coin over the time it had been 'set aside'. Being an oddball size, 25mm....its odd it even circulated as much as it did but at some point at least by the end of the large cent era...or maybe longer if it circulated in Canada....it had made its way into a collection..then another and then another....
All during that time it avoided the two seconds of blitzkreiglike destruction that can occur on a copper coin with abrasives, cleaners, laquers, hand oils, metal to metal contact...it just held its old layer of scum.
It has occurred to me that this must be a VERY rare piece indeed....and how the fragile surface of untouched "by hands" OLD OLD copper really must be. Something indeed to preserve, which I intend to do.
At first I rotated this while really examining it with the high X reading glasses one (try them they are great for coins). I noticed that when held on an angle, especially in sunlight, there was a layer of grey green brownish dust, or rather, grime?.....all over both sides of the coin and then I realized this is the accumulation of airborne, surface contaminants and who know what that has gently accumulated on this coin over the time it had been 'set aside'. Being an oddball size, 25mm....its odd it even circulated as much as it did but at some point at least by the end of the large cent era...or maybe longer if it circulated in Canada....it had made its way into a collection..then another and then another....
All during that time it avoided the two seconds of blitzkreiglike destruction that can occur on a copper coin with abrasives, cleaners, laquers, hand oils, metal to metal contact...it just held its old layer of scum.
It has occurred to me that this must be a VERY rare piece indeed....and how the fragile surface of untouched "by hands" OLD OLD copper really must be. Something indeed to preserve, which I intend to do.
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