Has this $5 Gold Indian been puttied?
GRANDAM
Posts: 8,785 ✭✭✭✭✭
I have owned this coin for several years and purchased it at auction. I recently deceided to sell it and took some photos. In the photos I noticed an area on both the obverse and reverse that appear to be a different color than the rest of the coin,,,,,, never noticed this in-hand before.
So has this coin been puttied?
The areas that I am asking about are by the chin near the rim and thru the motto on the reverse?
GrandAm 
0
Comments
Look just like it to my eyes.
bob
Maybe so. Chief Putty Knife?
It does look a little odd in the photos JMO
Successful transactions with : MICHAELDIXON, Manorcourtman, Bochiman, bolivarshagnasty, AUandAG, onlyroosies, chumley, Weiss, jdimmick, BAJJERFAN, gene1978, TJM965, Smittys, GRANDAM, JTHawaii, mainejoe, softparade, derryb, Ricko
Bad transactions with : nobody to date
Does anyone know the best way to handle this?
Regrade,,, guaranteed resubmission,,,some other service?
appears to just be the luster that makes it look like a different color to me
I don't see anything wrong with it.
Could it possibly be from the lighting?
Now that you know it is there, can you see it in hand?
Good idea,,,,, I'll get it out when I get a chance and take another look,,,,, I'll try new photos if I don't still see it.
I have it for sale and someone told me it was puttied so I was wondering,,,,,,,,
It is concerning and very well may be puttied.
Did that person make an offer? If so, probably not puttied and was just a negotiating tactic. Also possible that someone attempted to "clean" the coin to remove residue and did some very selective dipping to just the specific areas. Is it in a NGC or PCGS holder and if so was it identified as cleaned?
I'm leaning toward no from those pictures.
PCGS MS63+ holder
Offered me a low ball price
Looks ok; guarantee submissions can easily take 4 months with the "restoration".
Did you try a blacklight on the coin? Sometimes that will show putty... That being said, the comment plus a low ball offer usually means negative negotiating... Cheers, RickO
hmmm. interesting. i would pass on puttied coins...not offer to buy them.
sounds like a weak negotiation tactic to me. "oh this coin has a problem, i'll give you melt for it!" whatever.
i don't see anything wrong. the areas you describe are lighter in the photos because of the coin luster. is that what you are talking about?
you say you've had it a couple years...putty would turn milky and/or waxy looking. trust me, you would not be wondering if there "might be" putty, you'd be more like what is that cr@p on my coin?
take the coin and rotate it under the light. you should see swirling luster on an ms63+ coin...with no obvious breaks in the swirl.
rotation of a puttied coin under a light reveals impaired luster, that does not reflect back (in the affected area) the same way the rest of the coin's luster does.
Nice to see ricko and steveben affirmed my suspicions. If it does turn out to be puttied I assume PCGS would step in to provide compensation.
It looks ok to me.
My YouTube Channel
I sold my blacklight back in 1979 along with my 18" bellbottom pants and my 3" clog heels.
I will check the coin again when I get home later.
You were a true 'Disco Daddy'....
Cheers, RickO
You must have had a 'great' hat, maybe with a partridge feather in it
Successful transactions with : MICHAELDIXON, Manorcourtman, Bochiman, bolivarshagnasty, AUandAG, onlyroosies, chumley, Weiss, jdimmick, BAJJERFAN, gene1978, TJM965, Smittys, GRANDAM, JTHawaii, mainejoe, softparade, derryb, Ricko
Bad transactions with : nobody to date
PS I went to a disco once
Successful transactions with : MICHAELDIXON, Manorcourtman, Bochiman, bolivarshagnasty, AUandAG, onlyroosies, chumley, Weiss, jdimmick, BAJJERFAN, gene1978, TJM965, Smittys, GRANDAM, JTHawaii, mainejoe, softparade, derryb, Ricko
Bad transactions with : nobody to date
Send it to JA
mark
Fellas, leave the tight pants to the ladies. If I can count the coins in your pockets you better use them to call a tailor. Stay thirsty my friends......
No updates on this?? Cheers, RickO
Sorry, I have not been home, will update this weekend.
Let me pile on. Yes.
The other color to look for is bluish haze on gold. Many coins w/altered surfaces (especially gold) got into TPGS holders in the old days. These are still around and come on the market. Apparently, the "putty" color of the OP's coin that resembles "skin" always had the sandy color. The blue haze develops over time from another chemical process.
Florescent light is helpful in detecting chemical surface alterations.
Well, I looked at the coin again and I don't see any difference in color unless looking at it thru my camera. If I tilt the angle of the camera I can make what I thought was the different color move all around the coin as I tilt it.
I can also see the cartwheel luster go all around as I tilt the coin so I no longer think it was puttied.
Thanks for all the help and tips provided in this post.
A true "black" (ultraviolet) light won't work for viewing a coin in a slab because the plastic slab material absorbs almost all of the UV light. A violet-colored (non-UV visible wavelength) light source might still show something useful, however.
@dcarr....Thanks Dan.... Good distinction, I have only used it on raw gold, so was not aware of that. Cheers, RickO
it looks like a nice indian...properly graded, nothing to worry about. don't sell it short!