great article about early copper

Great article...thanks for the link... Cheers, RickO

Yes, great article - thanks for posting!

Thanks for posting. The OP's article included a link to this older article, which FWIW I thought was even more interesting:

coinweek.com/auctions-news/is-the-naftzger-blay-18076-the-only-gem-quality-full-red-early-date-large-cent/

A juicy tidbit for analyst: the reason that I know that the eliasberg 1885 trade dollar is not universally acclaimed as the finest is because there is an example that hasn't been seen in public for decades. And it's darn nice

Thank you for the links. Mr Reynolds has a great talent for writing, and it makes for interesting reading. All the talk about "full red, and red brown" is__ way __above my collecting grade, however I found his afterthoughts in the earlier article to be very though provoking and worthy of pondering; which I will quote here:

"As for premiums that should be paid for substantial original red color, a recommendation is neither explicit nor implicit. Collectors of uncirculated early dates should ask many questions and think carefully about the characteristics of the coins being considered. A collector who puts forth much effort to understand the coins that he is buying is likely to enjoy collecting and be satisfied with his acquisitions over the long run.
It best not to think of originality in ‘all or nothing’ terms. Most early copper coins have been brushed, oiled, waxed, washed, or cleaned in some way at one time or another. Treatments are often employed to contain corrosion or mitigate the effects of corrosion that has already occurred. It is best to conceptualize ratings of coins in the category of originality, while not thinking of any coin as being 100% original."