Questionable Color

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pmh1nic
pmh1nic Posts: 3,503 ✭✭✭✭✭
in U.S. Coin Forum

First, I will take zero offense if the consensus is the coins are questionable color. The point of the thread is trying to understand the reasons some find the color on the coins questionable. Is it the colors, how the colors are distributed or some other indicator? There are folks on the forums that know the science behind the how and why toning occurs. I’m not one of them. I’ve had both of these coins in the exact same condition for 25 years so whatever occurred happened before I got them.

Anyway, here are the best pictures I could get from different angles. Let me know what you think and why.












The longer I live the more convincing proofs I see of this truth, that God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice is it possible for an empire to rise without His aid? Benjamin Franklin

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  • MsMorrisine
    MsMorrisine Posts: 40,043 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited August 13, 2025 7:23PM
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    dunno

    my question is: how do they have that much wear and that much color?

    how were they stored when you got them?

    Current maintainer of Stone's Master List of Favorite Websites // My BST transactions
  • Goldbully
    Goldbully Posts: 18,557 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    From those images, both coins look like they've been messed with, and I'm not sure with what.

    The toning on the quarter seems reasonable.

    The pale blue on the dime obverse seems a bit questionable..

  • Crypto
    Crypto Posts: 4,098 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    A coin can tone on its 2nd or third skin. Silver remains reactive even after being messed with.

    11.5$ Southern Dollars, The little “Big Easy” set

  • MsMorrisine
    MsMorrisine Posts: 40,043 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    ok,but are they QC?

    Current maintainer of Stone's Master List of Favorite Websites // My BST transactions
  • jmlanzaf
    jmlanzaf Posts: 43,048 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    It's hard to say for sure but they look retoned over an old dip or cleaning. Hence "questionable" and not strictly "AT" or "environmental damage" etc

    All comments reflect the opinion of the author, even when irrefutably accurate.

  • MsMorrisine
    MsMorrisine Posts: 40,043 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Current maintainer of Stone's Master List of Favorite Websites // My BST transactions
  • MsMorrisine
    MsMorrisine Posts: 40,043 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited August 13, 2025 8:09PM
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    that pic is like what we need but it is slightly out of focus and overlit

    and i guess there's a new question: have they been polished/cleaned?

    Current maintainer of Stone's Master List of Favorite Websites // My BST transactions
  • pmh1nic
    pmh1nic Posts: 3,503 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    @MsMorrisine said:
    that pic is like what we need but it is slightly out of focus and overlit

    and i guess there's a new question: have they been polished/cleaned?

    Not by me and apologize for the poor photos.

    They were purchased from what was then a very active dealer in NY (Martin Rubenstein Coins in Bay Shore). They had been around for decades but since closed shop a few years ago. If the name sounds familiar the Coin Guy on YouTube mentions them as the starting place for him buying coins back in the 1970's. I purchased the coins from Rubenstein's sometime in the 1990's as you see them today.

    The longer I live the more convincing proofs I see of this truth, that God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice is it possible for an empire to rise without His aid? Benjamin Franklin
  • MsMorrisine
    MsMorrisine Posts: 40,043 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    i have my opinions but am inexperienced with stuff that's not pr70dcam first strike.

    i'll withhold them and see if others agree

    Current maintainer of Stone's Master List of Favorite Websites // My BST transactions
  • pcgsregistrycollector
    pcgsregistrycollector Posts: 2,325 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    AT IMO

    Proud follower of Christ! I love the USA! Land of the Bright and Beautiful! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

  • Mr_Spud
    Mr_Spud Posts: 7,272 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    They look like they probably were cleaned/polished a long time ago and then they retoned, some look more polished underneath the toning than others though. I think a lot of coins that old were cleaned back when that was fashionable and then the bare metal tones quicker after that. Much better looking retoned then when you see them freshly cleaned or polished and blast white.

    Mr_Spud

  • pmh1nic
    pmh1nic Posts: 3,503 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Any clues as to how the AT was accomplished?

    My understanding is some colors are not conducive to say storage in an album or the distribution of colors don't follow a natural pattern.

    The longer I live the more convincing proofs I see of this truth, that God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice is it possible for an empire to rise without His aid? Benjamin Franklin
  • MsMorrisine
    MsMorrisine Posts: 40,043 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    saying "how the AT was accomplished" implies intent and effort. it is also possible that it was cleaned and simply recolored while it sat

    Current maintainer of Stone's Master List of Favorite Websites // My BST transactions
  • jmlanzaf
    jmlanzaf Posts: 43,048 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    @MsMorrisine said:
    saying "how the AT was accomplished" implies intent and effort. it is also possible that it was cleaned and simply recolored while it sat

    This is true, especially if they are in an album or a Kraft envelope.

    All comments reflect the opinion of the author, even when irrefutably accurate.

  • DrewU
    DrewU Posts: 208 ✭✭✭✭
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    Agree with the general consensus so far, no intentional AT, just cleaning and natural secondary/tertiary toning, particularly on the dime. The cleaning is the real issue, not the retoning which actually helps with the eye appeal/value. Hard to tell on the quarter with the photos provided , could potentially be market acceptable.

  • bolivarshagnasty
    bolivarshagnasty Posts: 7,359 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Cleaned and recolored to hide cleaning.

  • gumby1234
    gumby1234 Posts: 5,901 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Old cleaning. Unintentional secondary toning that probably isn't market acceptable.

    Successful BST with ad4400, Kccoin, lablover, pointfivezero, koynekwest, jwitten, coin22lover, HalfDimeDude, erwindoc, jyzskowsi, COINS MAKE CENTS, AlanSki, BryceM

  • pmh1nic
    pmh1nic Posts: 3,503 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Well I posted images of the coin and description (including cleaning and questionable color) with a picture of the Metalitics reading, weight and diameter and sold it at a bargain price, which brought the total sales to $848 with six more coins to sell so I think I’ll squeeze $1K out of it (total group of coins). In hindsight the $450 wasn’t a lowball offer and the $250 was the other dealers way of saying he didn’t want to be bothered.

    The longer I live the more convincing proofs I see of this truth, that God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice is it possible for an empire to rise without His aid? Benjamin Franklin

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