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Blood stained? and toned? Gold Buff?

The red spots on the obverse are on the Buff.

PR70DCAM PCGS holder and I do not remember them being there.

Yes, the red spots are on the Buff and they were not there before.

Also looks like toning on both sides, but Buffs are 24KT and should not tone, correct?

Whats the ding dang deal?


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Comments

  • MikeInFLMikeInFL Posts: 10,192 ✭✭✭✭
    Copper spots. Learn to love them.

    Perhaps you should consider contacting PCGS about a spot review.
    Collector of Large Cents, US Type, and modern pocket change.
  • JimDepotJimDepot Posts: 960 ✭✭✭
    but, but, but .9999 fine gold.
    image

  • PerryHallPerryHall Posts: 47,494 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>Copper spots. Learn to love them.

    Perhaps you should consider contacting PCGS about a spot review. >>



    No copper in the gold buffalos.

    Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
    "Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
    "Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire

  • That looks awefully red to be a copper spot, but what do I know. I've bought a few SMS sets that have small, very bright red specks on them, just like your Buffalo. I would love to know what causes that.
  • BillJonesBillJones Posts: 35,740 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>No copper in the gold buffalos. >>



    At least that's what the government tells us. image
    Retired dealer and avid collector of U.S. type coins, 19th century presidential campaign medalets and selected medals. In recent years I have been working on a set of British coins - at least one coin from each king or queen who issued pieces that are collectible. I am also collecting at least one coin for each Roman emperor from Julius Caesar to ... ?
  • ElKevvoElKevvo Posts: 4,196 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I have a couple that came from the Mint like that...same red spots...

    K
    ANA LM
  • meluaufeetmeluaufeet Posts: 768 ✭✭✭
    My 2006 started 'spotting' around 2007, seemed to peek in 2008... I said to myself #$%^ and put it away...

    I just checked it again, and it actually looks better... really weird... they seem to be going away, the same way it showed up (out of nowhere).

    I'll look at it again next year.
  • TomBTomB Posts: 22,946 ✭✭✭✭✭
    The Buffalo might very well be 0.9999 fine gold, but that doesn't mean that there couldn't be a contaminant film on the coin that is reacting with the atmosphere.
    Thomas Bush Numismatics & Numismatic Photography

    In honor of the memory of Cpl. Michael E. Thompson

    image


  • << <i>contaminant film >>



    ????
  • PerryHallPerryHall Posts: 47,494 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>

    << <i>contaminant film >>



    ???? >>



    Perhaps oil transfered from the dies?

    Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
    "Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
    "Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire

  • JimDepotJimDepot Posts: 960 ✭✭✭


    << <i>The Buffalo might very well be 0.9999 fine gold, but that doesn't mean that there couldn't be a contaminant film on the coin that is reacting with the atmosphere. >>




    Like milkspots on the Silver Eagles?

    That could cause the toning, but what about the red spots?
    image

  • I don't pay any attention to the modern stuff, but that is a pretty coin!
  • I'm no help here, Jim. But if it was mine, I'd be bummed.
  • crazyhounddogcrazyhounddog Posts: 14,203 ✭✭✭✭✭
    You want blood?image
    The bitterness of "Poor Quality" is remembered long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten.
  • adamlaneusadamlaneus Posts: 6,969 ✭✭✭
    My theory is that when they start up a new die, they have a rag that they give it a wipe with, to clear away any grease. This rag is used for wiping many dies before production starts.
    This rag, along the way, picks up flecks of metal from the coin striking process. Part of the dust in the mint is made of metal, I am sure. Some of it bronze.

    It does not take much in the way of dust to contaminate a rag such that when you wipe down the next die, you might deposit a fleck of bronze dust.
    Which will get smashed into the surface of the first coin or so.

    Perhaps this is a true indicator of First Strike?
  • My 2006 proof buff had the exact same red spots. As soon as I saw the title of your thread, I knew what you were talking about. They were there when I received it from the Mint. None of my 2008 buffs had them. I would also love to know their origin.
    Successful BST transactions: clackamas, goldman86, alohagary, rodzm, bigmarty58, Hyperion, segoja, levinll, dmarks
  • fcloudfcloud Posts: 12,133 ✭✭✭✭
    The mint knew about the issue, but didn't offer a remedy.

    President, Racine Numismatic Society 2013-2014; Variety Resource Dimes; See 6/8/12 CDN for my article on Winged Liberty Dimes; Ebay

  • Me think um' the indian got in a fight..... image
  • CaptHenwayCaptHenway Posts: 33,782 ✭✭✭✭✭
    There was a lot of publicity about red spotting on the 2006 gold buffalos back in that year. The official explanation is that the spots are caused by tiny spots of oil from the coin presses. Apparently they identified the cause of the problem and fixed it, as I never heard of it on a later year.
    TD
    Numismatist. 54 year member ANA. Former ANA Senior Authenticator. Winner of four ANA Heath Literary Awards; three Wayte and Olga Raymond Literary Awards; Numismatist of the Year Award 2009, and ANA Lifetime Achievement Award 2020. Also won the PNG's Robert Friedberg Award for "The Enigmatic Lincoln Cents of 1922," Available now from Whitman or Amazon.
  • PerryHallPerryHall Posts: 47,494 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>

    << <i>No copper in the gold buffalos. >>



    At least that's what the government tells us. image >>



    Maybe the red spots are occurring where the 24K plating is a little too thin.image

    Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
    "Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
    "Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire

  • Halfhunter06Halfhunter06 Posts: 1,342 ✭✭✭
    perhaps you should send t back to PCGS for a grade review, and hopefully some money back
  • rickoricko Posts: 98,724 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I would tend to believe it is an external contaminant. Being .9999 pure gold does not mean there could not be a minor inclusion, but it would unlikely produce spots of such magnitude. A bath in alcohol or acetone would likely remove the spots. Perhaps even just hot water would work. Use nitrile gloves. Cheers, RickO
  • WoodenJeffersonWoodenJefferson Posts: 6,491 ✭✭✭✭
    You advising him to crack out a PR-70 DCAM and rub it with alcohol? image
    Chat Board Lingo

    "Keep your malarkey filter in good operating order" -Walter Breen
  • greghansengreghansen Posts: 4,301 ✭✭✭
    Wow, that sucks for sure. I'd be bummed with it in a 70DCAM slab.

    Greg Hansen, Melbourne, FL Click here for any current EBAY auctions Multiple "Circle of Trust" transactions over 14 years on forum

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