Don't whiz on your coins!

dsessom · February 23, 2011 10:35AM

Earlier today, I was chatting with Rick Snow and he pointed out that I had a whizzed coin on my website and that I should pull it because it made me look bad.
I admit, I was ignorant to what a "whizzed" coin actually was. I always thought it meant they were cleaned with a special cleaner. I'd never thought to actually educate myself on the term.
Needless to say, when Rick advised to pull it, I did so. Then, I commenced learning about what "whizzing" really was, and of course Rick was absolutely right. I actually got this IHC from a local B&M for about $25 or so, and it's marked "UNC". Anyway, I thought I'd make an example of it for anyone out there like me who doesn't quite know what "whizzed" is. This is a prime example.

This is a quote from the article linked below.

"In its simplest form, whizzing a coin is done by attaching a wire brush to the end of an electric screwdriver and using the high revolutions to move the metal on the coin's surface. More sophisticated whizzing involves putting artificial luster on the coin after the initial wire brushing is completed. The results can be a coin that appears to have the most phenomenal luster you've ever seen."

Here Come The Whiz Kids

And here are the best pictures of my whizzed coin that I could take. Notice all the metal build up along the edges of the lettering and devices, and the PL looking fields.

And a big THANK YOU to Rick Snow for the education!

MsMorrisine · February 23, 2011 10:48AM

newb question: does anything about the color give it away?

coinkid855 · February 23, 2011 10:51AM

The luster is just really off on that coin. It should be pretty easy to spot that something is wrong with it.

-Paul

Broadstruck · February 23, 2011 10:51AM

Whizzing was a more popular doctoring form in the 80's and is more often seen on silver coinage.

dsessom · February 23, 2011 11:01AM

<< <i>The luster is just really off on that coin. It should be pretty easy to spot that something is wrong with it.

-Paul >>

That's actually WHY I bought it. It caught my eye and I thought it was PL. Nothing like an education at the School of Hard Knocks...

GrumpyEd · February 23, 2011 11:04AM

<< <i> newb question: does anything about the color give it away? >>

Maybe but if it has a little retoning like the OP coin then it would be hard to spot it.

Some whizzed coins will have nice cartwheel and sort of "to good to be true" look until you look closer.
The obv of this one looked sort of like the one in the OP and you could see metal built up and if you looked close you could see a light pattern. The reverse might have had some woodgrain and the whizzing seemed to dig it out.

JRocco · February 23, 2011 11:17AM

If you are a NASCAR fan think about the "marbles" found along the walls in the curves.
A whizzed coin leaves "marbles " next to the design elements, including the rims and dentils.

Find the marbles and you got a whizzed coin.

Raybo · February 23, 2011 11:44AM

I have one!

lcoopie · February 23, 2011 12:46PM

great post

EagleEye · February 23, 2011 12:48PM

As I explained it, whizzing is just about as bad as counterfeiting. However the coin is genuine, but the grade is faked. A VF coin is made to look BU. When I get them in a collection, I don't resell them, even to "junk" dealers. They get thrown in with the counterfeits. I don't want them to get passed off again as BU.

Thanks for sharing the coins, Dwayne.

TennesseeDave · February 23, 2011 12:50PM

I have one coin that has been whizzed and it is also an Indian cent.I originally bought it at a small show in the early 90's as an unc.I think I paid around $20.I sent it to Anacs where I learned about whizzing.The seller had almost every date of Indian cent including an 1877 that looked awesome for $1000.It too was most likely whizzed,I am glad I did not have $1000 to spare.

DuCrozat · February 23, 2011 1:12PM

Years ago, when I was ignorant and young, I bought a little wire brush for coin "cleaning". It was marketed specifically for that, and claimed "not to harm the coin!".

Liars.

johnny9434 · February 24, 2011 3:55AM

<< <i>Years ago, when I was ignorant and young, I bought a little wire brush for coin "cleaning". It was marketed specifically for that, and claimed "not to harm the coin!".

Liars. >>

ill bet they sold tons of them to

magikbilly · February 24, 2011 4:45AM

"Don't whiz on your coins!"

ON? Well, that method, more or less, worked for Warhol (or a studio boy at least) and his "oxidation paintings"

Eric

ubercollector · February 24, 2011 4:51AM

Great post! Thanks for sharing.

Fairlaneman · February 24, 2011 5:38AM

"Some whizzed coins will have nice cartwheel and sort of "to good to be true" look until you look closer."

Whizzed coins have no cartwheel. The have a flat sheen that could be mistaken for luster if you do not know what you are looking at. Look at the Indian the OP put up. The light just cascades across the whole coin with no cartwheel present.

Rick and I finally agree on something. Every whizzed coin I have received I have kept. One of these years they will get severly damaged to keep them out of the hands of scammers.

Ken

magikbilly · February 24, 2011 5:42AM

Hi,

Although terribly rudimentary, a "cartwheel" effect can be sort of reproduced with an eraser (grittier first, then on to PVA) after a "proper" whiz with a fine brush. It seems to look best on Walking Liberty 50C, but the ones I have seen would fool no one but a novice even after they re-tone.

Best,
Eric

Edited to add " and " to the word proper - there is no proper way to whiz anything!

timber100 · February 24, 2011 1:15PM

Is this coin whizzed or just polished/cleaned?

Edited to add, sorry about poor pics, just starting to try to figure out coin photography.

dsessom · February 24, 2011 10:18PM

<< <i>Is this coin whizzed or just polished/cleaned?

Edited to add, sorry about poor pics, just starting to try to figure out coin photography. >>

Looks like it may be whizzed but we really need close-ups to tell for sure.

Don't whiz on your coins!

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