Does discolored coins impact their value ??:confused:

[megatorque]

I have found some really great looking coins since I have started metal detecting this May . But one question that bothers more nights than others , is the tarnish or discolor impact the value as much as the quality of the coin itself . My latest find is a1918 Buffalo Nickel . According to the grading standards its a very fine condition coin except its carries a lot of a brownish color ,but I never read any info on grading about this ! Any one have some feedback on this topic ?? Thank you again for your help !

 

[NM5K]

I'm sure it does to some extent, vs a completely clean coin. But if the coin is real rare, it may not matter
as much. It's quite possible to further reduce the value by improper cleaning, so in most cases, I think
it's best to leave them alone. I've found certain methods of cleaning can make them look better at first,
but then as they sit for a few months, they darken up again, and often look worse than before the cleaning.
Any real valuable coin, I would do nothing more than a good soap and water cleaning, unless one knows
sure fire methods for cleaning that will last long term. Most all coin buyers will deduct for improper cleaning
I bet, and many would prefer them as is, with just the dirt washed off.
Just my 29 cents worth anyway.. I imagine others will chime in with their views.

 

[telecaster]

The only thing I can add....is....when I detected back in the 80's I found several early 1900 pennies....I showed them to a man I knew
who was a coin collector. He told me not to touch them other to wash them off with mild soap and water to remove any dirt. That
the pennies had a beautiful patina which he said increased the value to most collectors. You couldn't prove it by me but that was his
advice....at least on pennies.

 

[John-Edmonton]

Actually, some coins which have "toned" because of natural extrinsic conditions often bring a premium price. Leave them as they are

 

[megatorque]

Thank you all for the feedback , They stay the way they are !

 

[megatorque]

sorry for the blurr , it was the best I could do , but you can see all the detail , nose, eyebrow , braid in hair , all words are intact and date is clear , even on the back the fur is separated , all the face is there , all the legs are visible , tail and all words are intact . I certainly appreciate finding a coin as such , now that I understand how hard it is to even acquire a decent buffalo head nickel .

 

[cwilk]

The short answer to your question is yes. Coins with environmental damage have very little collector value left unless they are extremely rare. I found a 1798 draped bust cent that would have pretty good value had it not been buried for 200 years. On the opposite side of the conversation, treasure is usually worth more if it shows signs of being buried or submerged. My opinion is to not clean coins but you can do whatever you want to make it please your eye. Anything rare should not be cleaned. EVER!

Chris

PS FWIW I like the way that nickel looks, as is.

 

[upnorth]

Nice buff. I've seen plenty that looked like they went through an elephants colon. Every once in a while I will find a pure "nickel" nickel that sat in just the right soil at just the right heat and it took on a really sweet blue tone. Those are quite attractive.