Art Coloring

[Hoot]

Hi John - A coin that I just got word on, a 1931-S Lincoln cent, was determined to have "Art Color" (artifical color - ) and not graded. I thought the coin was simply a nice looking red cent, can you explain what this is for copper, help me identify coloring that is indicative of the condition and avoid the pitfall in the future?

 

Thanks, Hoot

[John Maben]

Hoot,

 

Unlike artificial toning where color is added, artificial color is usually used to describe copper coins that have been dipped in any type of cleaning solution. While dipping is often acceptable in non copper coins, it is generally not tolerated in the marketplace on copper and therefore NGC will not grade those we believe have been dipped. It's difficult to describe other than the color simply isn't natural and often is a bit too pink or orange. It's a good idea to examine the edges to see what color they are because normally (but not in all cases) the edges will be brown or somewhat toned even if the surfaces are red if the coin is original. This can really get tricky because over time dipped copper will often "tone back" and start to look original again! Hang in there and look at as many coins as possible. The more you look at, the more the ones that aren't quite right will jump out at you.

 

John