NCS Conservation: Olympic Commemoratives Benefit from Residue Removal

Numismatic Conservation Services™ (NCS®) uses a variety of proprietary techniques to remove harmful contaminants, stabilize and protect a coin's surfaces and, in many cases, improve a coin's eye appeal. After coins are conserved by NCS, they are seamlessly transferred to Numismatic Guaranty Corporation® (NGC®), an independent affiliate of NCS, for grading and encapsulation.

Below are a few highlights of coins that were recently conserved by NCS and graded by NGC.

Years spent in a holder that is poor for long-term storage can lead to the development of some dangerous residues. This Olympic Commemorative coin of Japan issued in honor of the Tokyo games in 1964 spent several decades in a poor quality coin holder. The result of this storage in a so-called soft flip is the development of a thick opaque greenish residue that is fairly uniform over the entire coin surface.

If left unchecked, PVC residues can lead to irreversible damage to the surface of a coin. Luckily for this Olympic Commemorative, the PVC residue had not adversely affected the coin surface, and NCS conservation was able to remove the problematic residue, leading to a lustrous silver result. Following conservation, this coin was able to grade well with NGC.

Japan 1964 Olympic Commemorative Before conservation Click images to enlarge.

Japan 1964 Olympic Commemorative After conservation Click images to enlarge.

Unattractive and potentially damaging residues can develop on the surface of many modern coins. This China silver 1980 Proof strike 30 Yuan was recently submitted with an advanced case of residue development obscuring the mirrored fields. Issued in honor of the People’s Republic of China’s Olympic committee, this coin features a design of a game of historical soccer. Careful conservation work was able to remove the unattractive residue while not damaging the surface underneath. Following conservation this coin was able to grade very well with NGC.

China 1980 Proof Strike 30 Yuan Before conservation Click images to enlarge.

China 1980 Proof Strike 30 Yuan After conservation Click images to enlarge.

Poor storage conditions likely led to the development of a haze on the surface of this modern commemorative coin of Hungary. Issued in honor of the 1984 Summer games in Los Angeles, this coin had developed a thick, very opaque haze largely obscuring the mirrored fields of the Proof coin. The conservators at NCS have success in removing these kinds of ugly residues without damaging the sensitive mirrored surface underneath. Following professional conservation, this modern Hungarian commemorative coin was able to grade very well with NGC.

Hungary 1984 Silver Proof 500 Forint Los Angeles Olympic Commemorative Before conservation Click images to enlarge.

Hungary 1984 Silver Proof 500 Forint Los Angeles Olympic Commemorative After conservation Click images to enlarge.