VickySilver

My chemistry classes and background beckon, and they say, well that it is an oxidant that chemically further oxidizes the surface for removal of the top layers of the coin. Ammonia does not react with the metal surfaces so would in fact be less aggressive.

I bought this coin some years ago at, I believe, DNW (Noonan’s) or perhaps Baldwin’s. It looked like the real thing but PCGS called it counterfeit. I have a currency 1964 double reverse error confirmed but thought this bit unusual in that it was a proof only year. i looked for seams or signs of them around the edge and then, where it is sometimes seen, just inside the rim on both sides looking for a seam or the residuals of such but could find none. It weighed on balance scale (ok, old fashioned) 9.19 gms so just a bit light compared to the standard 9.4 gms. So below are some pictures and I know the usual caveats but curious if any are oreoared to advance any opinions - I might not, LOL. I might need some help if anybody wants to email me as I can’t figure out how to compress on thi newer iPhone.

Hmmm, I vote for a bit less aggressive. My fave is clear ammonia, diluted 1:1 that haw worked well on CuNi or silver coins. Try it on some cheaper bits and think you will likely see....

Sad to hear. As you will recall olive oil has an acidic pH and so not for lustrous copper coinage as you've found out.

Yikes! Not a buyer at that for sure. Too bad as I have my own "pet" collection of 1887 Young Head silvers as you might imagine. What did the currency Gothic go for?

Yes, I noticed that too - relative rarity - but maybe dependent on demand as well?

Yes, I agree that the coin is generally scarce & got a couple a few years ago, one came up MS65 at PCGS & thought it might even go higher...

Very good job on the research. Not at all sure however that the "AR" can be taken literally as the coin definitely being of silver composition as it was and continues to be used in referring to copper nickel iterations of former actual struck-in-silver coins of that denomination(s). As a side note there are some transitional issues of coins of a date that should be actual silver being struck in pattern form in Cu-ni (ie 1923 3d, 1923, 1924 shillings and the very rare 1946 shillings).... So these 1960 crown coins may well exist in silver but definitive proof would be required: wight, specific gravity and XRF testing, etc.

Hmm, I am trying to locate the upcoming sale and think my search criteria must be off.

Hmm, yes rather a mixed bag with them. I haven't gotten much the last couple of years from them as a result. I thought I recalled that you could bid live through another service such as sixbid or biddr, or ?? some other. Don't laugh, the one that is something like "insulin", LOL, or invaluable or something....

Yes, a soft strike and the surfaces actually not showing much wear.

Just a question from my forgetful self. My recall is that London Coins now has an alternated bidding site or service that allows for live bidding. Like maybe biddr.com or some such perhaps?

Ah never did post this specimen/proof 1920 florin gotten from Mark R. many years ago with the “ducktailed” milling, possibly unique. Sorry about the poor photos from his list: