Let's look at my procedure when encountering a potential new discovery
I find something different, odd, out of place...call it what you will, it's an anomaly.
Click images for large size.
In the photo is a 2017-P Ellis Island Quarter, lightly circulated, found in a mixed bank roll. This specimen has extra metal below Mr Ellis' chin, behind his head, under his nose, and in front of his eyebrow. Ellis Jr has a bit of extra metal between his lips, reminiscent of Class 8 DDR's around the Lincoln statue plus a possible bit above his thumb.
FIRST: Is it Damage?
The most common misdiagnosis for an anomaly is damage. Always assume damage, them prove otherwise.
This does not appear to be damage.
NEXT: Compare to a similar coin.
This provides a reference against which I can examine differences. Hopefully the reference I am using is a normal coin. This is a great reason to build a complete set.
Ask: Is it Machine doubling?
After damage, md is the next most confused issue.
This is not consistent with md.
Ask: Is it the result of die wear/die deterioration? No
Ask: Is it clash marks? No
I've eliminated the most common explanations.
From here I go on a binge, checking for known varieties on Wexler and Variety Vista. If none are found, the coin may be a new discovery. It may also be an incorrect diagnosis of doubling, but my experience says keep going.
I can set this aside, hunt for another just like it. This could take forever and may never happen.
I can set it aside and wait for someone else to find one. They would receive the credit for the discovery.
I can offer photos and see what other people have to say.
I can send it to be attributed. I risk a few bucks, but if I'm right I get credit for the discovery - a fine feather in one's cap.
This procedure employs deductive reasoning to eliminate known possibilities and compares the anomaly to a control.
There is science behind the madness, even if its still madness.
Long forgotten but remembered on the 1936-S Rhode Island Commemmorative Half Dollar is the story of a Pilgrim with a mailbox offering a high-five to the claw-fisted-rabbit-grasshopper-man because that's the sort of thing that went on in Rhode Island back in the day.
When dealing with new collectors and less experienced hobbyists, the subject of cleaning coins comes up with almost clockwork regularity. I wrote an article a few months back about but it was short and did not explain things in depth. The subject came up again recently so I went ahead and made it the topic of a Coin Class video.
First General Rule: Don't Clean Your Coins
THE FIRST THING THAT WASHES AWAY IS NUMISMATIC VALUE
Without getting into detail, this is a rule that is based on the experience of millions of collectors that have come before you. We've tried it all. The expected result is a coin that is reduced in value as a result.
It may be that you will have to try it for yourself to learn the lesson. If this be the case, then get right in there and get your hands dirty. I suggest trying it on some circulated Memorial Cents to get a feel for cleaning coins, see how it's done, and what it entails. Rather than risk a valuable or favorite coin the first time out of the gate, practice with a coin that already has no numismatic value. If you ruin the coin, it won't matter.
Try everything. Ask people what they use. You'll get every answer from soaking in ketchup to using a blowtorch. Lemon juice, coca-cola, toothpaste, pencil erasers, dawn, copper cleaner, metal polish, borax, laundry detergent, xylene, mineral spirits, WD-40, acetone, ammonia, bleach, denture cleaner, eye drops, Alka-Seltzer, alcohol, Windex, milk, MEK, gasoline, olive oil, and some stuff I aint never heard.
I recently called the museum down at the University of Gainesville:
"I heard on facebook that ketchup is the best way to clean antique coins and historical artifacts and I was wondering what brand you would recommend."
I can't believe they hung up on me.
Cleaning is not the same as Conservation
Conservation serves to preserve historical artifacts without damaging or altering the item. Learning proper conservation techniques will require years of study. You won't learn these techniques in a facebook post, a 5 minute video, or a short blog post.
Considerations include the surface of the object, reagents and solvents, debris identification, understanding the potential interactions of the reagents and solvents with that debris, oxidation and reduction chemistry, metallurgy, vapor and contaminant control, tools and how they react with the agents, and environmental equipment necessary for controlled exposure and treatment of the surfaces involved.
Cleaning a coin removes 2 things, debris and value. It will not restore the coin to its original appearance. It will not bring out its original luster. More often than not it will alter the surface of the coin in a manner that will forever destroy numismatic appeal. An experienced collector can tell at a glance if a coin has been cleaned. The way the coin reflects light is changed because the surfaces have been changed. While a cleaned coin may be bright, it will not offer the same cartwheel effect as when originally minted.
The cleaning methods listed above generally fall into 3 categories:
Abrasives
Pumice, fibers, grit, sand, and fine hard materials are added to cleaning products to scour a surface much like sandpaper scours paint from the hood of your car. These abrasives damage coins by scraping and gouging fine marks into the surface, diminishing details, and removing metal.
Acids
Ketchup, lemon juice, vinegar, and Coke contain acids. Phosphoric acid, citric acid, acetic acid, and more complex organic acids will interact with metals. Copper is especially affected as it is prone to reaction. These acids can etch the surface, promote oxidation, and leave permanent discoloration. In more extreme cases of acid exposure the surface can be pitted and corroded.
Solvents
These are compounds which readily draw other materials into solution. Materials are dissolved. Not just the material on the coin, but the metals of the coin itself.
Surfactants
Soaps and detergents act as surfactants, changing the properties of the solution in which they are mixed. These are great at getting the grass stains out of cotton, but we're not really talking about grass stains or cotton. The issue here is removing the surfactants from the coin which usually requires an abundance of water (a solvent), bringing exposure to whatever compounds are already in the water: chlorine, flourine, salt, acetohalenes, calcium, iron, and whatever else can be found in wells and municipal water systems. Incomplete rinsing can leave behind a film which, over time, can further damage the surface of a coin. You get one thing off but you add another.
For all the effort and expense involved in cleaning a coin, it's a sad result to learn that the value of a coin is reduced. Experienced collectors have little interest in coins that have been cleaned. Cleaned coins are dull, damaged, stained, spotted, pitted, corroded, scratched. streaked, lackluster, discolored, and altered. It is true that a cleaned coin can develop a new tone after many years but this tone is unlike naturally toned coins and again, an experienced collector can identify a retoned coin at a glance.
The reduction in value can be complete, reducing a coin to its metal value or face value. For some better dates the reduction in value may not be complete but can still be considerable, with specimens fetching less than half of the market value of an uncleaned coin. It's a crying shame to learn the coin you thought was worth $500 was reduced to $50 because you cleaned it with toothpaste 20 years before when you were just getting started in the hobby.
Grading companies such as PCGS and NGC won't extend their certification guarantee to cleaned coins. Sometimes they will return them ungraded and unslabbed. Sometimes your coin will get a Details rating which is akin to writing "Junk" on it with a crayon, and they still keep your 50 bucks.
If grime is a concern there are ways to deal with the grime without ruining your coins. Latex gloves can be purchased locally for a few bucks. These will protect your hands. You can put down a towel on your work surface to keep it clean. When you are done examining your coins, throw away the gloves and towel, wash your hands. Let that grime go down the drain rather than the value of your collection.
I've been a bit under the weather this week and have not been active on the social networks or buying/selling much. Mostly I've been napping, taking it easy, and looking at Lincoln Cent production figures. I still can't find 2014-S Proof Cent production figures. I'm not sure if there is some issue with reporting or if it's a gubmint secret but it's not yet available on the US Mint website. No matter. I've got just about everything else listed in the Coin Inventory Checklist and there's more than enough data to sift through than I know what to do with. Here's a snapshot of some interesting statistics:
Total Lincoln Cents Produced: 502,004,675,361 Caveat: Figures not yet available for San Francisco proof issues 2014-date, 2017 Enhanced Uncirculated Lincoln Cents, or a complete total for 2018 as production is in progress. Proof issues for the 4 years previous to 2014 average 1.45 Million, so a reasonable estimate of the total Lincoln Cents produced would be around 502,013,375,361. If production for 2018 is around the ballpark of 2017, by the years end a total of 509 Billion Lincoln Cents will have been produced. That's a lotta pennies! Total Number of Wheat Cents: 25,223,293,665 That includes P, D, No D, S, Proof, Matte Proof, Satin Proof, Brilliant Proof, Steel...all of em. As a percentage of the total, the Wheats account for just over 5% of all the Lincoln Cents ever made, and that figure gets smaller as more Lincolns are produced. 85% of these Wheats were produced after 1933. Total Number of Memorial Cents: 416,575,026,963 Truth be told, I'll settle for half that in cash. This is shy of 83% of the total Lincoln Cents produced. With such a high production figure, it is interesting to note the last box upon which I conducted a census contained 36% Shield Cents. Total Number of Modern Lincoln Cents: 60,206,354,733 This includes 2,372,659,372 Bicentennials in all 4 reverse designs, including business strikes, proof, and satin issues. It does not include the estimated 7 million 2014-Date Proof issues (for now). Total Number of Proof Lincoln Cents: 168,622,025 This is the total of the Matte Proofs, Satin and Brilliant 1936, and all subsequent issues through 2013, BUT does not include the estimated 7 million 2014-Date issues because I've not yet nailed those figures down. A complete collection of Proof Lincolns, including Large and Small Dates and Type 1&2 mintmarks for 1979 and 1981 would contain 85 coins. Die varieties such as the 1990 No S (less than 200 known specimens), 1971-S DDO, and others would increase the count and impressiveness of a Proof Collection. The surviving population of some of the early Matte Proofs limits the potential number of complete collections to a few hundred. 1st Year of issue: 1909 1st Year of Memorial Reverse: 1959 1st Year of Shield Reverse: 2010 Number of years with no production at Philadelphia: 1, 1922 Number of years with a P mintmark: 1, 2017 Number of years with a D mintmark: 103 Number of years with an S mintmark: 94 No S-Mint Lincolns from 1932-1934, 1955-1967, after 1974 San Francisco made only Proof Issues. No D-Mint Lincolns in 1909, 1910, 1921, 1923, 1965-1967. 1965-1967 Lincolns bear no mint marks even though they were produced at all three mints. First year of production over 1 Billion: 1941, over 1.1 billion produced at all mints. First year of production over 1 Billion at a single mint: 1944,1,435,400,000 at Philadelphia Most production in a single year: 1982, 16,729,361,847 at all 3 mints. Least production in a single year: 1922, 7,160,000, all Denver Total weight of copper used to produce Wheat Cents, 1909-1958, including proof issues:161,076,859 pounds, = 80,538 tons I really should make a point to get out of the house more.
When I was a young'un I didn't have an income to buy coins and supplies. I raked some leaves in the fall, shovelled snow in the winter, picked berries in the summer, but the idea of a paying job was years away. Being a motivated collector I wanted to organize and store the coins in my collection. This called for holders, but I didn't have money to buy them. So...I made my own.
They were not commercial grade, but they did the job.
You'll need:
A sheet of paper
A pen or pencil
A pair of scissors
Scotch tape
Ruler
The measurements are simple enough, measure a rectangle 4 inches wide, 5 inches tall. At the top, mark 1 inch squares.
At the bottom, mark rectangles 1 inch wide, 2 inches tall.
Draw the lines, cut it out, fold and tape.
The Measurements
Fold the bottom flap up.
Fold the side flaps over. Fold the top flap down.
You can make life easy on yourself, draw the above template on a piece of cardboard, cardstock or other stiff material, cut it out. Now all you have to do is trace the outline as many times as you like. You can get 4 coin holders from a single sheet of paper.
Cardboard Template
It need not be perfect, Good Enough will get the job done. I offer a video demonstration of making the holder and the template:
Next, you'll want a box to hold the holders. You can make a coin storage box just as easily.
As we saw with Lincoln Cents and Jefferson Nickels, the early proof issues and recent Satins top the list. The modern Silver Proof issues are high on the list. Being the series began post WWII the fluctuations in mintage are subdued compared to earlier series. The 1955, with a mintage of just over 12 million, is the least common business strike. Key dates for business strikes don't exist, although the 1996-W is a favorable date at #49, but was not intended for circulation.
This procedure employs deductive reasoning to eliminate known possibilities and compares the anomaly to a control.
