Carbon spot.

[PWA 1967]

Open question 

I know it only really relates to bronze / copper.

Would a carbon spot put you off buying a coin (dont mean a great big one ),obviously if it was scarce you take what you can get.

Pete.

[Nordle11]

Not too much for me, doesn't deteriorate a coin and all part of it's history. I have one that I would like to upgrade because of the carbon spots, but only because it looks like someone sneezed over it  

 

 

 

[secret santa]

Does anyone know what these "carbon spots" are actually made of ? Is it truly carbon and if so, how does it occur ?

[IanB]

Would prefer not to have them but a few spots would be acceptable.

For some of my coins, carbon would be the least of their problems

Edited August 8, 2016 by IanB

[Nordle11]

Isn't it supposed to be grease/oils etc from handlers at the mint? I don't think there's a concrete explanation to why it happens though. If there is I'd like to know too!

[IanB]

Just found this

 

http://www.ncscoin.com/news/enews/2010/April/article1.asp

[Garrett]

Interesting, thanks Ian.

 

 

[PWA 1967]

This picture yesterday is what made me think of a carbon spot.

Would it put you off or would you still buy it ?.

[Nordle11]

Still a nice coin. The scratches on the obv put me off more than the carbon spot does.

[IanB]

If the price is right its worth a look, You can always send it back.

[PWA 1967]

Not sure if it may be on the plastic Matt .

[Nordle11]

Well when I look at the coin, I'm looking at the scratches and the weak breastplate (always check the breasts first). The carbon spot doesn't really draw my attention much so it probably wouldn't bother me at all.

[PWA 1967]

16 hours ago, IanB said:

If the price is right its worth a look, You can always send it back.

I did buy it cheaply Ian and broke out to send to cgs ,hoping i would get away with the spot and would grade 80.

 

[PWA 1967]

Not much happening on the forum think people must be on holiday.

These are the cgs pictures.

[Nordle11]

I'm stuck at work, took holidays too early 

Better pictures IMO. I got this the other week, has a small spot on. Although it cost me 15 quid and came with a half decent 1901, can't complain.

 

[IanB]

1 hour ago, Nordle11 said:

 

 Although it cost me 15 quid and came with a half decent 1901, can't complain.

 

 

15 quid, that a good price, I have been looking at one for £30 and its not as good as your one.

[Nordle11]

A very good price, I had been looking at a similar one for about £60 until I saw this. It's one of those ones where the seller normally sells things like old records/costume jewellery so isn't on the coin radar, just happened to spot it when I was doing the dailies and ended up winning it for a decent price.

[IanB]

Aways worth a look, especially if rewarded with a bargain.

[PWA 1967]

Why you like the 1918 you can buy it if you want Ian cheap.

It comes with two tickets  PCGS MS65 ...... CGS REJECTED 

Pete.

[IanB]

Can you PM me with a price Pete.

[1949threepence]

I do have one or two otherwise really nice coins with carbon spots. I'll be honest, I don't like them, and whenever possible I would pay more to obtain a problem free specimen. But you have to weigh quality elsewhere, with the deleterious tendency of the carbon stain. Sometimes the coin is otherwise so good, that you end up overlooking the carbon stain eyesore.   

Edited August 17, 2016 by 1949threepence

[Sword]

For me it depends a lot on where the carbon spot is. A small spot on the field like that one on the 1918 penny won't put me off. A spot near the rim is even less of a problem.  However, I won't want a coin if there is an ugly spot on the eye or mouth of the portrait for example. To be honest, I would probably rather have a slightly lower grade coin instead!

I have only ever brought one CGS coin (although I have used CGS quite a few times to slab my raw coins). On that occasion, I placed an absentee bid based on the CGS photos. Unfortunately for me, that coin has actually developed a carbon spot right next to the king's nose since it has been slabbed. Obviously, I would have never brought it if I knew it was there. 

Out of interest, on what ground did  LCGS reject the 1918? 

[PWA 1967]

I have not received the coin back yet and  so only assume the rejection was for corrosion from the spot.

Being familiar with... coin in progress... on the site i am sure its been rejected but the reason only given once put in plastic .

[azda]

9 hours ago, Sword said:

 I placed an absentee bid based on the CGS photos. Unfortunately for me, that coin has actually developed a carbon spot right next to the king's nose since it has been slabbed. Obviously, I would have never brought it if I knew it was there. 

Well that is very interesting, slabbed bronze/copper can develop carbon spotting. 

[1949threepence]

On 8/8/2016 at 8:50 AM, IanB said:

Just found this

 

http://www.ncscoin.com/news/enews/2010/April/article1.asp

Hmmm, I'm not sure about this:-

Quote

For copper-nickel coins displaying carbon spots, proper conservation can remove both the contaminants and the resulting spots. In some instances a pale ghost of the spot may remain, and removal of carbon spots will usually leave tiny bald patches in a coin’s toning. For these reasons, copper-nickel coins that undergo removal of carbon spots will typically have their toning removed as well during the conservation process. This is preferable to having such eye-catching gaps and is in the best interest of the coin’s long-term preservation.

I think I'd sooner not interfere with the coin, even with the carbon spot/s there.

With regard to the point made by Sword, about the carbon spot developing post slabbing, that is entirely plausible, as they take time to appear. What will never be known is what - or who -- caused it. Quite possibly a minute drop of saliva inadvertently left on the coin's surface, because whoever was handling it, also talked at the same time. A very good reason never to talk whilst handling coins, and to turn right away if you have to cough or sneeze !!!

The tiny and unobtrusive spots on the 1918 and 1900 examples above, would not put me off to any great degree, as the coins are otherwise superb.