While searching through change (whether it be my own, in my mother's purse, or that red bucket stores strangely put out during the holidays) you always manage to find a couple beaten coins that have experienced unfortunate events or that have simply been exposed to the elements.
I have seen many of said coins throughout my 10 years of collecting but non of them compare to the ones I find in Mexico. I swear when these coins damage they only get more interesting, I dare call it art. Long story short I now have a new collection of these unique pieces, or maybe I've reached a new low in my obsession🤔
What do you guys think? Have any oddies of your own?
Verdigris is a serious problem in our climate - Warm subtropical humid in the north and warm temperate humid in the south.
I have heaps of pennies that turn green with little wear. Sadly all of our coinage was Bronze, Silver with 40% copper and Cupronickel, so a lot of verdigris in our damp conditions.
Literally every lot I buy has one or more green coins in it. I have to separate them out as contact causes spreading - its like coin coronavirus!
I love coins. Especially silver, gold and anything really old.
Member of the Royal Numismatic Society of New Zealand and the Auckland Numismatic Society
I have a small secondary collection of such pieces (mostly from circulation). It is interesting to see the variety of damage that people or environment can do even to durable coins.
Quote: "Moneytane"Literally every lot I buy has one or more green coins in it. I have to separate them out as contact causes spreading - its like coin coronavirus!
Corrosion, such as verdigris, is caused by the coin's environment, not by contact.
The 5 peso coin on the top left I found on a beach in Sonora, it has a big tumor like bump from the oxidation. One of the 2 peso coin has a center worn out till it's plain!
I do try to sought out the ones that have green verdigris, I've also recreated the Mexican flag using the big 50 centavo pieces (as you can see it's ordered green, white, and red
Quote: "ThePoet"No beauty in ugly.
time present or time past.
They are good coins to practice cleaning techniques on. I have a bucket of them. And they are not looking good.
Like most collectors, I'm not very fond of damaged coins, but sometimes, they do trigger ones fantasy of what could have happened.
Anyways, I have chosen an abused Curaçao token for my avatar. The obverse legend of it is "L x C", and it looks as if somebody has put a nail on the x and tried to drive it through. It looked like a Vietnamese straw hat when I got it, but I managed to flatten it back a bit.
Quote: "ThePoet"No beauty in ugly.
time present or time past.
They are good coins to practice cleaning techniques on. I have a bucket of them. And they are not looking good.
Is Acetone in this list?
one of many chemicals I have tried. It is a good solvent. Try it on some of your ugly coins to see what it can do. That is why I suggest practice. See if it suits your need. Always in a well ventilated location.
When inspecting coins, I dig through piles that I get from the bank. In doing so I see if I can replace some of the ones I already have for better conditioned ones. Obviously I ignore the dirty ones, but with some you can see but wonder "how the hell did that happened". I could be from the way it oxidized, the strange way it damaged.
As collectors we breeze through coins spotting out the good the ones of high value, essentially the ones you can trade or is of high value. I guess it's really just your perspective on the matter and the underlying reason as to why you collect. I think they're unique, and I would defiantly display them on a frame whether it be for symbolism for time, a political statement, or maybe even (most likely) for the humor/irony in it.
I will share pictures of some selected beauties from my collection.
One layer of the Irish two cents is partly peeled off.
Lithuanian two cents (second coin in the 2nd row) have pimples. What was the chemical process behind that effect?
The US pennies (last two in 2nd row) are decorated with concrete. I bought them together with cleaner coins in a bulk lot.
50 eurocents is a relatively durable coin (try to bend it manually). But someone managed to change it in this way.
This Taiwanese coin, together with the holed one from Thailand (which is seen in the picture above), I received through exchange with a Taiwanese collector. I guess someone wore them as adornments on neck. Can you imagine how poor they should have been in order to use these coins in such a way?
Quote: "numinis"Can you imagine how poor they should have been in order to use these coins in such a way?
You know, you tend to see that a lot with Mexican coins throughout the 70s and 80s. Back in those days, as the problem with inflation grew, coins would changed a lot to materials of lower value. When you do find them your lucky to find one in good condition. You go into local market in Mexico and occasionally you'll find someone selling these in bunches (usually at like 5 pesos). I saw a 1000 peso coin that was drilled to make a necklace, it looked like it was worn for a long time. I feel like those coins can really be symbolic as to the economic situation of that country.
Some would find this farthing ugly due to the black splotches on it and general discolouration.
But look past it and what you see is a coin in really good condition.
Most people would think eew yuck - but I see a farthing with hardly
any wear. This coin is high VF's but I got in a lot of junk that
included worn pennies and silver shillings that were discs.
Thank God I discovered this beauty and now its in my best
album near the gleaming half crowns I am famous for.
I love coins. Especially silver, gold and anything really old.
Member of the Royal Numismatic Society of New Zealand and the Auckland Numismatic Society
The wear and general ugliness of these pieces covers an inner beauty
Good condition (Just)
Good/aGood
These worn 1924 silver UK coins probably spent right up to 1971 in circulation.
Half silver coins never reached face value of silver til the 70s and they circulated
alongside cupronickel coins and the shilling may have even served as a 5p piece up to
1990. Think about it - nearly 50 years in circulation, imagine the pockets these
two coins have been, the stories they could tell and the history they espouse.
Just imagine - this is what they may have looked like in say 1925
High VF (Sorry I don't have an UNC coin to show 1924!)
And by say 1940 they looked like this (Just imagine the dates on these coins are 1924 too)
Fine - Fine+
And by 1955 like this VG - aVG
Coins are not only collectable, they tell stories.
With worn coins, you can create a life story!
I love coins. Especially silver, gold and anything really old.
Member of the Royal Numismatic Society of New Zealand and the Auckland Numismatic Society
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