NCS Conservation: Liberty Rejuvenated

Numismatic Conservation Services™ (NCS®) uses a variety of proprietary techniques to remove harmful surface 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 Company® (NGC®), an independent affiliate of NCS, for grading and encapsulation. Below are a few highlights of coins that were conserved by NCS and graded by NGC recently.

Residues can not only obscure details and hide the true potential of a coin but cause the beginning stages of permanent corrosion. This 1894 Liberty Nickel was recently submitted for NCS conservation to address a detail-obscuring residue that had developed in the design and in the fields. Residues such as this commonly form on copper-nickel coins and can be a challenge to remove. Once expertly removed, this coin was revealed to be bright and lustrous with minimal permanent marks from decades of residue development. After professional conservation this coin was able to grade well with NGC.

1894 Liberty Nickel Before conservation Click images to enlarge.
1894 Liberty Nickel After conservation Click images to enlarge.

Many times, residues form long before a coin is a prized part of a collection. This 1927-S Peace Dollar was submitted to NCS to remove a heavy amount of yellow and brown residue across the centers of both sides. This residue may have developed through long-term storage in a poor-quality coin holder but also could have developed long before the piece was part of a collection. The thick residues on this Silver Dollar were carefully removed, revealing a flashy white silver coin. Following the professional conservation, this coin was able to grade well with NGC.

1927-S Peace Dollar Before conservation Click images to enlarge.
1927-S Peace Dollar After conservation Click images to enlarge.

Long-term storage in soft flips containing PVC can result in dreaded PVC residue, which can cause permanent damage to the surface of a coin. This key date 1916 Standing Liberty Quarter Dollar had developed clear PVC residue in the form of spotty green residues on many of the high points of the design. The professional conservators at NCS are frequently called upon to remove PVC residue. With this particular quarter, removal of the residue was possible while leaving the natural toning of this valuable coin largely intact. After the PVC residue spots were successfully removed, this coin was able to grade numerically with NGC.

1916 Standing Liberty Quarter Before conservation Click images to enlarge.
1916 Standing Liberty Quarter After conservation Click images to enlarge.

For more information about NCS, visit NGCcoin.com