NCS Conservation: July Highlights

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 Corporation (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.

This proof 1962 Franklin Half Dollar was submitted for NCS conservation to remove evidence of years of improper storage. A thick residue coated the surface, completely obscuring the original surface. Residues such as this frequently develop with storage in poor-quality coin holders in a less-than-ideal environment. If left untreated, residues such as this can lead to permanent damage to the surface. Luckily, however, this brilliant Proof Half was able to be conserved removing the residue but not damaging the original surface. The coin was able to grade well with NGC following conservation.

1962 Franklin Proof Half Dollar Before conservation Click images to enlarge.

1962 Franklin Proof Half Dollar After conservation Click images to enlarge.

Green is not a desirable color for a copper coin. Oxidized copper is generally green in color, so when this appears on the surface of a copper coin, it is often an indication of some corrosion. This 1901 Indian Head Cent was recently sent to NCS to address the green residues and light corrosion that had developed on the surface due to years of improper storage. The green was able to be removed successfully on this cent leaving minimal impact on the original surface. This coin was able to grade with NGC following conservation.

1901 Indian Head Cent Before conservation Click images to enlarge.

1901 Indian Head Cent After conservation Click images to enlarge.

This circulated 1870-S Gold $5 came to NCS in need of help to remove some heavy orange-red encrustation on the reverse. Heavy residues such as this can be found on classic gold coins from all around the world, likely due to storage long before the coin was part of a collection. All residue was able to be successfully removed from this rare date gold coin, allowing the piece to grade with NGC.

1870-S Gold $5 Before conservation Click images to enlarge.

1870-S Gold $5 After conservation Click images to enlarge.

For more information about NCS, visit www.NGCcoin.com/NCS.