Which of these have been dipped?

Choice #1



Choice #2



Choice #3

I'm never one to be shy with an opinion even when it is a total guess.

On my monitor...

1 and 3 look to be circ. 2 looks Unc-ish as I can discern luster. 1 looks odd, kind of hazyish and has a splotch to it but that could be from something that happened in circulation, I guess, maybe. 2 and 3 look almost like they had some darkening done.

I will vote all 3 have had work so the real answer is probably none.

First one just doesn't look right. Not like any circulated Lincoln I've seen.

I'd guess #2 has been treated. The photo makes it hard to tell because the damage to luster is one of the key diagnostics.

Well, this poll is more an experiment to see if the color of a dipped copper coin or coins is a dead giveaway or not.

If I just went by the color I see on my screen, #1 would be the one I was most suspect of. But, I have a cheap monitor and I have to ramp up the brightness and contrast on it to get stuff to look decent.

#1 strikes me as wrong.

I guess one and three.

I think they are all wrong. . . .

One and three look kinda hinky to me. Gonna have to go with the gut check.

I voted #1.
The coloring is reminiscent of a cent that I left sitting in some diet Dr. Pepper for a few weeks.

1 and 3 have the often seen orange like color that indicates a dipping in a mild acid solution. 2 looks like a coin showing normal luster.

1 and 3 look dull.

copper reacts adversely to even mildly acidic solutions like 5% acetic acid. #2 has some spots that wouldn't be there if it had been dipped, imo.

I voted 1, though #3 strikes me as a bit suspicious. What makes me unsure about 3 is that while the color is off, there is still some shine (not luster) to it which makes me think it may not have been dipped, or perhaps not long anyhow. #2 seems to still have its luster and "normal" color.

1 and 3. Both are pinkish.

I voted 1 and 3


I once put some tabasco on a cent and it looked rather nice at first, but then became real ugly. The colour of #1 reminds me of that

I'm sure the feeling is mutual.

Always hard to tell from a scan but #1 looks odd to me. #'s 2 & 3 seem Ok.

A great deal depends on the elapsed time since dipping. Often copper coins can take weeks or even months before changing colors after dipping. Also, how color appears on various computer monitors can vary greatly.

That being said, I'd guess #1 only was dipped.

OK answer please!!!

I am interested in knowing myself!

Looks like most people think 1 has been dipped. A lot of people think 3 has been dipped and not too many people think 2 has been dipped.

Only me and Rodney don't like any of them.

I think that all 3 coins were dipped. The third has that lack luster fuzzy look. The second has that gold like toning that dipped Unc copper usually has. The first has a mottled look to it. Maybe it was extreamly brown and the dip was unable to lighten some of the darker spots. I could be way off but this is my guess.

1 and 3 look suspect.

So are you going to let us know?

1 and 3 look spotted so those are the obvious choices. If number 2 turns out to be the one dipped please pass along the recipe

OK Then. In the aggregate 87.5% of votes thought #1 was dipped. 18.75% thought #2 was dipped and 68.75% thought #3 was dipped.

The majority is correct! #1 and #3 were indeed dipped.
#1 was circulated and is pretty obvious.
#2 was taken from my cent album where it's been for over a decade, it has never been unnaturally touched.
#3 would have been harder to detect. I did the reverse right but on the obverse I left the dip on a little longer than I wanted. I think I could have gotten it to 50/50

Anyway, all in all, copper dipping is the easiest to spot and the method most likely to damage your coins. Copper reacts quickly with the acids used in coin cleaners so only the most superficial dip or use of a weak acid has a chance of succeeding.

I think doing a poll like this with silver coins would yield almost random results.

As always, clean your coins as little as possible, usually not at all. If you do need to play with copper I recommend cream of tartar in distilled water, check on the coin every 30 minutes. Always practice on junk and clean at your own risk.

Hey I got it right!!!! Maybe I'm finally learning something after all these years.

Thanks for the cool quiz.

On the reverse of #3, the only big giveaway is the pink spot in the field under the Memorial

I used the fast stuff too (nic-a-lene) which is really hard to control on copper.

Great little exercise!

The best technique I have found in altering copper coins is the old tried and true thumbing. While it won't work on all cents, when it does the results are very nice.

The coin is visibly brightened AND the minor hits and scuffs are filled in by the skin oils which contributes to the increased appearance of luster.

But, is that really altering the coin? Nothing unnatural is being applied except maybe some unnatural pressure from your own fingertips. Now it won't change a ag3 into ms67 but it does alter the coin, is that unethical?

You know, that works well on cleaning up ancient bronzes as well. After getting the crusty dirt off human oils, rubbing the coins and acrrying them for a few days, really seem to help with the final cleaning process.

I wonder if there's something like human skin oil one can buy. When I google all I get is suspect PR for emu oil.