Help for 2 coins, please : 2 Pence 1797 & 1/2 Crown 1887 [solved]

5 posts
Hello all!
I’m fairly new here. Could anybody please give me a hand with the following questions, for two coins?
1) 1797 George III 2 Pence
2) 1887 Victoria Half-Crown

1) 1797 GEORGE III 2 PENCE:
VERDIGRIS ON LETTERING: I got it not too long ago online. Should I be concerned about the quaint-but-sinister-looking verdigris in the lettering and the date? Will it spread? If so, what should I do to clean it up and prevent spread? Toothpick? A product? I suspect that the lightened patch on George’s laurels was perhaps the result of efforts to clean up former verdigris. Any thoughts?

DATE ERROR? Is the slanting on the right side of each of the numbers in 1797 (see photo above) a date error? I’ve seen some very crisp dates online for other cartwheel counterparts, but mine is decidedly sloped on a 45 degree angle on its way down to the trench. Does this add to the value?
GRADE AND VALUE? How much might it be worth with and without the verdigris issue taken care of? Mine has only two small edge dings, and the details are fairly clear but the lighter patch on George III probably decreases the value.


2) 1887 VICTORIA HALF-CROWN


TONING OR DIRT? My newbie eyes don’t know whether the dark around DEI GRATIA is toning or just plain old dirt. As well, I’m not accustomed to seeing such a greenish hue on silver. Was this because the coin was an unfortunate wallet-mate with copper pennies for a hundred years or so or is there another cause? Is it because the .075 that it not silver has copper in it? Should I ever give a light rub with a soft cloth to such a coin, or never?
GRADE AND VALUE? I bought it for 12$CAD in 1995, when I was but a mere lad, but I’ve seen some sell for a lot online. How much might it be worth?

GENERAL UNRELATED QUESTION. It’s easy to see the difference between a recent proof piece and a regular one from the same year, but my eyes don’t really see the difference when it’s over a hundred years old. Is it the texture or the detail? Any hints? Why do people sometimes say “proof-like” if it’s not proof?

Thanks and best regards,
RMcK
#2 silver would not have that much green toning
Non est totum quod splendet ut aurum
Rijkdom bestaat niet uit het hebben van veel bezittingen, maar in het hebben van weinig behoeften
The 2 cartwheel pence I am familiar with. I would say it would grade between a VF-XF. Price guide for it is right here:


https://ngccoin.com/price-guide/world/great-britain-2-pence-km-619-1797-cuid-1150105-duid-1324577
Quote: "PetrusAscanus"​#2 silver would not have that much green toning
​that is classic PVC damage.
should be able to remove that with Acetone
If you like coins, medals and tokens with ship motives follow my new instagram account with regular updates @numisnautiker
From time to time I sell some coins on Ebay make sure to follow me @apuking on Ebay.
Thanks to all.

Regarding the half-crown's greenish toning, Apuking's PVC damage hypothesis is the most logical one, since it weighs exactly what it is supposed to weigh, and after all, it has been in a transparent coin envelope since 1995 (which I will promptly throw out...) I will try the acetone remedy. Any idea of the grading for this one?

Thanks to jacemcdonald for his grading of the Cartwheel 2 Pence.
Any ideas on the gravity of the verdigris in the lettering and whether something should be done about it?

Regards,

RMcK
Topic locked (Numista Robot, 4-Jan-2020, 06:44)
Status changed to Solved (RMcK, 1-Dec-2020, 04:06)

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