Geoff runs Genuine Cents, a straight talking coin education project built from hands-on experience and hundreds of hours examining coins. He is an ANA member and writes practical guides for new and returning collectors who want clarity instead of hype. If you want to reach him, message him on Instagram at @GenuineCents.
Every now and then, you’ll come across a U.S. coin that looks a little too shiny for its own good – mirror-like surface, strange hue, sometimes even “golden.” If it’s a common date, has no mint error, and doesn’t make sense for the coin type… odds are you’ve found a plated coin. A plated coin…
Acetone gets thrown around a lot in coin forums. Sometimes as a miracle fix, sometimes as a dangerous tool for people who don’t know what they’re doing. The truth is somewhere in the middle. Acetone is a solvent that can safely remove certain types of surface contaminants without damaging the metal underneath, if it’s used…
Tarnish has a way of pushing collectors toward bad decisions. You pick up a coin that should have nice details, but it’s dulled with a layer of dark gray or brown. It looks dirty. You know it’s just surface buildup, so why not clean it? This is one of the most common traps newer collectors…
Tarnish is the thin layer of surface discoloration that forms on a coin when it reacts with elements in the environment like oxygen, sulfur, or moisture. It’s not deep corrosion, and it doesn’t usually eat into the metal. Instead, tarnish sits on the surface and changes the coin’s color. Sometimes slightly, sometimes dramatically. It’s most…
A common story pops up in the coin collecting world: a grandparent saves coins for decades, and when they pass away, the family wonders if they’ve stumbled into a small fortune. But more often than not, what’s left behind isn’t a curated collection, it’s a hoard. And there’s a big difference. Let’s break down why…
In the world of coin collecting, the line between “tarnish” and “toning” is surprisingly thin, and often debated. Both are surface changes caused by chemical reactions, usually with sulfur or oxygen, but one is often seen as damage while the other might add hundreds (or thousands) of dollars in value. So what’s the real difference?…
Not all discoloration on a coin is bad, but it’s not all good either. Tarnish is one of the most common surface changes collectors encounter, especially on silver coins. It’s the dull film that creeps across a coin’s surface over time, shifting its luster and tone without necessarily damaging the metal itself. This post is…
Verdigris isn’t just a problem for the coin it appears on — it’s contagious. If you’ve got a coin with active green corrosion sitting in a flip, tube, or roll, it could be slowly eating away at everything it touches. In our last post, we broke down what verdigris is and how to spot it….
Verdigris is that weird green stuff you sometimes see on old copper or bronze coins. It can range from a faint, minty haze to thick, crusty blobs that look like the coin was stored in a compost pile. And while it might look kind of cool in certain lighting, it’s not a sign of anything…
If you’ve ever submitted a coin for grading and gotten the dreaded Environmental Damage tag back from PCGS, you know how frustrating it can be. Unlike more specific designations like “Cleaned” or “Scratched,” this one feels like a catch-all, but there’s a little more to it than that. This post breaks down exactly what PCGS…