I am putting together a high grade Canada Small Cent collection, and I am having trouble getting a few varieties.
Here is how I am construction my set. I am collecting all the business strikes, and trying to get as many as I can afford in BU/MS Red condition. Business strikes are those that come from Mint Bags or bank rolls. So, we are talking about your regular BU red pennies.
Want list for Business Strikes (Must be BU Red): 1948 and 1949 (A to Denticle) and 1959 (Need Blunt and Pointed 5 Varieties). I am also interested in cheap BU Red/Brown 1930's coins.
I am also collecting pennies taken from the three different Mint sets, Proof-Like (PL), Specimen (SP), and Proof (PR). I do not want spotty coins or badly toned coins. Would need to see photos of anything anyway.
Want list for PL: 1953, 1954, 1955, 1965 (Variety 1, Small Beads & Pointed 5), and 1983 (Far Beads).
Want list for SP: 1983 (Far Beads)
Want list for PR: 1983 (Far Beads)
I would need to see photos and need a price of what you want of value in trade you would need in return. I will check this against the price guide, but might be willing to pay more in a few cases just to fill my holes.
Note: It is possible that the pointed 5 and Blunt 5 variety for 1959 could also both exist in PL, so I would be interested if you had both varieties in PL.
Red condition refers to the colour and level of toning or oxidization of the coin. Copper, of course, turns that nice brown colour with age, so if a coin is labelled as red it means it still has the original reddish orange colour it had when it was struck. You can have levels of red condition as well.
Verweis : "redsmithstudios"Sorry, I can’t help, but what is red condition?
The condition is brilliantly uncirculated or BU for short. You can have an uncirculated penny that is full original Red just like it was minted or it can be toned. On graded slabbed coins in holders the label might read MS-65 RED, which is the same as saying Gem BU Red. Both represent a condition state of the coin. You can also have MS-65 Brown or MS-65 Red/Brown, which means the penny has toned and no longer looks the same as it was minted. Originally, copper coins had to be fully red to qualify for the MS-65 rating, but recently PCGS graded an 1793 Large Cent as MS-69 Brown, so those old rules have lapsed. Silver coins were never degraded because of toning; although, some people did believe they should be because oxidation is rust, which means the coin is actually damaged on its surface if it is toned. All coins within a few seconds after being minted develop a light layer of oxidation as the metal comes into contact with oxygen in the air. This layer protects the coin from further oxidation damage. However, if a coin is improperly stored in a moist damp environment or comes into contact with moisture, the oxidation process can restart. If the coin remains in the moist environment, it could reach severe levels of oxidation such as corrosion. Mold, smoke, and other highly oxidizing metals can also cause further oxidation. If you keep a Silver Proof Commemorative Dollar in its original Mint case, and that case was made using cheap steel, you could damage your coin. What happens is the iron oxidizes easily and releases a damaging gas that can oxidize other metals. So, while the cheap steel metal box rust under the felt, it releases a gas that attacks the silver coin causing it to tone leaving white spots, white streaks, or even tiny black carbon corrosion spots. Proper coin care is very important to avoid toning. I protect my uncirculated and proof coins the best I can using capsules made of acid free plastics like Mylar, and store them in a dry room in a plastic box with bags of silicone placed all over the box to absorb any moisture. A dehumidifier can help too. But, back to what is the red condition question... Brilliantly uncirculated penny in its original red color just exactly as it looked soon after it was minted.
