How Best To Tell If A Coin Has Been Cleaned.

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Author	Replies: 7 / Views: 322
grr601 Valued Member United States 101 Posts	Posted 06/24/2026 9:43 pm I have a question for people far more knowledgeable than me. I have been collecting coins since I was a lad in the early 1960's. My favorites have always been Mercury dimes. I never thought I would ever get to this point, but I have completed the set to include the 1916-D and both of the 1942/41 overdates. I have recently decided to try to upgrade the set with everything except the 16-D being at least Fine or better. There are a lot for sale out there that look really nice. My question to all concerns how to tell if a coin, particularly a small one like a dime has been cleaned. I know some are obvious, but some not so much. What are the more subtle things to look for? I truly appreciate any info you can give. Report this Post to the Staff

Errers and Varietys Bedrock of the Community United States 75432 Posts	Posted 06/24/2026 9:47 pm Things to look for is discoloration, light wipe marks, hairline scratches, and dullness. The coin won't be as reflective as it would be normally, without the cleaning. Errers and Varietys. Report this Post to the Staff
livingwater Pillar of the Community United States 2264 Posts	Posted 06/24/2026 9:53 pm This is an interesting topic and has been discussed before here on CCF. Use the seach coin communinty line and you'll find prior posts. There's also Youtube videos about it. I assume with small coins it can be more difficult to tell. Buying from a trusted dealer or a graded example is the safest. Edited by livingwater 06/24/2026 10:44 pm Report this Post to the Staff
Marv65 Bedrock of the Community United States 10601 Posts	Posted 06/24/2026 11:39 pm Wow! So many informative websites on the internet .....and TPGs to confirm your coins........ Report this Post to the Staff
hfjacinto Pillar of the Community United States 7297 Posts	Posted 06/25/2026 07:24 am The 1916D is heavily counterfeit. I would recommend only buying one that is 3rd party graded. In all honestly most lower grade coins probably have been cleaned in their lifetime. You'll never and neither will most likely a TPG ever be able to tell as wear and age have erased the evidence. The big difference is was the cleaning acceptable (dipped in acetone, xylene or some other chemical) without altering the surface or was brasso used. My Slabbed Dansco 7070 with Gold Page My Slabbed IHC Set My Slabbed 20th Century Type Set Edited by hfjacinto 06/25/2026 07:27 am Report this Post to the Staff
panzaldi Bedrock of the Community United States 18732 Posts	Posted 06/28/2026 10:06 am i would never ever buy any key coin that is not authenticated. I enjoy seeing an entire set side by side in an album and nothing feels better than to place that last one in its home but there are just too many counterfeits out there and the prices are really high to take a chance on a raw coin unless you 100% absolutely certain of its authenticity. this is such a broad subject as there are so many ways to clean a coin and add to that different metals. some are easier to determine than other means. one the more difficult coins I look at the overall coin on both sides. a coin XF45 or higher should exhibit a nice patina with traces of the original surfaces still there. dull flat surfaces may indicate the coin was over dipped. look for hallowing around the devices. one of the best things you can do is look at slabbed details coins on ebay in the series you are interested in and see if you can determine what they did to the coin. if you have a questionable coin post it on the correct forum. we have folks on here that own their own LCS and several high roller collectors that you can get an opinion from. heres one vid put out by a PCGS grader on the subject VLE9-DZwMpI 02s Report this Post to the Staff
drdn Valued Member United States 114 Posts	Posted 06/28/2026 7:54 pm I firmly believe that almost all 1916-D Mercs that are sold raw are just crack-outs from TPG details holders. Or Counterfeit. Report this Post to the Staff
jbuck Moderator United States 190340 Posts	Posted 06/29/2026 10:01 am Quote: I firmly believe that almost all 1916-D Mercs that are sold raw are just crack-outs from TPG details holders. Or Counterfeit. Or pulled from albums that were bought from people who inherited them. However, I believe most savvy buyers (dealers) of these old collections are well aware it is in their best interest to have these coins graded. So maybe just forget what I said. Coin Collector Since 1978 Avatar Old Avatar 7070 Eisenhower Australia Canada World CCF Members on eBay CCF eBay Search Engine Report this Post to the Staff
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