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 Replies: 18 / Views: 3,390 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5841 Posts |
Poll Question
Obviously, if somebody is looking for investment grade coins, the only way to go is to buy coins in their original condition, regardless of how worn they may be. Putting investment aside, however, what if you are simply trying to put together a type album of one sort or another on a limited budget? With classic coins in particular, some of the necessary types can be extremely expensive in good condition and, for the same amount of money, you can either get a coin with fantastic details that has been harshly cleaned/polished/dipped or a very worn coin with original finish.
Obviously, it would be best to find one that has original finish and has AU+ details, but that's just not always possible with many coins unless you are willing to spend thousands of dollars. In my mind, one of the joys of putting together a type album is to be able to clearly see the evolution of the coins over time, and you really need to be able to see the details clearly in order to do that. And I would much rather look at a cleaned coin with a ton of sharp details than a worn coin that I can barely even make out what it is (or, worse yet, an empty hole waiting for the day when I can finally afford a nice coin in original condition).
I suspect I am alone around here in feeling this way, but I figured I would ask anyway.
So... for purposes of assembling a type album only, which would you rather have?
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Pillar of the Community
United States
7840 Posts |
I just did that with a Twenty Cent Piece...lots of detail, probably dipped/cleaned, but got it for a good price, and a 7-day return policy. |
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
5841 Posts |
Good on ya!
One thing I should mention is that if I ever did have the cash to buy an AU+ example of one of the rarer coins in original condition, I would most likely feel the need to buy it slabbed so as to minimize the risk of buying a counterfeit or altered coin. Which is to say that it wouldn't make it into my album anyway (unless I wanted to risk cracking the slab on a $1000+ coin).
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1370 Posts |
I had to sit and think about this one for a little bit. Until it hit me that any Morgan in my Morgan set that has any type problem I am slowly replacing. I'd rather have a F-1893-s with original surfaces than an XF that has been cleaned. Rim dings actually bother me less than cleaning since rim dings typically occur naturally. I've also conceded the fact that my two type sets I'm working on are going to be 10 to 15 year projects.....so if it's going to take that long I may as well shell out for something that won't bother me. I just get to sit and look at a book with many empty holes for a while.
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Valued Member
Australia
243 Posts |
I had this issue with my 20 cent piece as well. The uncleaned ones were well worn, the cleaned ones had good detail and the rest were too expensive. I ended up getting a cleaned one (dipped), because I wanted the coin to have clear details. Many 20 cent pieces which fell into my budget had the words " Twenty Cents" erased, which is why I decided to settle for cleaned. Personally, as someone who collects purely for the hobby, I would be willing to buy a cleaned coin if it had a good appearence (some dont look that bad). Obviously, original is best but cleaning is not a massive turnoff for me. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
716 Posts |
I started putting together my IHC and 'wheatie' collection years ago when I had limited funding. At that time I could only afford the more common dates in primarily good condition. Then I did not know the difference between a cleaned and uncleaned coin, and I wouldn't have cared. My only interest was filling as many holes in my Whitman folder that I could. Now that I am retired and more secure financially, I am upgrading and buying quality coins to add to my collection, and filling those empty holes in my Dansco. So I guess what I am saying is buy whatever coins that please you, fill as many holes as you can afford and enjoy your collection with the thought in mind that down the road you may be able to replace these coins and upgrade your collection with more desirable coins. |
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Rest in Peace
United States
4849 Posts |
For me it depends on how severe the cleaning. Coins can vary from "lightly" cleaned to "harshly" cleaned. If it had a light cleaning that toned over, I would opt for the higher details....but for a coin that is white and heavily hairlined, it would bother me every time I looked at it, so I would sacrifice details for originality.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4085 Posts |
I agree with Johnny that it depends.
I have a few cleaned coins in my 7070 but they still have what I consider to be an overall attractive appearance due to either re-toning or having been lightly cleaned with evidence only visible under magnification.
I would rather wait than to put an obviously harshly cleaned coin into a slot but I would certainly consider a lightly cleaned coin if attractive.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3345 Posts |
I actually like the look of worn coins, in G or VG. Makes them look older and more mysterious...  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5841 Posts |
Well, I can honestly say I like the look of toned or otherwise darkened coins, but the lack of detail in worn coins really drives me crazy. A coin doesn't have to be shiny and white, but I'd like to at least be able to see all the important features.
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Pillar of the Community
1028 Posts |
As has already been mentioned, the degree of cleaning makes a huge difference. If the coin looks downright ridiculous, I'd rather have one that is well worn. I agree with wanting to see a type coin to represent its history and evolution. I feel like a very cleaned coin just takes away from that.
I also want to mention that it depends on what metal the coin is made of. If its a rare or expensive piece, I can excuse a cleaned silver or nickel coin, but I just loathe cleaned copper coins. I can't stand the way they look. Just a personal preference. If we were talking cents, anything beyond a light cleaning with 70+ years of re-toning and I'm opting for the lower grade original piece.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3234 Posts |
Too many times I've owned coins with great detail but have some problem, such as cleaning. And, too many times I get my head handed back to me when I go to sell and I'm on the losing end. If your coin has any "But's" about it (it's great, BUT...), you'll notice it every time you look at that coin. That said, some people don't care about owning a coin like that, especially if the price is right.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5841 Posts |
I agree that if you are paying AU prices for a cleaned coin with AU details, you will likely regret it down the road. I'm talking about getting coins with AU details at a deep discount due to cleaning, however. In that case, I would expect the coin to keep its value over time since there will always be other collectors who will be interested in it.
Having said that, of course, that's assuming you ever plan to sell your coins...
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2335 Posts |
I'd love to have only problem free coins with great detail. My financial situation doesn't allow for that so if the problem is not distracting I'll go for it. The key for me is that I have to KNOW I can resell for more than I paid. That means buying for enough under market to recoup the purchase price. With those criteria I still have empty holes in my type set.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3278 Posts |
Cleaned with sharp details as long as it's not polished  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2734 Posts |
The earlier the coin is, the more likely it is I would accept a cleaned version. Given that light cleaning was an acceptable practice in the collecting world many decades ago, even some TPG's have issued regular slabs for a few lightly cleaned/dipped coins (especially for pre-Civil War issues). Also, some designs look better in G-VG grade than others. A Barber in "G" is a yawner, but in "AU" (even with details), it's a whole other story visually.  |
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Replies: 18 / Views: 3,390 |
Posted 12/07/2011 09:32 am
