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 Replies: 16 / Views: 9,102 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1116 Posts |
Being new to this field I have heard a lot about cleaned coins and the value of a cleaned coin is negatively affected by the cleaning.
How can someone (a newcomer) tell if a prospective coin has been cleaned? Is there a few tell tale signs that a coin has been either cleaned or doctored.
We've all learned that if something looks to good to be true it probably isn't. But with a non-graded coin how can someone tell if its been doctored or not.
I've heard on some coin forums about using acetone (?) to give a coin a quick bath. But how can you really tell. Does it take a long experience to really tell?
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Valued Member
United States
55 Posts |
The easiest way to tell is by looking for hairline scratches along the entire coin, especially easy to see in the fields of the coin. Another was is if a coin looks UNC, but there is no luster, it has been over dipped, and (I would consider) damaged, or cleaned.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts |
In many instances it is almost impossible to tell by someone with little to no experiences with coins. Some really good dealers know how to clean a coin so it is difficult to spot. Many experts too have been fooled by good cleaning methods. On fairly later dated coins it becomes rather difficult since they are basically in almost new condition to begin with and the cleaning was done just to make it look even newer. If no wear is apparent, then too detecting cleaning becomes hard.
With older coins it is sometime easy to spot cleanings. If for example you see a 50 year old coin that has lots of wear and shines like new, obviously some cleaning was done. The real poor cleaning jobs are done using things that leave hair line markings on the coins. Some cleaned coins are actually polished to almost look like a proof. On coins that are on the older side and show lots of wear and no dirt of any kind inside letters and numbers, you could well suspect cleaning.
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Valued Member
United States
51 Posts |
Can you provide any examples & pics to show this? For example this auction is identified as "cleaned"... http://www.ebay.com/itm/1875-CC-Twe...130626220071Can you point out where one can see that it was cleaned? And ghostrider also mentions how some are dipped in chemicals. Any way for us to ID these? Thanks. |
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Valued Member
United States
51 Posts |
For the above auction, here's a front/back photo with what I think shown by the pointer where cleaning is apparent, but I'm no expert. Can anyone else add their 2-cents?  |
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Bedrock of the Community
Australia
21788 Posts |
Forgive me, but I think that this MAY have been lightly sand blasted. There seems to be very few, if any, small nicks or hailines in the fields. The definition on the highponts of the design seem to be a little fuzzy.
From the pictures, the coin seems to be genuine enough to me.
The lustre on Liberty's arms and the eagle's feathers just leave me curious.
I do, however, have a problem with my own opinion, because some cartwheel effect with the lustre has remained. That should not happen with sandblasting.
I have never seen a coin exactly like this one before, so I consider myself downgraded to a novice on this occasion.
I would love to be proved wrong.
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Valued Member
United States
51 Posts |
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Valued Member
United States
51 Posts |
@sel_69l this auction coin was identified as being "cleaned". I was just trying to give a shot of showing aspects where it was cleaned... http://www.ebay.com/itm/1875-CC-Twe...130626220071Quote:
Forgive me, but I think that this MAY have been lightly sand blasted. There seems to be very few, if any, small nicks or hailines in the fields. The definition on the highponts of the design seem to be a little fuzzy. From the pictures, the coin seems to be genuine enough to me. |
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Valued Member
United States
51 Posts |
It would be good to have descriptions, preferably with photos, of the following... hailines cartwheel effect Also above, it was mentioned that it's cleaned if it looks UNC, but there is no luster. I guess I'm not sure what "luster" is. Can someone post a photo of an UNC with luster and an UNC without luster (indicating cleaning)? Quote:
@dsmith23 ... Another was is if a coin looks UNC, but there is no luster, it has been over dipped, and (I would consider) damaged, or cleaned. Edited by andym
05/30/2012 10:21 am
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5854 Posts |
I think it is possible that the 20c may have been whizzed.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4132 Posts |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1812 Posts |
I try and avoid toned coins from the 1800's (mostly Half & Silver Dollars) because over the years when I would send them for Certification, there would be atleast one coin received in a "body bag" or a "problem" holder as "old cleaning"... Had I known this I would have never wasted my time and money... I did learn the hard way what a "whizzed" coin looks like, even though I lost money all the way around, but when it comes to cleaned coins I think my problem is knowing the difference between normal hairlines and light cleaning hairlines... Currently waiting for 23 Silver Dollars that ANACS has had for over 6 weeks, and now I'm concerned some may be returned in problem holders, even though I didn't notice any cleaning marks... These were coins from my late brother-in-law and some of the Morgan silver dollars looked just too good (no contact marks, etc.) that now I'm thinking some may actually be counterfeits (if so, i'll post here)... |
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New Member
United States
23 Posts |
Thanks for all the pictures for all of us noobs around here. I have been searching this forum for examples.
BrokenCoin, how did the ANACS grade your Silver Dollars?
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Bedrock of the Community
13014 Posts |
A good looking high value coin that is raw is usually a big red flag as well. With those, especially on ebay, you have to ask yourself why hasnt this been slabbed when it would be MUCH easier to sell that way. I often go by the if it looks too good to be true than it is motto |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
36745 Posts |
Not everyone slabs their coins. Those in my collection are in albums and not slabbed.
The best way to learn is to look at many coins before you buy. Color, details, surface grime, and hairlines are usually a good way to tell.
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Bedrock of the Community
13014 Posts |
Quote:
Not everyone slabs their coins. Those in my collection are in albums and not slabbed. Right, but I assume you arent trying to actively sell youre collection which I assumed we were only talking about coins be actively sold here |
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Replies: 16 / Views: 9,102 |
Posted 04/12/2012 10:40 am
