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How To Tell If A Coin Has Been Cleaned, Dipped, Or Retoned

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oh my florin's Avatar
Australia
1006 Posts
 Posted 04/18/2013  02:32 am Show Profile   Bookmark this topic Add oh my florin to your friends list Get a Link to this Message Number of Subscribers
Hey. I was just looking through the noble catalogue and just realised how hard it is to tell if a coin has been cleaned, dipped or retoned. So I was just wondering how you can tell wether a coin has been subjected to these things? By the way pictures showing telltale signs would be great for everyone because it makes it easier to convey as well as showing new collectors or members to CCF what to look out for.

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Sap's Avatar
Australia
16809 Posts
 Posted 04/18/2013  03:11 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Sap to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
It's easier for some coins than others. But there are some obvious hints.

A well worn circulated silver coin that appears bright white. Genuine circulation turns silver coins a greyish colour. Wear + no tarnish/toning = cleaned. It's much harder to tell just by looking if an uncirculated coin has been dipped.

A 100 year old uncirculated non-gold coin with no trace of tarnish or toning whatsoever. There's got to be a very good explanation for why a piece of raw metal exposed to the atmosphere for most of the 20th century shows no sign of such exposure. The most logical explanation is that somebody's given it a good cleaning job in the meantime.
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trout1105's Avatar
Australia
7096 Posts
 Posted 04/18/2013  03:12 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add trout1105 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
A cleaned coin normally has minute parallel or circular scratches on the coin , Most noticed in the fields.
A dipped coin is usually lustreless and slippery to the feel, However there are some dealers that know how to "Mini Dip" coins without destroying the lustre But they still have that slippery feel about them.
A dipped and re toning coin will show little if any evidence of original lustre and look "Off".

Having said all this , a great deal of our older pre decimal coins have had the odd touch up in the past because it used to be accepted practice
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bubble wraped's Avatar
Australia
59 Posts
 Posted 04/18/2013  05:05 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add bubble wraped to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
A good way is to try some of the most common cleaning methods your self on ruined worthless coins. Keep the coins and label them as a reference.
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wwwww's Avatar
Australia
541 Posts
 Posted 04/18/2013  06:22 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add wwwww to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
You can't tell from Noble's photos, you need to view in person.

Something which will surprise you is the most common form of cleaning on Australian coins is mechanical cleaning (e.g. wiping/brushing/etc). This will leave parallel hairlines in the exposed fields which will be evident under a very bright light against a contrasting background (e.g. one bright lamp in a room with otherwise low ambient lighting). Lustre will also be dulled or absent (depending on the extent of cleaning) on the cleaned regions so if lustre is dull considering the grading, you should take a closer look.

Dipping removes toned metal off the coin and leaves residue on the coin, both of these dull the lustre. It's difficult to describe this effect, it's something you'd really need to see in hand but I've written about the causes of this effect here: http://www.numismatics.com.au/Blog/...nding_Lustre
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