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 Replies: 7 / Views: 2,263 |
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Valued Member
United States
109 Posts |
I was wondering what to look for, or, how to determine luster on coins that don't have the full cartwheel effect. Knowing that a coin with lots of luster has a cartwheel effect and cleaned/polished/dipped coins have a sort of, straight on shine, without the cartwheel effect.
Is there an in-between? I can tell obviously cleaned from obvious MS, but am having trouble trying to figure out if some coins have...Partial luster? Or have been polished or dipped...
What should I be looking for?
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Moderator
 United States
23522 Posts |
Great question, because it's so difficult to answer in words. I'll throw out some stream-of-consciousness thoughts:
1) It's difficult (maybe impossible) to accurately describe "luster" without depending in part on "cartwheel." A lustrous coin will cartwheel. Not always to the same degree, but the two should be connected.
2) A properly-dipped coin will lose no luster. In fact, if the right coin was chosen it can actually improve perceived luster. The only dipped coin you can accurately identify is an overdipped one. That's why I'm so hesitant to recommend it as a practice, even though I'm willing to.
3) Everything you're talking about is far easier to learn if you concentrate on one series - preferably larger coins like Morgans - and learn through experience what it looks like on that specific series. You'll find the knowledge easier to obtain, and you'll also discover that what you learn can be carried over into other types. Being a Morgan guy first helped me to learn this stuff, because it's all so much easier to see on such a large coin and there are so many examples of what can happen.
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Valued Member
 United States
109 Posts |
Appreciate the response.
If a coin has a shine, maybe not the full on, scrubbed down type shine, but a wet/glossy (Don't know how to describe it) type of shine, without the cartwheel effect, do you still have to assume it was cleaned or dipped?
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Moderator
United States
23522 Posts |
Quote:
but a wet/glossy (Don't know how to describe it) type of shine, without the cartwheel effect, do you still have to assume it was cleaned or dipped? That's kind of a nice description of a polished coin; it gives me the impression you have a clear picture of it in your head. It is not the effect of dipping, though. Done right, dipping will leave a coin which appears to have normal luster. Done wrong, it will leave a coin with no luster at all but excellent detail. It'll look like a matte finish. The first time you ever see one you will know exactly what you're looking at. |
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Valued Member
United States
109 Posts |
Obviously this coin wasn't dipped, at least not after it got to this point, but this is a coin I posted for opinions on the grade in another thread. It looks like it may have luster, but has no cartwheel effect in hand. Was the coin polished before it toned to this point, or is it just past the point of having any luster left anyway, and is just reflecting light?   I have other coins, though not toned, that are similar. XF/AU type coins, that look like they are clinging to their last bits of luster. I didn't know if that was that, or even if it's possible, or if they were shined up by someone previously. Hence the question. |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts |
Eventually you'll find that is on intersting thing about coin collecting. There are numerous varities of collectors and numerous types of coins to collect. Some like all nice shinning coins. Some like dark, older looking ones. Some like error coins. Some like the variety in a Type set. Some like Albums, some like rolls and on and on and on. As you get deeper and deeper into coin collecting you'll find you too may like Luster or not. And it does become a problem as to what has been cleaned, polished, dipped, etc. too.
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Moderator
United States
23522 Posts |
Toning is another factor entirely; it's capable of arresting luster completely in a coin which, if "white," would display ample luster. Now you know why people dip coins.  |
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Valued Member
United States
416 Posts |
not to go off topic, but when you say "dip" you are talking about using chemicals that will actually remove the topmost layer on the coin right?
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Replies: 7 / Views: 2,263 |
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Posted 05/23/2013 8:33 pm
