How Do You Tell If A Coin Has Been Previously Cleaned?

Link not working.
If it is an ebay listing, just post the 12 digit item no.

Sorry about the link. Here is a photo. The item was not on ebay.

The very best way to learn what a cleaned Lincoln, or any other coin looks like cleaned is to do it yourself. I know that there will be a million screaming collectors shouting that you should never clean a coin, and I agree 99.99% of the time. But does anyone really care if a 1957 P Lincoln in EF gets cleaned? Obviously there will be.

So here's the thing. There are a million bad ways to clean a coin. For copper, such as the Lincoln, what you will find is that if you use common household formulas you will already gain a good idea of what happens with various cleaning types. A soft toothbrush and soap, a soft cloth and cleaners of various types, and so on. There are lots of coin cleaning solutions out there, too.

Leave them after you've cleaned them so that they can continue to oxidize after cleaning. What you will find is that after a Lincoln (preferably actually needing a cleaning) will simply never get the same "natural" coloration back after you've cleaned them. Let them set for a while, with examples of (to your knowledge) normal uncleaned examples. Even after years, the color still won't be right.

Also, be sure to understand that unless there was abrasive cleaning, such as with a wool pad that leaves parallel scratches, it's tough to be certain in knowing if the photos of coins you see are good enough to see cleaning.

We often have coins photos provided here that half the knowledgeable collectors will say is cleaned, while the other half doesn't believe they are cleaned.

Photos are not the best way to decided cleaned or not cleaned, but it's still better than the old days when all we had was a dealers VF or BU to guide us.

Thanks for not tossing a brick at me T-Bop

Darkness around the date vs brighter area above the date indicates a cleaning to me.

If you look at alot of 1914-s Lincoln cents for sale on ebay you will start to see which one have a more natural look.

I agree with the one comment about experimenting your self. If you lived nearby, I would loan you my supply of eZest and other chemicals that will take an old penny and make it shinny new. Of course it does not add back the worn off wheat lines or other wear that the coin has been thru....

There is also re-toning... which also takes a keen eye to spot.

And have a prize to whoever guess's the most correct .

I usually look for dirt inside letters or numbers with a place for those to hide. Such as inside a e or o or something like that.

Nonna, for the coin you posted the easiest thing to see is the haloing effect. look around the date, and you see the dark shadow, then the lighter field in front of Lincoln.

that image is not a great one, to see any real details of the coin.

I would suggest passing on this one, if you have concerns about the condition you will always have those concerns. And trying to resell a coin that has been cleaned is not easy.