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 Replies: 42 / Views: 10,823 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
7629 Posts |
quote:
But I seem not to have made my point
If I own one ounce of silver and I am going to get only meltvalue
which is 95 % of the silver value
I can even polish it with diamond polish if that makes me happy and then use the coin for rolling it across my knuckles like magicians are want to do
And in the end it will still be an ounce of silver
Your point was made, and taken, except for the fact that the bullion Eagles have gained intrinsic value over time, and some of them are quite valuable...just look into the price of a 1995W proof Eagle. You'll find that this particluar example of an "ounce of silver" sells for multiples in the hundreds of its melt value. Because the initial poster of this thread was asking about a silver Eagle coin, you cannot simply dismiss the fact that they do carry premium value just because you don't think they should. I believe the intent of the thread was to ask how to get rid of tarnish on the coin without damaging the coin so it would retain its value, and have a chance to go up in value with the rest of the series. I do agree that if you harshly clean or scrub an Eagle, you end up with an ounce of silver, and nothing more. In this case, however, you have to consider the nature of the question and the realism of the market before you can give a useful answer. |
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Valued Member
United States
363 Posts |
I'm not sure if we're sure if this coin is a Proof Silver Eagle, or just a "circulation" (ha!) strike. You mentioned keeping the coin in a case. If the case is of purple felt (the one the coin came in) then the coin is a proof, and I don't think I'd be rubbing soap coated fingers over it and then patting it with a paper towel just because of toning. Might be an ok procedure for a regular strike I guess if the toning bothers a person.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1247 Posts |
It amazes me how a coin with AT is an altered surface (which it is) but a coin with natural toning that is dipped is not an altered surface. Why is that?
ZoomZoom if you read somewhere that coin collectors only like brillant coins in the highest grade then you read the standard issue propaganda. There is no rule about what collectors like. Some do like them that way, probably a lot do. And possibly because that how they learned it in the beginning, 20 years ago when there was no Internet for people to discuss what they like. Since the Internet and boards such as this one people can find out that there are in fact collectors who like coins that did what they were intended to do. Coins that circulated, coins that toned, coins that got knocked around and scarred on their journeys.
There's another thing about dipping that hasn't been mention. It' futile. The coin will simply tone again and they usually tone faster than before once they've been dipped. And when you dip them enough times you burn off the flow-lines that gave the coin it's luster in the first place.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
7629 Posts |
quote:
Originally posted by adobero1
I'm not sure if we're sure if this coin is a Proof Silver Eagle, or just a "circulation" (ha!) strike. You mentioned keeping the coin in a case. If the case is of purple felt (the one the coin came in) then the coin is a proof, and I don't think I'd be rubbing soap coated fingers over it and then patting it with a paper towel just because of toning. Might be an ok procedure for a regular strike I guess if the toning bothers a person.
Well, I guess until you know how to do it, don't try it...but I've been doing it for years with no ill effects at all. And like I said, I have no trouble getting coins that were once hazy from proof set chemicals and celophane into PCGS holders at 67 and 68 grades. I guess what you don't know you shouldn't knock. First thing, when wet and clean, your fingers are the softest and most sensitive cleaner possible - and mild liquid soap won't harm metal. In fact, it helps if there is acid on the coin. It takes the acid off the coin. Just keep dipping coins in alcohol and we can talk in another five yers when all your coins have haze on them and mine don't. |
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Valued Member
United States
363 Posts |
Yes, I do find that "hazy" look unattractive, if your method works more power to you. I guess I certainly shouldn't be knocking what I don't know. What type of soap do you use for this? Something like Ivory is pretty strong for this isn't it? Someone else may have mentioned alcohol, I didn't say anything about it.
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Valued Member
United States
253 Posts |
zoom I dont recomend cleaning . and toneing can enhance the look and dosnt detract from the grade
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Pillar of the Community
United States
7629 Posts |
Actually Ivory is the best soap to use for the job because it doesn't have the perfumes, moisturizers and other stuff that a lot of the other soaps have. It's just soap.
My method is rock-solid...it works every time for me, but you have to get an eye for which coins to dip and which ones not to dip, and that's purely an experience thing. Some coins look worse dipped than undipped. Anyhow...
1. Wash hands thoroughly, do not dry them.
2. Dip the coin in EZ-est cleaner for just long enough to wet it.
3. Lightly rub the EZ-est around on the surface of the coin until problem is gone - usually less than ten seconds.
4. Rinse with luke-warm water.
5. Just a dab of Ivory will do it. Lightly rub it around on the coin to neutralize the acid.
6. Rinse and repeat soap.
7. Rinse the coin under the water for two to three minutes while also washing your hand off.
8. Sit the coin on a folded over paper towel, and fold the paper towel over to dab the water off the coin. Don't wipe it, don't smear it around. Just dab the water off the coin.
9. For faster drying use a hair dryer at a distance of a foot or more. No need for the excess heat, you just need the dry wind.
10. Let the coin sit in a dry environment for at least a couple of hours before closing it up in a 2x2 or flip. This just ensures the water is all gone and won't show up later.
Now...if you have anything against this method you either didn't read it or haven't tried it and are going to some other unnecessary excess to make sure you do it the hard way. I have cleaned the haze off a hundred silver proof coins, and have cleaned PVC off of many silver coins this way. Two rules to remember:
1. NEVER do this to circulated coins. They look like stuff afterward.
2. NEVER do this to coins you want to keep the color on. There's a different way to handle those. The acid in the dip will remove all color...to preserve color yet remove grime, we turn to orange oil. Next post...
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Pillar of the Community
United States
7629 Posts |
Proper dipping of copper and other coins with attractive color:
essentially the same method as above, only this time use "Goo-Gone" - an orange oil cleaner available in most stores in the household cleaning area.
1. Wash hands thoroughly, leave them wet.
2. Hold the coin in one hand with luke-warm water running, and liberally squirt Goo-Gone on the coin while rubbing the coin. This can be done for as much as two minutes...whatever it takes, and can be repeated if necessary.
3. Rinse and wash with Ivory.
4. Rinse thoroughly - two to three minutes.
5. Lay on paper towel and pat dry.
Believe it or not, this works perfectly on proof cents...something that dip would ruin, acetone hazes, and alcohol leaves a film. Goo-Gone with a soap rinse works like magic!
Goo-Gone is a coin cleaner's wonder tool because it DOES NOT affect the COLOR of the coin. That's the #1 indicator of a cleaned coin, and this stuff does nothing to the metal itself. How do I know? Because I have coins that were washed with Goo-Gone three years ago that are still exactly as they came out of the sink, except now they have slabs around them.
Goo-Gone also works well on brown copper, and does NOT change the color of the coin like acetone, alcohol, ammonia, or acid will. A soft-bristle toothbrush and Goo-Gone work well to remove encrusted dirt from around devices. Gotta be careful doing it, because you could scratch the coin with the dirt that's being removed if you're not careful. Make sure to clean the toothbrush well before using it on another coin.
And as with any method of removing contaminants from coins, test your method of choice on worthless pocket change before grabbing for the $500 key date coins. And by all means, do it responsibly (in two areas)...
1. Don't screw around with coins that don't need it. Some coins need to be saved from crud that's eating them away, but just to "pretty up" a coin is wrong.
2. Many of the chemicals that will clean metal will also damage you if you're not careful. Stay out of fumes whenever possible, use in a ventilated room, and wash yourself very thoroughly after using any of these agents.
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Pillar Of The Community
3147 Posts |
Now, when you are all done cleaning, get a 20X loupe and tell me what you see as that is what a dealer is going to do when you try to sell them.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
7629 Posts |
quote:
Originally posted by crystalk64
Now, when you are all done cleaning, get a 20X loupe and tell me what you see as that is what a dealer is going to do when you try to sell them.
I beat you to the chase, a lot of times I am removing gunk off the coins so I can photograph them under a microscope. All of the coins I have taken crud off of are far better off than they were before I removed the gunk from them. I stopped their untimely demise to a chemical skin eating away at them. You can make it look bad all you want, but in the end the coin was saved from irresponsible people before me who stored them in the wrong environment. |
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Rest in Peace
United States
2884 Posts |
I find it quite sad that people are giving this kind of advice to a novice.:-( Please leave your coins alone and leave the conservation to a professional. Toning is a natural process on most coins. Some people love toned coins, others don't. I will not knowingly purchase coins from a dealer who cleans coins unless he or she specifies that in the coin description with a good explaination for having done so. I am amazed at how many people think they are conserving coins by cleaning them. This is true in some cases on coins with enviornmental damage or damage from PVC that can be halted by a skilled conservator to prevent further degradation but then disclosed as such. Many more coins have been ruined by improper cleaning than have been improved. A truly honest seller will disclose whether or not a coin has been cleaned, to the best of their knowledge. I'm starting to think this thread is doing more harm than good as some individuals are taking shots at people for merely expressing an opinion. Mike  Edited by Mike
02/06/2006 03:41 am
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New Member
Australia
23 Posts |
Make yourself a pyramid in a ratio to the measurements of the great pyramid and place the coin on a platform 2/3 the way up from base ensure one face of pyramid is facing true north and after a while the tarnish will disappear, without cleaning or touching it in any way, only works on pure metals
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Pillar of the Community
Belgium
2078 Posts |
@ coppercoins I coppied your posts to my word folders I like them Obviously me being Belgian introduced several misunderstandings To me a silver bullion coin never is issued in proof only business strike otherwise it is a collector coin A bullion coin is an ounce of silver being sold like for 15-17 Euro because people like the design or 10 euro for rounds like from the Nortwerstern mint ( we have to pay 7% tax on coins and 17 %tax on bars on top of all the postage and insurance ) If you try to sell them back to a bank or a dealer you may get 7 euro and they may have to be blastwhite depending on the clients of that person Second I acquired a gold proof with certificate and all on which the frevious owner sneezed ( very well detectable under magnification ) Acetone in winter is a problem ( 12 x magnification revealed blue hazing ) Waterrinsing is a problem ( 12 X magnification shows dozens of calcium spots I thought ) So I put the coin in vinegar and the spots are still there so they may be magnesium spots My point is that over here the water is so hard that any method not involving distilled water is going to show on gold proofs so I guess the silver color hides the white calcium or magnesium or you got soft water  PS my friend dips all his gold coins and they are proudly slabbed MS 65 to MS 68 by one of the top three slabbers |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
7629 Posts |
quote:
Originally posted by Mike
I find it quite sad that people are giving this kind of advice to a novice.:-(
And I find it quite sad that anyone would tell a novice to leave environmental damage on a coin to watch it rot, NO MATTER WHAT - because it's ALWAYS damaging to a coin to wash off the grime. I already said: 1. Not all coins are candidates. In fact, fewer are than aren't. 2. It's wrong to do it just to make coins pretty. 3. Novices should practice on pocket change first. 4. Anyone doing this should observe personal safety. |
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Rest in Peace
United States
2884 Posts |
Coppercoins, please don't quote one sentence of my post to make your point. It could be taken out of context without someone reading the rest of my post. Mike Edited by Mike
02/06/2006 9:39 pm
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Replies: 42 / Views: 10,823 |
First Page
Posted 02/05/2006 6:24 pm
