Thread: Clues to Determining a Silver Coin's Been Cleaned

Merry Christmas All!!

What are some of the subtle hints that a grading service looks for on silver coin to make a determination that it has been cleaned? ANACS notes this on their slabs.

When I look at closeups of ANACS slabbed coins at the HeritageCoin website, I sometimes cannot see why they label some coins as "cleaned." Can't see any difference between some "cleaned" coins and ones that are not.

Indeed, many cleaned coins have an obvious "look" about them that indicated they've been cleaned. Fine lines in the same direction (some sort of abrasion) or unnatural "shine" on a well-circulated coin, or a blast bright glistening on a higher grade one.

Other times, I see what looks to be a worn coin that's dark in recesses, and shiny on the high points, but in lower grades that doesn't seem to be unnatural. Sometimes ANACS labels the coin "cleaned" and I can detect any shine to it at all......

I'm really baffled by what ANACS looks for....maybe some sort of voodoo?

I collect some silver coins issues like Mercury dimes, Liberty Walking halves and Peace dollars. Typically in circulated grades F to XF.

Peace in this season to you,
Houston_Ray

I think for the most they look for:
Odd color coins...or coins that should be a brown (like IHC) that is RED...they look for hairlines...
dull silver coins that are UNC...that would point to a dipping
Odd lines around the coin...
Dirt in the date and letters where as the rest of the coin is nice and clean....

And many many things....

Speedy

I agree with everything that you said. I am really interested in the answer. I posted yesterday about the differences in the different grades. I spent time yesterday on the Heritage website where you can zoom in the coins they have listed. I can't see a difference between hardly any of them.

That's the question I have.....I can tell if a coin's been cleaned if it's obvious: however on the Heritage site I can see magnified photos of several coins of of the same grade, same type coin and sometimes can't tell the difference between a "cleaned" coin and a regular one. At all.

Any "experts" out there on this matter for silver coins? (I find cleaned copper coins generally simpler to detect).

Houston_Ray

When you look at a picture of a coin you need to keep something in mind - you are only seeing a fraction of what you would see if you had the coin in hand. When you can hold a coin under a light and rotate it there are all kinds of things that would not show up when viewing the coin from a single angle that a pic provides. It's kind of trying to watch a short film with 50 or 100 frames and only getting to see one of them.

So if you view a pic of a slabbed coin that says it's been cleaned and you can't tell why - that's why.

Ray, if you haven't already, read this thread - Click Here