clembo

**********WARNING!!!**********
This may be offensive to the numismatically squeemish.

Ok folks,

I see enough threads about cleaning coins. How to do it, how not to do it, should I do it.
Well, for most the answer is a resounding just LEAVE THEM AS THEY ARE.

So, I thought a bit more about this and what I see "walk in" at the coin shop. For those that DON'T work in a coin shop it would scare you at times. Fairly recent purchases by my boss were a complete set of Standing Liberty Quarters (including the 1916 AND 1918/17S and a complete set of Indian Cents.
I hate to say but well over 50% of these coins had taken a harsh cleaning in the past including ALL of the key dates. The keys were sent to ANACS for grading and authentication. The few "better" coins that escaped cleaning were sent to NGC.

This information in mind it's time for the clembo version of let's pretend. Ready?

Here's a few scans. Let's pretend the Lincoln is a 1909S-VDB and the Mercury is 1916-D.

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x...can0001-20.jpg
http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x...can0002-24.jpg

Hmmm....
Decent examples for the rarity and look original. The SVDB is a bit spotty and the 16-D DOES have a sizeable rim ding. Still nice coins and worth some bucks.






















NOW (once again pretending) these are key dates let's assume these were inherited and a total novice or absolute non-collector wants to sell them. I have seen coins brought in looking like this.

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x...can0003-21.jpg
http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x...can0004-16.jpg

EGADS!!! Then you might hear "I've been working on cleaning these up for a few days now". GASP!!! Yes, we'll buy them at maybe 20% bid because someone will want a cheap "hole filler".

Bottom line here is it REALLY does happen folks and it's a great reason to steer away from cleaning coins. If you're going to do it read up. Practice on "worthless" coins but just try to stay away from it.

I sacrificed two commons to make a point here. The scans were taken within minutes of one another. First came the originals. Then I dipped them in silver jewelry cleaner. Had to take a Qtip to the Lincoln and is that nasty or what?

The dime isn't so bad. Still worth melt - I'll spend the Lincoln. I trashed two coins for the benefit of my friends at Coin Talk.
When you get over your horror pass it along to someone that needs to know this.

clembo

__________________
A closed mind is no mind at all...

rdo

Thank you. good advice, I will take it.

Harryj

[quote LEAVE THEM AS THEY ARE.

clembo[/quote]

yes!!!, but some stubborn people won't listen. At 20% bid they have lost almost all the value of a coin that they cleaned.

__________________

CoinKeeper

From your thread, and the responses to mine, I've realized that there isn't any cleaning in my future. I've vinegar soaked a few circulated 1990's pennies, but that'll be it for me. No more cleaning! I'm a bit of a numismatic noob, and I'm glad I'm not going to learn the hard way.

Thank you to all!

__________________
All silver and gold is kept in a bank safe

Mumbapuri

Hi Clembo,
thx for the explaination with the pics... helps.. its like a "Why not to clean for dummies" and i am one of them ... simple and to the point and i liked the post
thx for sharing
btw nice coins... wish i could have had them..
One more thing, maybe i am wrong but i have seen the natural colour/tone return to the coins, though it does take some years. This happens if the coins with same metal are kept together in a lock bag or something..
just my 2c

spock1k

Clembo,

If a coin has verdigiris it should be cleaned but by people who know how to do it. not cleaning a coin is a bad idea if the coin will be worse off. It is very important to understand that not all cleaning/conservation is bad

__________________
http://kidromeoisathief.webs.com/

Arizona Dave

Thanks clembo. The pictures are a great help and I have sworn off cleaning.

Back in my cleaning days (Two days ago) I bought cleaning fluid from a reputable dealer in Phoenix. The lady that suggested the product sat at a desk on the sales floor. She said she cleaned copper and nickel coins all day with the same product. Why would a dealer do this? Were they just cleaning worthless coins to sell to an unsuspecting public?

zekeguzz

That is a great post. Thanks for taking the time and patience to express to a wannabee who wants to become a knowedgeable coin/paper collector. I have done what you showed and have found that copper is uncleanable and shows up the most gentlest cleaning. People who try to tone coins IMO are in the same category. So, so many cents are ruined/destroyed be heartless people who don't appreciate the way coins look. I've found out through CT that the dirtiest, fingerprinted(on purpose) coin has value. THANKS AGAIN.

4largecents

Clembo, I agree with you, leave the coins alone. I have tried using jewelry on some common coins I had as well as other methods to help me learn about what cleaned coins might look like, thanks for the post, my coins turned out like yours.

bqcoins

I will sometimes dip a heavily toned coin (read ugly shades of brown black) to bring out some of the coin's natural beauty, but I don't ever dip copper, and I don't do weird things to my coins like take wire brushes or strange chemical reactions like baking soda baths or soaks in vinegar (unless your a dateless buffalo), or immersion in mercury. There is a difference I think.

__________________
BQ
Sometime Numismatic Consultant
See my Bust Halves here: http://s240.photobucket.com/albums/f...albumview=grid
See my Holey coins here:http://s240.photobucket.com/albums/f...albumview=grid

spock1k

absolutely. i dont have potatoes to waste either there was this large morgan that i wanted in red but

__________________
http://kidromeoisathief.webs.com/

quartertapper

If this still does not convince some people, or they think their cleaning methods are undetectable; I have a suggestion. Clean a coin (any coin) with your secret method. Now send it to PCGS or NGC and see if you can fool the experts.

spock1k

NGC and PCGS grade cleaned coins all day. there is a difference between cleaned and harshly cleaned coins


GD come back i am beginning to type your posts

__________________
http://kidromeoisathief.webs.com/

quartertapper

[quote=spock1k;492772]NGC and PCGS grade cleaned coins all day. there is a difference between cleaned and harshly cleaned coins


I am aware of that. My point is most people would rather have a coin left uncleaned. If anyone thinks they can fool the best of the best, I'd love to hear about it and I'm sure the grading services would too.

desertgem

The problem with talking about cleaning is that the word "cleaning" is not well quantified. Those with experience understand the different levels from undetectable to wire brushed and Hydrochloric acid. You can clean your baby and you can clean your waste drain, just be aware of the consequences of using the wrong cleaner substance.

Jim