I was a browsin' on ebay, and saw this coin advertised as BU, but to the left of Washington's bust it looks like there are some vertical marks. Are those possibly on the 2x2, or could they be from something else? http://www.ebay.com/itm/1948-S-Wash...S_Individual&hash=item2a1b6599a2#ht_539wt_822 Thanks, Will
The marks you see are polishing. Look at the TY in Liberty and the fields above/below Washington's nose. See how they go under the letters? Its also clear that they are raised. The coin does appear to have been at least dipped.
What's the difference between cleaning and polishing? Was the polishing done at the mint? That seems to be the only way the marks could go under the letters.
It's more a question of "what" was polished. What Books is talking about is die polishing, not coin polishing. Cleaning, or harsh cleaning, happens to coins, not dies. That said, the coin in question does look to have some die polish lines on it, but it also looks to have some hairlines (fine scratches that occurred after minting) on it. And quite possibly some die scratches as well. As to your question of it the coin has been harshly cleaned - I would say no it has not.
I agree with the die polish lines due to the fact they are raised which indicates they were present on the die when the coin was struck, and it does look like there are some minor cleaning marks as well, but not harsh ones IMO. The price wasn't too bad, but I would have searched for something a little less, and minus the die marks.
I believe polishing of planchets is common for proof strikes. Post-mint polishing is the same thing as polishing anything else really- to make it more shinier. In the case of silver coins like the morgan dollar, polishing gives it a PL appearance, but can be seen easily. Polishing is designed to give it a more PL appearance, where as cleaning is to remove dirt, grease, grime, etc. Commonly if coins are dipped or cleaned improperly it will do the adverse of polishing, which is removing luster (if any was present). It also brings out and enduces scratches, again if done improperly. Cleaned coins that were done improperly (and still some conserved properly) will have a dull dark/light grey color (speaking to silver coins), almost as another member reffered once "battleship grey appearance". Chance are if its raw on ebay but looks PL, its been polished. If you see little scratches that can even be faint but look very odd, and it has that lack of toning, dirt, or other foreign surfaces, chances are it's been cleaned.
I personally think $13 is a fair price for this quarter. I agree with Doug that it has not been cleaned or polished. The lines appear to be die polish lines. The luster looks to be booming with a little color also.
My apologies.. Yes, die polishing. $13 is not unreasonable and depending on personal preference, the die polishing can add character. I still believe the coin has been dipped, but does not appear to have been in a harsh or harmful way.
Along this same topic, I just recently bought one of those little plastic jars to 'dip' my silver Eagles in to spruce them up. In terms of numismatic value, is it only 'okay' to do this to bullion coins (99.9%)? Gold too? Or is it 'okay' to do this to 90% coins as well? What about 40% coins? Any thoughts? Thanks!
Can you be more specific about the "little plastic jar" ? I have no idea what you are talking about. Post a link to where you can buy one of these "plastic jars".
Also perhaps explain what is meant by "spruce them up"? Are these coins dirty with foreign substances on them or are you "sprucing" them up to make them shinier, etc?
Hah! Both good points GDJMSP and rodeoclown. Thanks for asking for clarification. The solution I was referring to is a product made specifically for dipping coins. I am almost certain this is the exact product http://www.air-tites.com/ATezest.htm. By 'spruce them up', I ONLY mean to remove the tarnish. I've been collecting coins for a long time, so I know to avoid cleaning/dipping altogether. However, I just started collecting silver Eagles, and for those it is my understanding that 'dipping' in a solution made for these coins is considered acceptable and does not hurt the numismatic value.
I would dilute the solution with at least 50% distilled water, dip for less time than the jar recommends, and follow up with a very complete rinse in distilled water and air dry. I don't dip coins though.
Well, E*Z*est is not a product that that the inexperienced should really mess with. It is far, far, too easy to completely ruin your coins with this product. Will it remove the tarnish ? You bet. And if you dip the coin in it for 1 second too long it will also remove all of the luster leaving you with a melt value coin. Your comments about dipping a coin being acceptable are 100% correct. But there is a caveat that goes along with that - you have to do it correctly. Do it incorrectly, and it is not acceptable at all. That said, if you would care to post some pics of the coins you wish to "spruce up", depending on what exactly is going on with the coin there may well be other methods and other products, that would be far more helpful to you, and a whole lot safer to use.
Fantastic. Huge help. Thanks. I realize its risky. This is why I asked. Is it even more risky to 'dip' non-bullion coins? Or is it all about how easy it is to tell if it has been dipped (ie, slightly circulated coins are going to be more obvious than a American Silver Eagle, right)?
There's more to it than that. You see, some coins should not be dipped at all. And it has nothing to do with what the coin is. What it has to do with is whether or not that particular coin can be helped by dipping. And also what product, if any, should be used. In many cases, you don't need a coin dip, you need something else. And in some cases, there is nothing that will help. There are no hard and fast rules. These are the things you have to be able to figure out. Like I said, post pics, and then maybe we can help you.
