Cleaned or not?

Picked this up today love the toning but is it cleaned? Doesn't look to me cleaned but I need some opinions

 

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Not to my eyes.

Chris

 

From what I can see, the coin has most certainly been messed with.

 

In what way and what tipped you off?

 

My apologies, but do you ask in jest or is it a serious question?

 

Actually a serious question. For "harsh" cleaning, I usually look for hairlines and I don't really see any. Also if it is a low-grade coin and too clean, it is probably cleaned. This one appears neither.

 

I think Kentucky's question is a valid one. It appears to have a nice strike, though may have been jangled around quite a bit in a bag, showing in the fields. I have no idea about the toning though.

 

The tone follows proper colorization steps the only thing I can think is its been in a book for years

 

I just was curious I don't want to sell a cleaned coin

 

Thank you.

"Messed with" is not synonymous with "harshly cleaned". Perhaps you're seeing something different than I, but can you honestly say that you believe that coin, in its present condition, to be original?

The color (not toning) isn't what one would expect on a coin displaying such surface issues, even best-case scenario, and alone should be a strong enough indication that it has, indeed, been "messed with". Perhaps a better photo would make this clearer.

 

It might very well have been in a book for many years to get even toning like this, especially being further inside the book as opposed to the outlying coins that are more likely to tone quicker, starting at the edges.

 

I also believe the coin has been messed with. The colors don't look natural. With all the hits and the wear, it should look a bit more brown.

 

I would not offer that as being problem free.

 

A number of small background scratches on both sides of the coin and wear indicate it's been used a bit. Still a strong AU in my opinion. I also see no signs of an obvious cleaning. The toning looks natural to me from what I've seen on early wheat cents.

I think I'll put a few in a book, what a few years and see what happens.

 

yes, cleaned, and retoning

 

Seems like we're all over the board lol

 

It is a nice coin, XF-AU and it is interesting that it still has some red tone left. I don't know if this is IMPOSSIBLE or just exceptional.

 

Closer pics b

 

The only way to tell if its been cleaned is to remove the toning, unless it can be concluded that the toning is the direct result of the surfaces having been stripped. It's always been a wonder to me why copper toning hasn't been subject to the same level of research as silver toning; to the best of my knowledge there is no definitive authority on the science behind Lincoln toning, just a whole bunch of subjective opinions.

Were it a Morgan, I'd be offering my sympathy. Circulated Morgans don't tone like that. And this one's definitely circulated, even factoring the condition of the Master Dies in 1915 (they were last used that year and new ones came in 1916). Just probably not as circulated as it appears.

 

Yes.